Radio Western Port

✨ Episode #2 – U3A Hastings Podcast ✨ This week, the script gets flipped. Jan steps into the host’s chair and interviews her cohost Julie about one of U3A’s most loved communities: the Cabin & Caravan Group. Julie shares the real heartbeat behind these getaways: connection, laughter, and the courage to try something new later in life. If you’ve ever thought about joining a trip but hesitated, th...

✨ Episode #15 – The Joe Show ✨ This week Joe is asking the questions most people avoid. Why isn’t the Australian flag front and centre on our shire buildings? Why are horses in Mount Eliza left to suffer while the RSPCA says their hands are tied? And why do we accept endless developments, fast-food giants and government delays at the cost of our community’s future? From the vacant land at Capel...

✨ Episode #37 – Inspired to Soar with Hannah ✨ This week Hannah sits down with Nikki, a guest whose story is less about “having it all figured out” and more about showing up when life gets hard. Together they unpack resilience, what it means to lean on community, and why the smallest step forward can often be the bravest. If you’ve been wrestling with change or searching for the courage to keep...

Hastings U3A Podcast – Episode 1: Meet Myrna Join Julie and Jan for the very first episode of the Hastings U3A Podcast! 🎙️ This week, they chat with Myrna, our dedicated Course Liaison Officer. Discover her journey into volunteering, her leadership in mobile phone tuition, and get a sneak peek at the exciting new courses on the horizon. Whether you’re a long-time member or just curious about Hasti...

🎙️ Episode 14 of The Joe Show This week, Joe dives into the stories shaping the Mornington Peninsula: Nearly 1,000 people facing homelessness in our community. A fallen tree damaging the old gate house in Mt Eliza. A reminder: Cash for unwanted gold & jewellery at Mornington Bowls Club. Offshore wind farms in Hastings creating jobs and putting the region on the map. The dangers of modified e-bikes...

🎙️ Inspired to Soar with Hannah – Episode #36 In this episode, Hannah sits down with an extraordinary leader and community icon, Fred Harrison, CEO and Director of Ritchies Stores. From selling fruit and vegetables from his family garden to working as a trolley boy, and now celebrating 50 years as CEO, Fred’s journey is a powerful story of resilience, hard work, and community impact. Under his lea...

Episode #4 of Anita’s Community Catchups is here! This week we share the latest from Hastings and beyond: Feedback from Lisa at Hastings Community Hub , the horticulture course at Somerville Community House is fully booked, with a waitlist now open. $2 coffees at Hastings Hub, thanks to Hastings Rotary’s generous donation of a coffee machine and beans (10am–12pm). Western Port Writers Club lending...

🎙 The Joe Show – Episode #13 It’s one of the Peninsula’s most talked-about shows and Joe’s back with all the local news you need this week. In this episode: 🏠 Housing in Mornington & Hastings - upgrades for renters. 🐎 Protests outside RSPCA offices over Mt Martha horses ,why the government needs to step up. 💔 Tarny’s battle with colon cancer. 🏉 Red Hill bows out of the footy finals + water saf...

🎙 Inspired to Soar with Hannah – Episode #35: Kyle Gupton In this episode, I sit down with Kyle “KG” Gupton, a professional basketball player, coach, and mental health advocate who’s taken his game (and his heart) across the globe. From Michigan to Victoria, from 70-point games to mentoring young athletes, Kyle’s journey proves that true success is about more than stats. We talk about: 🏀 His bask...

🎙 Episode #34 – Liam Ingram: Sport, Inclusion & Believing in Yourself Welcome to Inspired to Soar with Hannah, the show where real stories spark real change. This week, Hannah sits down with Liam Ingram, a towering 6’5” athlete, leader, and inclusion advocate whose love for basketball has taken him from local courts to elite state development programs. But Liam’s story goes far beyond the scoreboa...

🎙 Episode #33: Rising, Rebuilding & Radiating Strength with Lisa Lock In this heartfelt episode of Inspired to Soar with Hannah, I sit down with the incredible Lisa Lock, a devoted mum, heart-led support worker, and woman of unwavering faith. From navigating the heartbreak of separation and single motherhood to rediscovering her purpose through health, fitness, and service to others, Lisa’s journe...

Episode 33 – Born to Soar: Brent Loughrey’s Journey from Death’s Door to 3,000km of Purpose What do you do when life literally knocks you to the floor? In today’s episode, I sit down with Brent Loughrey — a man who went from training for a 53km charity run to being resuscitated and diagnosed with necrotising fasciitis, a life-threatening flesh-eating disease, within 24 hours. He lost skin. He batt...

🎙️ Episode #32 Paul Pingiaro: From Boat Captain to Deputy Mayor, Building Legacy Through Leadership In this episode of Inspired to Soar with Hannah, we sit down with Paul Pingiaro , a man who doesn’t just wear multiple hats… he hand-stitches them from grit, legacy, and action. Paul’s story is a masterclass in grounded leadership. From building his family home with his dad, to earning his pilot's l...

Anita is BACK for Episode #3 of Anita’s Community Catchups on Radio Western Port! In this episode, Anita chats with Paula about all things hospitality, first aid & CPR, agricultural skills, and an exciting new horticulture course at Advance Community College. Paula introduces the brand-new 12-week horticulture course at Somerville Community House, where you’ll explore the basics of plant care, gar...

🎙️ The Joe Show – Episode #12 is here! This week, Joe is back with another jam-packed episode covering everything from school going back, local good citizen awards, and tree planting in Somerville, to his candid take on local politics (or lack thereof). Topics include: Asbestos clean-up on US marine bases (due by Christmas) Local government officials getting a pay rise Fisheries Department staff s...

🎙️ Episode #31 – Breaking Cycles and Finding Your Voice with Alyson Richelle In this powerful episode of Inspired to Soar with Hannah, host Hannah Swinnerton is joined by trauma-informed consultant, survivor, and former police officer Alyson Richelle. Alyson’s journey from policing to advocacy is a story of courage, truth-telling, and hope. Through her platform What They Don’t Tell You and her pod...

Inspired to Soar with Hannah – Episode #30 with Guest Deb Today’s episode is one you won’t forget. Deb’s story is a powerful journey of love, heartbreak, resilience, and rediscovering herself after unimaginable loss. Born in 1964 to Dutch parents as a first-generation Australian, Deb’s life was full of family, love, and adventure. By 28, she was a mum of three and later married her soulmate, Ron....

EP #30: From Grief to Growth – Deb’s Story of Love, Loss & Fierce Resilience On this episode of Inspired to Soar with Hannah, we meet Deb , a first-generation Aussie, a mum of three, and a Nan to eight, whose life has been marked by love, loss, and breathtaking transformation. After marrying her soulmate Ron and sharing nearly 21 beautiful years together, Deb faced sudden, heartbreaking loss. What...

Episode #29 — Ben Smith | Community, Compassion, and the Power of Showing Up Welcome to Inspired to Soar with Hannah, the podcast where real stories spark real change. This week, I’m honoured to be joined by Ben Smith, father, small-business owner, and CEO of the Mornington Community Support Centre. Ben’s work supporting people through homelessness, housing insecurity, and financial crisis is resh...

Solo Motherhood, Strength & MS: Zoey’s Journey of Resilience In this powerful episode of Inspired to Soar with Hannah, we’re joined by the incredible Zoey, a woman whose journey is equal parts heart-wrenching and awe-inspiring. From leaving home at just 15, finishing high school on her own, and becoming a solo mum at 18, to raising a neurodivergent child and facing a life-changing MS diagnosis , Z...

🎙️ Episode 27: Brad Hill – Leading with Heart: Community, Mental Health & Public Service In this inspiring episode, Hannah sits down with Brad Hill, three-time elected Frankston City Councillor, tech professional with over 40 years of experience, Justice of the Peace, father of five, and a man with community stitched into his DNA. Brad shares his journey from reading local issues on Facebook to st...

Episode #26 – From Northern China to Melbourne Café Owner: The Journey of Jeff From a small village in northern China to the heart of Melbourne, Jeff’s story is a powerful blend of resilience, purpose, and quiet strength. In this episode, Jeff opens up about his childhood, migration journey, and how he built Pelikan Société into more than just a café — it's a home for community. We talk about: Mov...

The gap between who you are and who you could be is crossed the moment you decide to show up for yourself. In this episode of Inspired to Soar with Hannah, I sit down with Johnee Auvale—215 kilos when he entered The Biggest Loser: Families, a proud father of three today, and a frontline change-maker in the NDIS space. We unpack the unseen battles of weight, worth and mental health—and the day John...

EP #24 — Rebecca Wood: Rebuilding a Life Without Burning Down the Business What if the worst chapters of your story became the fuel for your biggest climb? 💥 In today’s episode, Hannah sits down with multi-award-winning salon owner Rebecca Wood, single mum, cancer survivor, domestic-violence thriver, and founder of the transformational women’s program Rebel25. Together they unpack: The day Rebecc...

When the spotlight fades, what’s left? In Episode #23 of Inspired to Soar with Hannah, Paul Mercurio MP, yes, the man who tangoed his way through Strictly Ballroom and later judged Dancing with the Stars, drops the glitter and gets honest. We unpack: How dance became his first language for emotions The mental whiplash of overnight fame Reinventing himself from stage to Parliament for Hastings Why...