
Ballarat Neighbourhood Centre
Testimonials
Every Story is Different
We would like to thank the clients, volunteers, placement students and learners who have shared their stories with us. We know the journey towards a destination is as important as the destination itself. Regardless of how you Connect with us, we will travel this journey with you; sharing your highs and lows, the good and the bad times, and working with you to help you Learn and Participate.
"My communication skills have improved greatly, I have found a confidence that I never knew I had, so I don't feel like as much of an outsider and I can contribute to society in a more productive way. "

Get the help to empower you to become your best self
June was born and raised in Bangkok, Thailand and came to Australia seven years ago aged 30 to pursue study. She originally resided in the city of Melbourne and then made the move to Ballarat in 2019. June was keen to gain local employment and signed up for a job agency which in return referred her to Ballarat Neighbourhood Centre (BNC).
June said BNC helped provide her a sense of connection to the community and started her building a social ...

Feeling lonely and lost when the kids left home
Jane, 56, was born in a tiny, very rustic two bed rural town hospital. These humble beginnings did not reflect the family’s status in the area. Dad was an affluent cattle dealer who held the prestigious position of City Councilor/Mayor for over 40 years. The family owned four sprawling properties including dairy and sheep farms.
Jane was by no means a spoilt child, quite the opposite in fact. When describing her formative years, she quipped t...
"With the training and studies that I have had at the Neighbourhood Centre with my mentors they have provided the knowledge and skills to be able to use a computer properly and a phone. Most people take feeling confident in using a phone properly for granted but this lack of confidence has impacted on me progressing through my professional and personal life."

Now equipped for the next stage of her journey
Autumn is a 43-years young Victorian lady with Latin roots. She migrated from Argentina to Australia with her parents as a toddler and the family settled in the leafy Northern Suburbs of Melbourne ...

Helping people emotionally, personally and professionally
After she finished year 12, Deanna worked in the television industry as an audio engineer located in Melbourne. Her family opened a café/delicatessen in Ballarat. Deanna decided to work for the bus...

Connected me back into the community
Deb is a 59-year-old lady who hails originally from Durban, South Africa. She was a studious child and enjoyed her elementary schooling before going on to further tertiary education and completing ...

Given a sense of clarity and direction in her career path
Yuko is a 43-year-old lady. She was born and raised in Nagoya, Japan. Yuko speaks with great fondness of her hometown which she compares to Adelaide. She describes it as similar in a demographic se...

Empowered with new skills to thrive in this technological era
Russell is 56-year-old man. He became a qualified baker and pastry maker in 1986 and went on to gain employment with a major food processing company for the bulk of his adult career which spanned 1...

From South Sudan to Australia with six small children
Helen is a 44-year-old woman who was born in South Sudan, Africa. The beginnings of her life were very tough times to say the least and Helen endured a lot of early traumas. When she was only 10 ye...

Having an ‘a grade, special quality’ resume
Ray is a 49-year-old man who was born in regional Victoria. He had a happy childhood and was raised by two amazing loving parents. He is the middle boy of three brothers. Ray moved to Cobram as a b...

From home cook to a profitable micro-business
Mary is a 56-year-old lady from South Sudan. She was born into civil war between north and south and the war-torn country was rife with political tensions and extreme acts of violent crime. When Ma...

Motivated to keep striving higher to unlock boundless potential
Kim is a 23-year-old girl from Ballarat. She enjoys her home comforts and prefers this to going out all the time, but she does venture out regularly to go to the gym and this has been a regular fix...