Chat Man Friday

North and West Melbourne Neighbourhood Centre

NWMNC’s podcast channel shares conversations and stories from North and West Melbourne that bring the community together. Featuring Chat Man Friday and other local voices, we highlight real experiences, community activities, and shared stories that foster connection, wellbeing, and belonging, supporting men facing barriers to connection, work, or wellbeing, as well as the wider community. North & West Melbourne Neighbourhood Centre acknowledges the Bunurong and Woiwurrung (Wurundjeri) peoples of the Kulin Nation and pays respect to Elders past and present.

  1. Jun 18

    Season 2 - Ep 15: From Kabul to Melbourne: Sayed Jawed Maqsoodi’s Journey in Media, Community, and New Beginnings.

    Chat Man Friday is a podcast for men who live, study, or work in North and West Melbourne. Tune in to hear personal stories, learn about activities organised by and for men, and pick up a few tips that may help improve your quality of life while enjoying your time in the historic streets of North and West Melbourne. This is the final episode (Episode 15) of the second season of Chat Man Friday. Our guest is Sayed Jawed Maqsoodi, co-producer of the podcast at the North and West Melbourne Neighbourhood Centre (NWMNC). In this episode, Sayed shares his journey in the media industry, particularly in television and radio production. Before coming to Australia, he built a long and distinguished career as a journalist in his home country, Afghanistan. He also offers insights into life in Afghanistan and reflects on how it compares with his new life in Australia. Sayed discusses his efforts to re-establish his media career in Australia and explains how he is working to highlight the achievements, challenges, and contributions of the Afghan community. He also shares his experience volunteering with NWMNC and reflects on his role and contributions to the Chat Man Friday podcast.

  2. Jun 11

    Season 2 - Ep 14: From South Sudan to Melbourne: Deng’s Journey of Resilience

    Chat Man Friday is a podcast for men living, studying, or working in North and West Melbourne. Tune in to hear personal stories, learn about activities organised by and for men, and pick up tips that may improve your quality of life as you enjoy your time in the historic streets of North and West Melbourne. This is Episode 14 of Chat Man Friday, Season 2. Our guest today is Deng Ahoi Geng Yum, a resident of North Melbourne. Deng shares his personal journey from his home country, South Sudan, to a culturally different new life in Australia. He speaks about the challenges he has faced over the past 20 years, including culture shock, understanding a new country and its legal system, and the importance of education in building a stable life. Deng is a member of local men’s group and the newly established life skills program, Men Out of the Margins. He speaks highly of the human connections he has built and how these relationships will support him as he looks forward to rebuilding his life and exploring new opportunities for a better future.

  3. Jun 5

    Season 2 - Ep 13: From Vietnam to Melbourne: Stories of Migration, Community, and Homelessness

    Chat Man Friday is a podcast for men living, studying, or working in North and West Melbourne. Come and listen to personal stories, learn about activities organised by and for men, and pick up a few tips that may improve your quality of life and help you enjoy your time in the old streets of North and West Melbourne. This is Episode Thirteen of Season Two of Chat Man Friday, and our guest for the day is Hieu Nguyen, the Wellbeing Officer at the Elizabeth Street Common Ground Building (ESCG). He recalls the first few days he spent after arriving in Australia in 2009. He fondly speaks about his time growing up in Vietnam and working as a tour guide. He also shares insights into Vietnamese culture and its welcoming, relaxed pace of life, and gives a quick guide to the best places to visit in a 10-day trip. Hieu also shares his beautiful singing voice in a French and Vietnamese love song. He continues by reflecting on the challenges facing people experiencing homelessness and his role at Launch Housing and the Elizabeth Street Common Ground (ESCG). Hieu asks residents of North and West Melbourne to treat people experiencing homelessness with respect and to better understand the daily challenges they face.

  4. May 29

    Season 2 - Ep 12: Karl Walheim on Life, Resilience, and Connection

    Chat Man Friday is a podcast for men living, studying, or working in North and West Melbourne. Come and listen to personal stories, learn about activities organised by and for men, and pick up a few tips that may improve your quality of life and help you enjoy your time on the historic streets of North and West Melbourne.This is Episode Twelve (12) of the second season of Chat Man Friday, and our guest today is Karl Walheim. He shares how much he enjoys life in Melbourne and how easy it feels compared to Sydney, where he spent his early years. He emphasises the importance of having someone to lean on. He also expresses his concerns about the general health of Melburnians, particularly regarding mental health.Karl talks about his love for his balcony garden. He is especially fond of succulent plants because they are resilient, strong, and able to survive challenging conditions. He enjoys taking unique photos of his plants and shares some interesting facts about succulents.Karl also speaks about his experience as a new member of the men’s group at Elizabeth Street Common Ground (ESCG), and how being part of the group has helped him make friends and learn many new things.Chat Man Friday Podcast is proudly supported by the Department of Social Services.

  5. May 22

    Season 2 - Ep 11: Digital Literacy, Hope, and Community: A Conversation with Louise Cindric

    Chat Man Friday is a podcast for men living, studying, or working in North and West Melbourne. Come and listen to personal stories, learn about activities organised by and for men, and discover a few tips that may improve your quality of life and help you enjoy your time on the old streets of North and West Melbourne. This is Episode Eleven (11) of the second season of Chat Man Friday, and our guest today is Louise Cindric, a Digital Literacy Coach who previously worked in the information technology sector with many well-known companies. Louise is now sharing her expertise in digital literacy to support and build the capacity of community members who are struggling to cope with the daily challenges of continuously evolving information technology. Louise shares her knowledge with the residents of Ozanam House and many community service agencies. She spoke to us about the challenges faced by people affected by homelessness, alcohol, and drug abuse. She also shared some inspiring success stories of people who were able to overcome their challenges and lead happy lives.

  6. May 15

    Season 2 - Ep 10: Jack's Story: A Gathering That Changed Everything

    Chat Man Friday is a podcast for men living, studying, or working in North and West Melbourne. Come and listen to personal stories, learn about activities organised by and for men, and discover a few tips that may improve your quality of life and help you enjoy your time on the old streets of North and West Melbourne. This is episode ten of the second season of Chat Man Friday, and our guest today is Jack, a senior who attends the Men’s Afternoon Tea. He loves singing and sharing his jokes and stories with the people around him. Jack sang one of Elvis Presley’s songs for us and shared some stories about music. Jack expressed his gratitude for the Men’s Afternoon Tea and its role in helping him cope with loneliness. He enjoys making new friends and sharing laughs with them. He is a happy man and wishes the Men’s Afternoon Tea activities could be held more frequently.

  7. May 8

    Season 2 - Ep 9: Inside PeterMac Men Shed with John: Building Skills, Friendship and Community

    Chat Man Friday is a podcast for men living, studying, or working in North and West Melbourne. Come and listen to personal stories, learn about activities organised by and for men, and discover tips that may improve your quality of life and help you enjoy your time on the old streets of North and West Melbourne. In Episode Nine of Season 2 of Chat Man Friday, we speak with John, workshop lead at the PeterMac Men Shed. John shares his background, how he became involved in the Men Shed movement, and what it means to be part of the PeterMac Men Shed. He also explains the purpose of Men Sheds and who can join the PeterMac Men Shed. John shares stories that reflect the positive impact of the Men Shed on its members and how working in the workshop has helped them overcome various challenges in life. He also talks about the PeterMac Men Shed’s contribution to the community and explains the process of joining the workshop. With John, we learn about an important community space where men can come together, make new friends, develop practical hands-on skills, and give back to their community by creating products that make people’s lives happier.

  8. May 1

    Season 2 - Ep 8: Neil Hawthorn on libraries, life after loss, and finding connection through community.

    Chat man Friday is a podcast for men living, studying, or working in North and West Melbourne. Come and listen to some personal stories, get to know some activities organise by and for men, and learn few tips that may improve your life quality and enjoy your time on the old streets of North and West Melbourne. This is episode eight (8) of Chat Man Friday of the second season, and our guest for the day is Neil Hawthorn, who is of Norwegian descent. Neil spoke about his family and his job as a librarian. He shared some interesting stories about what could happen within the library sphere. Neil spoke the depression he had after he was asked to resign from his library jobs. Neil spoke about his interest to building relationships with people from various cultural backgrounds especially international students. Neil is a member of the Men Afternoon Tea program at the North and West Melbourne Neighbourhood Centre (NWMNC). He expressed his happiness to be part of this group and how it helped him to gain friends, who are always there for him.

See All (31)

About

NWMNC’s podcast channel shares conversations and stories from North and West Melbourne that bring the community together. Featuring Chat Man Friday and other local voices, we highlight real experiences, community activities, and shared stories that foster connection, wellbeing, and belonging, supporting men facing barriers to connection, work, or wellbeing, as well as the wider community. North & West Melbourne Neighbourhood Centre acknowledges the Bunurong and Woiwurrung (Wurundjeri) peoples of the Kulin Nation and pays respect to Elders past and present.

Information

  • Creator
    North and West Melbourne Neighbourhood Centre
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    31
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © North and West Melbourne Neighbourhood Centre
  • Show Website
    Chat Man Friday