A podcast set up during the COVID-19 pandemic to help give a voice to young people in Melbourne’s west continues to go from strength to strength. Tara Murray catches up with creators, Michael Lim and Julia Truong to find out more about Collective West, the inspiration behind the podcast and what to expect in the second season.
“What we saw from the first and second lockdown was the disproportionate impact that the lockdown had not only on Melbourne’s west, but in Brimbank,” Michael Lim recalls.
“We saw how much it was affecting young people.”
Keen to find some way for young people to approach the pandemic in a different light, the 2018 Brimbank young citizen of the year started thinking about what he could do to make a difference.
Lim wanted to help young people who had lost their jobs and were experiencing mental health problems to connect with others.
When he decided to set up a podcast, he reached out to his good friend Julia Truong, a fellow Brimbank resident, and got the conversation going.
“We saw the disproportionate impact that this was having on the west and the clear connection between having low education and payment with work,” he said.
“I think it was anger and injustice. Because we couldn’t be there face-to-face and we couldn’t have gatherings, or even talk to people, we wanted to create a platform where we could be a voice for young people.
“Being young people ourselves, we thought about interviewing thought leaders or community leaders from across the west that may not have a platform or speak to other young people.
“We thought how can they turn this challenge into an opportunity? We wanted to create a really positive social impact across the west.”
Truong jumped at the opportunity to work with Lim on the project.
She said Collective West started as two good friends sharing some insights and grew from there.
“It’s really exciting how it has evolved over time,” she said.
“The people we’ve managed to interview so far have been very fascinating. Looking back, if I was younger… I would have found it to be helpful.
“As positive role models in our community, we wanted to create a platform for young people by young people, and help break down that cycle of disadvantage.”
The podcast started with the two talking about their experiences. Since then, their guests have included Brimbank deputy Mayor Jasmine Nguyen, former Western Chances chief executive Rhyll Dorrington and Reana Cazar, a senior associate at a social impact firm that works in Melbourne’s west.
Both Lim and Truong admitted they were surprised by the impact that the podcast series had on local people.
“Part of me thought it might not work out and people might not be receptive to it, but the majority of the feedback we are getting is people who are appreciative of other young people, community leaders, a platform and the listeners getting so much value from it,” Lim said.
“They get so much value out of hearing these stories having lived experiences. A person who is like them and has grown up in the same area and community as them, [talking and sharing] emotions they have felt, is a really rewarding experience.”
The podcast is now celebrating its first anniversary. A $10,000 state government grant has recognised the contribution of the podcast and is helping it continue.
This series of 10 episodes is called the #MelbsWest Youth Leadership. Guests include co-founder of 100 Story Building, Lachlann Carter, managing director and founder of Equal Ed, Jeffrey Lai, and Wyndham Tech School director Gail Bray.
Lim said they were ecstatic to be able to continue to share important stories.
He said the grant gave them the means to pay guests for their time.
“There’s also that recognition from the state government that we are doing things differently, adding value to the lives of local people across Brimbank and the people of the west,” he said.
Both Lim and Troung are keen to further expand the podcast.
“We want to reach more people, run more podcast and interview, and hopefully we will be allowed more in-person events, bring together the guests and listeners [at] events across western Melbourne
“One thing missing through COVID-19 was social connection and connection to the community.”
