Melbourne is ablaze with our newest leaders
On fire to re-establish YFM in Melbourne, a duo of formidable Coordinators have been meeting with and engaging like-minded food advocates for the past few months. Meet Josie and Alex!
[column size="1/2"]JOSIE ANDREWS
Tell us a bit about you?
As a big foodie, I moved to Melbourne from the UK to get a taste of the city’s infamous food and coffee culture, not to mention getting stuck in to Australia’s urban agriculture movement!Having grown up on a home veggie patch, I studied biochemistry at Edinburgh Uni to learn more about how living things worked at a molecular level. I used this interest of how things worked and problem solving to delve into the IT world at a consultancy in Cambridge before heading off to work on a variety of community-lead reforestation, education, and domestic farming projects in India, Japan and China.All this lead me to Melbourne - to get hands on experience with its progressive urban agriculture scene. Whilst being here, I have already learnt so much from like minded people who care about their community and where their food comes from. The thing I love most is that everyday, I learn a little more about how to build meaningful relationships with other people, across all ages, by bringing nature into cities and sharing food with others.
Why YFM?
I think that to make the changes necessary to improve the current state of our health, society and environment, we need to help younger generations have the knowledge to make educated choices and to provide them with opportunities needed to make a real difference.YFM allows this by providing the perfect platform for young people to find their tribe, gain skills to communicate and develop their ideas, and a place to springboard into movements/groups which really resonate with them. YFM does all this whilst addressing the most important thing of all: making our bellies full with yummy, nutritious food!
Your fave food memory?
Rather than spending Valentine’s day with just one person or singing ‘all by myself’ like in the Bridget Jones’ movie, 15-20 of my friends got together and had a Valentine’s Day Potluck Extravaganza.
We each brought a homemade dish to share and sat at a collection of desks and tables in the middle of our very narrow hallway. The only way you could get from one end of the hallway to the other was by crawling under the tables and we ate, drank, and sang into the wee small hours of the morning.
Last meal you would eat before the apocalypse?
My family’s lasagne, with a big leafy salad full covered in the family special salad dressing, and my mum’s chocolate mousse with raspberries on top for dessert![/column]
[column size="1/2"]ALEX WILSON
Tell us a bit about you?
In 2015 I moved to Melbourne from the South Coast of NSW to study a Bachelor of Environment and Society at RMIT University. This degree was unique in its aim of working towards solving environmental issues within a social science framework. It explored the ways our society can become more resilient to contemporary issues such as food security, climate change, and population growth.
Since graduating I have taken the skills and knowledge I gained throughout my degree overseas to work in community development in Sri Lanka, and then returned back to Melbourne to work within food security organisations aiming to provide affordable, accessible, and healthy food to underprivileged people in Melbourne.
I wish to pursue a career working towards building sustainable communities, improving food literacy within our society, and in an ideal future I will be a farmer back on the coast of NSW where I will work towards these goals while enjoying my interests of enjoying good food, surfing, listening to music and reading, and spending time with friends and family.
Why YFM?Two key reasons:
- I am frustrated with the current food system our communities are subject to and;
- I am frustrated with the lack of information our communities receive regarding what we are eating, where our food comes from, and the affordability and accessibility of healthy and sustainable food.
YFM tackles these issues, and many more. They offer a platform for our youth to chew over often overwhelming topics in a safe, fun, friendly, and educative way. They strive to create positive behavioural change within our communities and have the core interest of an equitable future at heart.Your fave food memory?The first time I tried Queso. Dipping a freshly made tortilla into a Tex Mex style melted cheese dip and washing it down with a margarita was life changing.Last meal you'd eat before the apocalypse?
A big Sri Lankan curry![/column]
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Wanna be part of YFM too?
- Why not lead the YFM community in your area? Apply to be a Coordinator here.
- Volunteer to help at events, either with planning or on the day - let us know here.
- Why not offer your time as a YFM Guest Contributor? We'd love to have ya!
- Follow us on Facey so you can hear first-hand about upcoming job openings.
- We'd love to hear from you with any other questions or opportunities - hit us up here.
Find out about the latest YFM updates, including our new organisational strategy, HQ in Melbourne, and National Leadership Team![/column]