“Manhood is a journey that requires self-discovery, courage, vulnerability, compassion, connection, and purpose.”

Our lovely neighbourhood friend John Byrne is the founder of Coaching Life Works. He has over 30 years experience in the field of counselling for men and youth. He has a long association with ACC. In Term 2 he is starting up a new Men’s Group, meeting on Monday evenings in the Community Shed here at ACC, from 6.45pm-9pm. If you are interested in finding out more or coming along you can contact John directly on 0439 899 352 or email coachinglifeworks@gmail.com.

Here is a little introduction he has sent through.

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Many of us want to make changes in our lives, but we often find ourselves stuck in the contemplation stage, unsure of how to move forward. And crossroads in our lives (such as starting families, retiring from work etc.) can make us feel stuck in our careers, relationships, or personal lives, struggling to break free from the past and embrace a brighter future.

Personal growth is a lifelong journey that requires self-reflection, introspection, and a willingness to confront our deepest fears and insecurities. As men, we often struggle with expressing vulnerability and seeking help, especially when it comes to our emotional well-being. However, acknowledging our limitations and seeking support is not a sign of weakness but a testament to our strength and resilience.

At Coaching Life Works our mission is to empower and support men as they identify their values, strengths, and goals, encouraging them to live fulfilling lives that align with their true purpose. We provide a safe and supportive environment for men to explore their thoughts, behaviours, and feelings, particularly emotional intelligence and develop strategies to overcome obstacles as they achieve their desired outcomes.

Our coaching approach is tailored to everyone’s unique needs and challenges and is rooted in evidence-based practices that promote self-awareness, resilience, a growth mindset and emotional intelligence. We use a variety of techniques, including experiential body centred awareness, positive psychology and mindfulness to help our clients develop the skills and tools they need to navigate life's challenges with confidence and clarity.

As a coach, I am passionate about empowering men to become the best versions of themselves, and to create meaningful change in their lives. I have seen first hand how coaching can transform lives and bring about lasting, positive change. Whether you are looking to overcome a specific challenge, improve your relationships, or gain clarity about your life's purpose, Coaching Life Works can help you achieve your goals.

As someone who has personally experienced the transformative power of coaching, I am committed to helping men achieve their goals and live fulfilling lives. I believe that everyone deserves to reach their full potential and that Coaching Life Works can help you be powerful in your personal growth and development.

You can visit my website at www.coachinglifeworks.com to learn more about our coaching services.

I look forward to hearing from you and supporting you on your journey.

Sincerely,

John Byrne

Hi Leanne here! As you probably know, on Friday mornings we have an open house at ACC, where people come along and craft and make things in the shed, and garden with Clare etc. … and then at 11.30am we get together for morning tea in the garden - and a laugh and a chat. It’s really lovely to keep up regularly with neighbourhood friends over food and a cuppa - some people enjoy it so much they come along just for the morning tea part of the session!

This year we’re wondering if there is anyone in the community who would be interested in volunteering to cook/coordinate our morning tea/early light lunch.

At morning tea we generally have:.

• Something sweet (cake, biscuits etc.)

• Something savoury (toasties, spanikopita, sausage rolls etc.)

• Fruit (whatever is in season), and

• Tea 🫖 and coffee ☕️ of course.

On Fridays we open at 9.30am. The role would involve cooking and then setting up some platters and loading up our trolley with all the things (catering for around 15 people) … and sending it out into the garden at 11.30am. Our cooking volunteers are of course very welcome and enthusiastically encouraged to join in morning tea as well.

We’re flexible about how the volunteer role(s) could unfold … Maybe a couple of people could work together, or a couple of people could alternate weeks or one person might like to commit weekly and run the whole thing.

Also … if you aren’t available on Friday mornings but enjoy baking perhaps you’d like to cook something at home and drop it off regularly? This would be super helpful and lovely too!

We have a budget for the program to cover the food costs, so there is no cost to volunteering - apart from your time (which I am sure will be rewarded with appreciation from those who attend).

If this sounds like something you might enjoy contributing to, please let us know! You can email Leanne here. And … include your phone number so we can have a chat. That would super!

Thanks in advance.

We’re holding our first jamming session for the year on Thursday 16 February. If you’d like to come along and help cook up a storm sign up on our website.

And … if you have fruit trees or access to homegrown veggies to make relishes etc. we’d love to be the recipient of your backyard bounty!

Give us a call on 9499 7227 or pop past or email. If we know what to expect we can plan our cooking around it … thanks. Hope to see you soon.

Oh .. and also, if you have small jars we’d love ❤️ them …

We’re kicking off our new monthly Tuesday Movie Club on the 14 February and we’re going to see a romcom, from the makers of Bridget Jones Diary and Love Actually etc. So why not join us for a very romantic Valentine’s Day activity!

What’s Love Got To Do with It? is on at Westgarth Cinema at 12.45pm. The cost is $12.

If you want to come with us you’ll need to be at Alphington Community Centre at 12pm to catch the 12.07pm train at Alphington Station. We’ll arrive at Westgarth Station at 12.12pm. This gives us 30 minutes to walk over to the cinema and buy tickets etc.

If you plan to make your own way there that is great too! Just let us know so we can look out for you when we arrive.

If you are interested in joining in this activity please email us here. We propose to create a Movie Club What’s App group, so that we can easily organise this new ongoing monthly activity!

Here’s the official promo for the movie!

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A pitch perfect ballad of emotions, this romantic comedy follows a filmmaker who decides to document her best friend’s journey toward arranged marriage.

Moving between London and Lahore, this is a story of love, friendship, tradition and iconoclasm. How do you find lasting love in today's world? For documentary-maker and dating app addict Zoe (Lily James, Rebecca, Darkest Hour), swiping right has only delivered an endless stream of Mr. Wrongs, to her eccentric mother Cath's (Emma Thompson, Good Luck to You, Leo Grande) dismay.

For childhood friend and neighbour Kaz (Shazad Latif, The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel), the answer is to follow his parents' example and opt for an arranged (or "assisted") marriage to a bright and beautiful bride from Pakistan. As Zoe films his journey to marry a stranger, she begins to wonder if she might have something to learn from a profoundly different approach to finding love.

Striking a touching balance between respect for cultural customs and belief in the power of romance, What’s Love Got to Do with It? offers an impassioned take on the notion of love, romance and finding that special someone.

Are you a keen gardener? We’d love some help in our garden on Friday mornings. Clare is here from 10-11.30am working to maintain our lovely community garden space and building up the capacity of our seed library and the other gardening resources onsite - and at the same time sharing seasonal gardening expertise and composting tips and tricks etc.

If you enjoy a chat and like gardening perhaps you’d like to come along? This program is suitable for young families and retirees, and anyone in between who enjoys gardening.

Note the program concludes with morning tea at 11.30am. We hope to see you soon!