Asperger's Support

**You are invited to our men's conversation group, the Men Being Well program** run by Relationships Australia Victoria and Life Is Foundation. This free program is for men to meet, discuss and explore wellbeing through **connection**, **reflection** and **peer support**. **IN-PERSON Men's Gathering on Wed 28th JANUARY at 7 to 9 PM** Men Being Well hosts monthly Men’s Gatherings or conversation groups and several all-day Men’s Retreats throughout the year. Our events are aimed at positive mental health and wellbeing for men and include regular discussion about life issues and challenges. The relaxed format is welcoming and a safe place to reflect on your personal journey. We hope you can join us in Canterbury, Melbourne and look forward to relaxed and thoughtful discussion. *Please contact us via email (or message us on Meetup) for address details and a brief chat if you are coming along for the first time.* Please email us and join our mailing list as well: **menbeingwell@rav.org.au** Visit our webpage for more dates and information about the Men Being Well program: [www.relationshipsvictoria.org.au/relationships-wellbeing-courses/men-being-well/](https://www.relationshipsvictoria.org.au/relationships-wellbeing-courses/men-being-well/) Regards from your Men Being Well Program Facilitators

**Would you like to improve at public speaking, in a fun, supportive environment?** Come along to Toastmasters to learn how to write and deliver speeches, and have fun doing it! Please visit [www.maccabitoastmasters.org.au](http://www.maccabitoastmasters.org.au/) and register your interest to attend in person via the **Contact Us** tab on the webpage. We kindly ask that you arrive on time to avoid any disruption to the meeting. **About Maccabi Toastmasters** Maccabi Toastmasters encourages people of all ages and backgrounds to overcome public speaking nerves and to become confident and accomplished speakers! * Would you like to improve your public speaking and presentation skills for work or school? * How about overcoming the anxiety and challenge of providing constructive feedback and performance evaluations at work? * Maybe you're looking to change jobs and would like to brush up on your communication skills and really impress the interviewer? * Are you feeling anxious about an up-and-coming speech you have to give at a special event? A Birthday, Wedding, Anniversary, Bar Mitzvah/Bat Mitzvah, Engagement Party or Corporate function? * Would you like to improve leadership skills? * Maybe you're just looking to have fun by sharing your thoughts and stories in a entertaining and friendly social environment? If you answered YES or MAYBE to any of the above, then you've found the right club! Join us at our next meeting and see how friendly and entertaining our club is. Just come along and have some fun! **What to know before attending a meeting** Please **visit www.maccabitoastmasters.org.au/directions.html** for meeting information and directions. Our website is a great starting place to find out more about the club and what to expect when attending your first meeting. To assist us in running the meetings smoothly, we kindly ask you register your interest at least one day before attending. Please note that video recording of the meeting or speaker is not allowed, with exception granted only by written permission from the club executive committee.

Depression, Anxiety, Stress and worry are real concerns when we consider mental health. What causes the overwhelming sadness, the insomnia, the frightening panic attacks, the lack of energy, the mental fatigue and nervousness experienced by so many people. https://secure.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/2/8/1/0/600_459310256.jpeg Even a temporary state of stress can affect our ability to reason and result in actions or decisions that have disastrous long-term results. What is it that is holding you back and stops you from being YOU? Quality of life depends so much on mental health. People desire happiness but authentic happiness is often short-lived. Sometimes only a dim memory from childhood. Children are known for their ability to find joy in the simplest of things. What is it that affects a person's ability to experience true happiness? The Circumstances are the same, but the person no longer responds with positive emotions. Instead he or she may have a persistent gnawing anger, fear or sadness that depresses the consciousness and brings the person to reliance on pills or alcohol. The change may be gradual, occurring slowly over many years or it can be sudden, triggered by a traumatic stress such as the death of a loved one or a broken heart. The answer to these problems has been searched for for thousands of years but the problem appears to getting worse, with the rates of depression and suicide climbing alarmingly. Very few lives remain unaffected either directly or indirectly by these modern scourges. Could it be that the modern "treatments" and "solutions" to these problems are actually making things worse? That could only occur if the people developing and using these "treatments" did not know the true underlying reason for these problems. Today's meetup topic is based on Dianetics, The Modern Science of Mental Health by L. Ron Hubbard We will discuss the underlying reason for depression, anxiety, fear, nervousness, unhappiness, phobias and many other unwanted emotions and reactions as revealed and is fully explained in L. Ron Hubbard's book Dianetics. Life can become fun again, just like it was when you were a child. Hard to Believe? Well don't believe - find out for yourself and then you will KNOW. You have the opportunity to have all your questions answered. Nothing in Dianetics has to be true for you unless you have observed it and it is true according to your own observation. Today's meetup enables you to make your own observations. Make this go right for you, RSVP yes and ensure you attend this meetup. Know Yourself, Know Life! Tanja This Event is educational only and not to diagnose, treat or cure mental health issues. Attend our Meetup's at our scheduled Meetup times or visit Scientology at Ascot Vale at any time best suited to you. We are open 7 days each week. Alternatively visit our Network TV channel at www.scientology.tv You will be able to find out facts and why it is that people from all walks of life including many business owners use Scientology tools to improve. This group consist our of many religions including those with no faith (Atheist) All people of goodwill are welcomed.

**Gain The Confidence to Be Unstoppable! Free Class.** How to Achieve Self Confidence! Without question, self confidence is the key to success. It determines how many of your goals you achieve in life and has an enormous impact on your happiness. It affects how people perceive you, your career achievements, your ability to take risks or try new endeavours, as well as your overall attitude toward yourself and others. Self Confidence is something most people would like to have more of, but aren't sure how to get. Did you ever feel more certain of yourself in the past? Would you like to raise your self confidence ? To increase self confidence, you have to understand what reduces it. If you know why this happens you can reverse the situation and rebuild your self esteem. Self Confidence is self-determinism. One's belief in one's ability to determine his own course. As long as one has that, he's go the universe in his pocket. - L. Ron Hubbard. This day you are able to Learn a few things about: • The true source of security in life. • How self-confidence, self respect and self trust interrelate, and what you can do to rehabilitate them. • The exact steps to become more competent in whatever you do. Today's free class will put you into a good position to help you achieve a new level of self-confidence, accomplish more and progress towards a higher level of personal survival. Free parking, Free entree *** Todays free class is open to all people of goodwill and is held at the Life Improvement Centre located at Scientology. Our meetup classes contain universal knowledge that is applicable to all of us and can and is used by anyone of any faith as well as by those with no faith. Our meetups contain TOOLS for better living and they will assist you greatly in achieving your goals! These practical tools can be used straight away!

**January Meetup: AWS re:Invent re:Cap (Panel)** 📍 NAB Events Hub – 395 Bourke Street, Melbourne 📅 Wednesday 28 January 2026 🍕 Food & Networking from 6:00pm 🙏 A huge thanks to **Mantel Group** for their continued sponsorship of the Melbourne AWS community. 📺 This event will be **live-streamed on YouTube**, as always, for those who can’t attend in person. *** **🚀 Event overview** AWS re:Invent 2025 was packed with announcements, launches, and big ideas. Now it’s time to step back and look at what actually matters as we head into 2026. Join us for our **annual AWS re:Invent re:Cap**, featuring a panel discussion hosted by AWS Hero Stephen Sennett, joined by local community members who attended re:Invent and followed the announcements closely. Expect honest perspectives, practical insights, and time for audience questions. *** **🎙 Host & Panel** Host: **Stephen Sennett – AWS Hero** Panelists: * **Christina Chen,** Senior SRE @ Mantel Group — AWS Community Builder * **Dale Orders**, Software Engineer @ Five9 — AWS Community Builder * **Tony Zhang**, Principal DevOps Engineer @ Versent *** **🗓 Agenda** 6:00 pm – Food & Networking 🍕 6:30 pm – Introductions 👋 6:40 pm – What’s New in AWS ☁️ 6:55 pm – AWS re:Invent re:Cap Panel Discussion 🎤 7:55 pm – Marketplace (Who’s Hiring) 💼 8:00 pm – Close 👋 *** **🎤 Want to speak at a future meetup?** We’re always looking for new speakers and fresh perspectives. If you’ve got a technical talk, architecture story, or lesson learned you’d like to share, we’d love to hear from you. 👉 Submit a talk: melb.awsug.org.au/speak/ *** **🤝 Sponsors** A huge thank you to our sponsors, Mantel Group and Cevo, for supporting the Melbourne AWS community.

Smashing! Try something new Interactive workshops - Become the charismatic leader Why is Smashing different to other speaking clubs? Passion!!! 1. **Everyone talks** many times during interactive workshops 2. **FAST LEARNING** 3\. Relaxed and fun **IMPORTANT: Be on time, as doors close at start time** Multicultural Hub, 506 Elizabeth St (Opposite Queen Vic Market) Level 1, Purple Room (End of corridor) More to come...

2026 will be a big year for Jugger with the world championships in Germany taking place in September, so it's time to get training! * ✅ Free to attend * 🏏 Jugger Equipment is supplied * 🍜 Post-training social lunch - all welcome * 🏃‍♀️‍➡️ Ages 16 and over * ➡️ [Find us on Discord](https://discord.gg/WHnMyk56Cu) Jugger is an exciting, mixed-gender soft combat sport. Two teams use a selection of padded foam spars to tag opponents as they aim to put the jugg (the game ball) into their opponent's goal. **Watch Jugger being played in [this excellent short demo video](https://vimeo.com/28592980).** Jugger Melbourne training sessions include both full games of jugger, as well as a variety of training drills designed to promote **teamwork, communication, exercise, health and fitness, and teach core game skills.** After training we head across to Glenferrie Rd for lunch and socializing, which you are welcome (and encouraged!) to join. **🏃‍♀️‍➡️ New Player Info / Who Can Join** New players are always welcome! Our experienced coaches will teach you basics to get you and and swinging in no time 😃 Jugger is easy to pickup the basics while deep to master. We have a minimum age policy of 16 years, but other than that we welcome anyone of all fitness levels. Jugger is a great way to keep active, and a fun way to meet new people in a friendly and inclusive community! **👟 How to Join a Session and What to Bring** Joining is simple - just show up! RSVPing on Meetup or Discord is a big help as it helps us plan around expected numbers. You are also welcome to bring along any interested friends and family. **Jugger equipment is supplied.** We have a collection of gear to loan out to new players. Bring a water bottle (there is a tap nearby), sunscreen, and wear comfortable clothes and shoes for running around in - and that you don't mind getting a bit dirty! Recommend but not required items include: sunglasses, football boots, kneepads, and gloves if you have them. You don't need any of these to get started, but you may find you want them if you become a regular. **✅ Are there any costs are involved?** Our training sessions are **free to attend** as often as you like, we are essentially just a group of friends that meet for training and socializing on the weekend. The Australian Jugger League has a voluntary annual membership that helps to support the sport (including maintaining equipment and paying for Meetup), and we encourage people to join once they become a regular attendee or begin attending tournaments. However there's no obligation so spend any money when you're first trying it out or just attending casually. **➡️ External Links** We organise our regular players through our Discord group and their attendance is not often represented in the Meetup attendance numbers (we use Meetup to reach out to new people). Events are also (though less regularly) posted to Facebook, while event photos and videos are shared on our Instagram. * [Join our Discord](https://discord.gg/WHnMyk56Cu) * [Jugger Melbourne on Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/groups/JuggerMelbourne) * [Follow us on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/jugger_melbourne/) * [Australian Jugger League website](https://www.jugger.au/) **🤗 See you on Sunday 🤗**

Join us for a refreshing Neurospicy Bayside meetup with a gentle walk along the beautiful Sandringham foreshore! This is a fantastic opportunity to connect with other neurospicy individuals in a relaxed, no-pressure environment. We'll meet at the **Sandringham Rotunda at 11 AM** on **Sunday 1st Feb 2026.** Here's what our walk will look like: * **11am AM - 11:15 AM:** We'll start with a short 15-minute out-and-back walk to allow for any latecomers to join us comfortably. * **11:15am onwards:** * **Walk to Black Rock:** we'll embark on a picturesque 90-minute walk from Sandringham to Black Rock and back (45 minutes there, 45 minutes back). You'll enjoy stunning bay views and beautiful trees along the way. We'll maintain a gentle pace, allowing for easy conversation as we walk. We'll stop in Black Rock and have a coffee/snack at a cafe. This walk is designed to be a comfortable and inclusive way to socialise. As we walk side-by-side along the trail, you'll naturally be looking ahead, which can be a more comfortable way to chat with others for many autistic individuals, removing the pressure of direct eye contact. **Wet Weather Plan:** If it's raining, we'll shift our plans! Instead of walking, we'll head to **Dzert Cafe**, conveniently located near Sandringham Station, for a relaxed chat over coffee and treats.

For 2026, I thought it would be fun to explore Melbourne in alphabetical order. Let's start with A for Altona (by popular demand). **ITINERARY** 11am - Meet at the entrance of Altona station. Walk down to the pier together and enjoy the sun, sea, summer breeze, and introvert-friendly conversation. 12pm - Picnic lunch in the park. Takeaway options nearby: * Altona Pines Fish and Chips * Mascalzone Altona * Between 2 Buns * Matteo's Delicatessen 1pm: Explore the town centre or the beach. * Altona Library is open till 4pm. * Louis Joel Arts & Community \| Gallery & Ceramic Studio is open till 2pm\. P.S. There is an organizer fee of $10 for this event. You can PayID me at 0403 413 056 (Serena Low) or bring cash on the day.

Silent Book Club Melbourne is hosting a special **in-person fundraiser** in support of **[Fly By Night Bat Rescue](https://www.flybynight.org.au/)** — a volunteer-run organisation caring for injured and orphaned flying foxes and microbats across Victoria. **The idea is simple:** We read quietly together, just like always — and we raise funds to support flying foxes and bats who urgently need our help this week. **Join us in person for:** * A relaxed, welcoming Silent Book Club gathering * Time to read whatever you like (no set book, no pressure) * A chance to give back to an incredible wildlife rescue **Why are we doing this?** Melbourne is forecast to experience its hottest days since 2009. As temperatures soar this week, our critically threatened community of Melbourne flying foxes is at serious risk. Temperatures over 38°C can cause heat stress. Temperatures over 42°C can trigger mass fatalities. We need our flying foxes — and they need us. Flying foxes play a vital role in our ecosystem, and Fly By Night Bat Rescue relies on community support to continue their work. Every contribution, big or small, makes a difference. **How it works:** * RSVP for the event (please consider [donating](https://www.flybynight.org.au/donate.html) a suggested ticket price of $10 to Fly By Night Bat Rescue). * Bring your book and get comfy amongst the beautiful trees at Fitzroy Gardens * Donate if you're able: [Fundraiser by Tamsyn Hogarth : Flying fox mass orphan emergency](https://www.gofundme.com/f/flying-fox-mass-orphaning-crisis?attribution_id=sl:3a8af205-2da6-4344-b5a6-cfeff5453948&lang=en_AU&ts=1769405801&utm_campaign=fp_sharesheet&utm_medium=customer&utm_source=email) * Read. Rest. Support bats. All readers are welcome. You don’t need to be a regular Silent Book Club attendee — just someone who enjoys quiet reading and wants to support a good cause. 📖🦇 **Books for Bats — read quietly, support wildlife.**

Join Neurospicy Columbus at the Stauff's for coffee and then a stroll through the Book Loft nearby! This will be a friendly chat for like minded individuals with Autism and/or ADHD (or somewhere on the Neurodiverse Spectra).

We’re hosting a Super Bowl Party. We’ll have a taco bar, drinks flowing, plenty of laughs, and a relaxed vibe. Come for the game, stay for the people. Whether you love football or just enjoy great conversation, good food, and good company, come join us.✌️.

**The idea for this group is to build a community where men can gather together and build connections & learn and grow from each other.** How we start each meeting is by each of us checking in with our "roses and thorns" aka what are the good things and the bad things going on in your life recently? Then we will go into a topic discussion. \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- **COMMUNITY AGREEMENTS** \*\*THERE WILL BE A ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY FOR NO-SHOWS. IF YOU RSVP TO A MEETING AND FAIL TO SHOW UP WITHOUT NOTICE, YOU'LL BE REMOVED FROM THE GROUP. THIS IS TO PRESERVE THE INTEGRITY OF THE GROUP\*\* 1. Confidentiality - EVERYTHING that is shared NEVER leaves this space so that this space remains safe and sacred. There is a zero tolerance policy for this. If a man is in violation of this, they will be permanently removed from the group. 2. Non-Judgement - we respect and honor every man’s truth so that we may receive the same from others. While we may not agree on everything, we commit to respecting every man’s perspectives and engaging in honorable discussion with one another. 3. Be committed - honor your commitment to this group and to yourself. If you attend a meeting, please commit yourself fully to the meeting. Also be committed to your own journey. When we fail, we own it & clean it up. 4. Speak from the heart - this is NOT a space to “look good”, have the “right” answers, and have it all together. Relax and know you are not alone. Be exactly who you are within the safety of this space. 5. Be supportive - This means always willing to provide encouragement to your fellow men, encourage action and momentum in each other’s lives.. Be willing to challenge each other. Be willing to hold each other accountable. 6. Participation - what you receive from this community will be a reflection of what you put into it. Period. We ask that you share your perspectives, reflect on others, and give/receive support when and where it’s needed.

Start the year surrounded by Love From the Earth—with delicious vegan eats, sweet treats, artisan goods, and a chance to win one of our raffle baskets filled with plant-based goodies. Support small businesses, enjoy great food, and spend a cozy day with the community. We will reserve a table for this group if there is enough interest. Just comment "interest" below. Don’t miss out—see you there! Check [event page](https://www.facebook.com/events/893838639773267/) for a vendor list.

Joanie Shell and Lindsay Thomas of Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities, will be representing the Independent Living Older Blind (ILOB) program, and will explain what this program can offer to persons ages 55 and older. As taken from their website, the ILOB program can help Ohio’s aging population face the many challenges of vision loss and maintain their independence. Target audience for this group is persons who are visually impaired, especially those who have experienced recent loss, however, all are welcome, including family members and supports. Light refreshments will be served. You can also join the meeting by Conference Call at (518) 263-8851.