Hear about the Mortimer family’s experience with dementia, listen to the moving story of an Indigenous boy who grew up to earn an OAM and meet a local advocate who navigates life with a disability.

These are just some of the stories that will be covered in Council’s brand-new social cohesion podcast, Voices of CBCity, which launched this week with the aim of amplifying the diverse voices of Canterbury-Bankstown.

Hosted by local resident and volunteer, James Brown, and community worker, Anna Certoma, the series features personal stories and lived experiences from individuals of different cultural, ethnic and social backgrounds.

The podcast is being developed thanks to a funding boost from the NSW Government to increase social justice and social cohesion across the City.

A Council Spokesperson said Voices of CBCity is all about promoting a stronger sense of belonging and shared identity.

“We have a wonderfully diverse City made up of people from all walks of life, each with a different story to tell,” the Spokesperson said.

“I encourage everyone to listen to the podcast and learn about the different people who make our community so great.”

Released today, Episode One centres around local Indigenous Elder, Uncle Harry Allie AM BEM, and his journey from struggle to success.

Uncle Harry tells hosts Anna and James about his upbringing as an Indigenous boy in a Queensland riven by the Aboriginal Protection Act, his experience in the Royal Australian Airforce and becoming an OAM and respected elder in the Canterbury-Bankstown community.

You can stream Voices of CBCity Episode One today on Spotify and Youtube. Future episodes will be released every two weeks. For more information, visit cb.city/VoicesOfCBCity

The overall Socially Just and Cohesive CBCity project will also see Council develop a social justice charter – a new set of rules to make sure everyone in the community feels safe and included.

This project is proudly funded by the NSW Government through the NSW Social Cohesion Grants for Local Government.