My Warm Table ... with Sonia

Grazie ... thank you for your company around the warm table during another season of wonderful Western Australian guests making our communities better.  We recap the Season 3 conversations we enjoyed around La Tavola Calda. Kicking Cancer with Lisa Holland Connection with Dan Minchin Illuminating Lives with Lightbulb Skills...Embracing Independence and Hope with Desley Delic and Megan Hancock Stor...

What if you could empower people with disabilities while simultaneously making strides toward environmental sustainability? Kane Blackman, the CEO of Good Sammy Enterprises, a beacon of positive change in Western Australia joins us around the warm table. We uncover the inspiring history of Good Sammy, from its roots in 1958 to its current role as a leader in disability employment and sustainable f...

Unlock the secrets to navigating your "second spring" with career counsellor and reinvention coach Lois Keay-Smith. Lois joins us to share modern job search strategies and the importance of staying active and connected. This episode is packed with actionable insights that will empower you to embrace your next chapter with strength and purpose.  Lois shares invaluable insights on recogniz...

What if you could transform your life through the power of community and touch? Today, we sit down with the incredible Tamala Bosveld, a mother of five, marathon enthusiast, and compassionate massage therapist, whose work has touched countless lives. Join us as Tamala shares her inspiring journey, from balancing family life to organizing a family-friendly running event that brings people together....

Ever wondered why mainstream agriculture seems so destructive? Picture a grandfather and his grandson pondering the question of why growing crops often involves killing. This profound moment sets the stage for a transformative conversation with Anthony James, the host of the Regeneration podcast, and a fifth-generation Western Australian. Together, we explore how regenerative agriculture is breath...

Can multiculturalism truly shape the identity of a region? Join us as Sonia Nolan welcomes Karla Benitez, a dedicated advocate for culturally and linguistically diverse communities, to explore the vibrant tapestry and challenges of multicultural life in Western Australia. Karla shares her compelling journey from Mexico to Australia and her impactful work with the Multicultural Labor Organisation....

What if understanding the intricate relationship between mental and physical health could be the key to holistic well-being? Join us at My Warm Table as we chat with Nicola Cooper, a highly experienced mental health nurse and therapist with a rich background in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) from the UK. Nicola shares her compelling journey and deep insights into the complexities of mental hea...

Witness the strength of the human spirit through Olga Hurina's eyes, a Ukrainian humanitarian entrant whose life took a dramatic turn when war forced her from her homeland to the unfamiliar shores of Perth, Australia. Leaving behind her husband and a career in public service, Olga's story is one of resilience and hope. Amidst the backdrop of the ongoing Ukrainian crisis, she shares her e...

Imagine being captivated by a voice that weaves humor and vulnerability into a tapestry of tales, drawing you into the very heart of storytelling. That's precisely what Andrea Gibbs, a storyteller extraordinaire, does as our guest. As she unravels the intricacies of performance, from the raw exposure of acting to the subtle rhythms of narrative comedy, we explore how each story, whether whisp...

Have you ever wondered what it takes to turn a spark of inspiration into a beacon of hope for others? Desley Delic and Megan Hancock sit at my warm table, sharing the heartfelt origin of Lightbulb Skills , a testament to their determination to help individuals with additional needs learn life and independence skills. Their stories, steeped in personal family experiences, will touch you as they dis...

Today we are talking about our seniors, our young people, intergenerational relationships, the old-school village approach to looking after each other in communities, and how we can find hope in loneliness.   Yes we’re asking lots of big questions!   These big human challenges, are deeply embedded with the whole range of emotions from love and joy to pain and suffering.   There is no-one better to...

Lisa Holland is a truly remarkable woman. She embodies the words hope and inspiration equally as much as she personifies strength and resilience.  During our warm table conversation Lisa shares her fight with two different types of breast cancer and also thyroid cancer and how she has been both a victim and a hero of her own story and has survived to become wiser, more generous, and inspired to le...

Welcome to Season 3 of My Warm Table.  I’m so delighted that you’ve joined us again for more smart conversations with heart around a warm table of acceptance, curiosity and empathy. This Season, which is our third, we are focussing on HOPE.  The world is a crazy place right now, and I believe we all need to channel the power of hope into our days.  What is hope?  What does it mean for you?  Does i...

Thanks for listening to Season 2 of My Warm Table Podcast. In this episode, Sonia wraps up the season with highlights of the previous episodes. Thanks to all of our wonderful, generous guests and to you our listeners for supporting a warm table of curious conversations, acceptance and spreading positivity in our communities. Warm thanks to: Sponsor : Females Over Forty-five Fitness in Victoria Par...

In this episode  we  stop a moment to think about how we are so connected to electricity.  We’re going to honour the courageous and skillful men who climbed heights without fear to assemble and construct those tall steel structures which look like mini Eiffel Towers across our Australian landscape. We’re going to step back in time to 1951 when the Australian branch of an Italian company set up in...

We are in what scientists call the 6th mass extinction with wildlife disappearing at a rate of 1000 times the natural extinction rate.   Today’s warm table conversation is a big one. We share tears and fears with Donalea Patman who, 12 years ago, locked eyes with a lion - one of the world’s most majestic and revered creatures – and from that moment she has dedicated her career to ending the cruel...

The number of trucks on WA  roads is set to double within the decade and triple by 2050.  In fact we'd all  come to a stop if it wasn’t for the work of our amazing truck drivers carting everything from milk to machinery across our vast state.    So it’s really important as drivers that we know how to share our roads safely with trucks. Rob Sharpe of Transafe and InsTRUCKta! has traversed more...

Have you ever been hacked? Are you worried about your data privacy? Do you know someone who has been unscrupulously scammed and lost money, lost data and basically lost their trust in the cyber world? Cyber security is a growing concern for everyday people like you and me, as well as every organisation and government body - costing millions in our economy. Cybersecurity specialist Vannessa Van Bee...

PASSION: The study and mastery of allergic conditions. PURPOSE: Investigating, managing and relieving allergy symptoms through his practice Perth Allergy so people can live healthier, happier lives. Is hay fever your nemesis in the Springtime or maybe the sentence “ may contain traces of nuts ” gets your heart racing. Allergies have become a common companion for many and so often they rob us of ou...

PASSION: Changing workplace behaviours for the better. PURPOSE: Translating the law on workplace behaviours through interactive theatre and training workshops through her business EEO Specialists . The laws have changed around workplace behaviour. In fact more change has occurred in the last 2 years than 20 years prior … So this is an important episode for everyone with a job - because you need to...

One of the greatest ways we can channel our passions for purpose is through volunteering. It’s good for civic society, it’s good for our local clubs, and research tells us that volunteering even increases our sense of wellbeing.  Today I’m joined around the Warm Table by Craig Spencer – who has volunteered most of his adult life and knows better than most the importance of giving things a go and g...

Jenny Baraga is a pioneer of Aboriginal mental health practice and training in Western Australia’s north west region.  Jenny describes herself as a quiet achiever. She is a trusted voice, an experienced health practitioner and a proud Garra Yarra woman with a compelling story about the importance of taking the time to have a yarn and show cultural respect to people – especially when they are at th...

Endometriosis is a chronic and painful condition which affects about 176 million women worldwide. One in 9 women suffer (almost daily) with this condition which impacts a woman's physical, emotion and social wellbeing.  There is currently no cure, the cause is unclear and diagnosis takes an average of 7 years. Kath Sloan and Emma Dixon are passionate about sharing their lived experience of en...

Christin Smith is an award winning earth scientist with qualifications in geology, natural resources, sustainability and environmental management, and education.   She's the founder of EARTHMAD - an acronym which stands for Everyone Acting Responsibly Today Helps Make A Difference. Christin found herself leading the charge in her Mandurah coastal suburb to protect her local beach from coastal...

PASSION: Identifying unmet needs and then taking action to enable a stronger, more vibrant community where everyone feels connected. PURPOSE: Creating community as CEO of her charity Motion by the Ocean . Alanagh Godderidge lives and breathes her values.   Alanagh is the CEO and Founder of Motion by the Ocean and a pioneer of the Cycling Without Age movement in Western Australia. Motion by the Oce...