Being Local during Disaster and the Role of Magooney’s Coffee Shop with Melissa O’Toole
Melissa O’Toole, a well-respected Broke Village local, gives us her perspective on the floods both from her personal experience and from what is now a hub of the village, Magoony’s Coffee House, which plays an important part in village life. Melissa and her husband Paul moved to Broke nearly 30 years ago with their family […]
Transformation after Trauma & Abuse and Finding Resilience with Helen Ryan | Kintsugi Heroes
Helen Ryan’s story starts with her describing how she overcame her shocking childhood in Norway and early adult life challenges. She shares her traumatic childhood with an alcoholic mother and facing sexual abuse while detailing her mother’s risky behaviour. She recounts living a nomadic lifestyle after working in the district attorney’s office during the night […]
A Love of Wollombi, Volunteering in the RFS & the Historic Pub with Chris Books | Kintsugi Heroes
Chris Brooks, the proprietor of the iconic Wollombi Tavern during the July 2022 flood, is a resilient and community-oriented individual. In the early eighties, when Chris was in the army he discovered the tavern during regular trips to Singleton. Originally a builder from Sydney, in 2016, he and his wife decided to buy a small […]
Using Entrepreneurship to fight Neurodiversity & Disability Prejudice with Mathew Townsend | KH Pod
Mathew Townsend is a neurodiverse social entrepreneur based in Brisbane. Growing up with disabilities he faced discrimination and prejudice finding his pathways into career and passions. Being socially isolated he often had anxiety and depression, causing him to feel low and uncharacteristic. He wasn’t confident to speak up about himself to help people to understand […]
Returning Home and the Flood Impacts on Broke Estate with Bernadette Tolson | Kintsugi Heroes
Bernadette lives with her husband, Max, on a property called Broke Estate on the outskirts of Broke where they have accommodation, a vineyard, and cattle. They were on other side of the road collapse that blocked of the local villages. Eventually they could get to Singleton but it was a few days before they could […]
Where Art and Service Meet: How Voices for Veterans helps with PTSD with Mike Armstrong | KH Podcast
Mike Armstrong is an award-winning contemporary artist, author and veteran of the Australian Army for 23 years. He served in East Timor, Afghanistan, Iraq and was part of the Tactical assault Group East. He did his Master of Arts while deployed in Iraq, and now works in a variety of media from his art studio […]
Natural Disaster Trauma: What the Research Says with Rob Gordon | Kintsugi Heroes
Rob Gordon gives us a powerful and detailed explanation of the effects on the human psyche of trauma from disasters and describes strategies for healing. He is warm and compassionate and his examples which all come from his experience over many years illustrate the complexity of the human response to tragic events and explain why […]
Surviving a Traumatic Childhood to Find Success in Australia with Neil Morley | Kintsugi Heroes
Neil Morley opens up about his incredible journey from a challenging upbringing to finding success and fulfillment in Australia. His story is a powerful reminder of resilience, the importance of mentorship, and following your heart. Biography I was born in Liverpool UK and raised by my grandmother who had 11 children. She raised me as […]
The Hero of Broke: Operational Excellence and Generosity with Mick McCardle
Mick is a man who was acknowledged by the village as being an absolute hero when it came to supporting the community. His operational role was essential and his heart was huge when it came to supporting the local people. Born in 1963 he was in the Army from 1981 to 2013. In 2016 he […]
How an ADHD Diagnosis, Music and Human Sciences Saved Me with Dan Grey | Kintsugi Heroes
Dan Grey grew up on the Northern Beaches of Sydney and loves to surf. He had a loving and nurturing childhood with strong familial relationships and connections to nature. He was academically challenged due to ADHD, which required extra support in school and medication during high school that significantly improved his grades. He studied public […]