In light of Willoughby City Council’s MOSAIC Multicultural Centre celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, North Shore Living spoke with volunteer Fiona Vatiliotis about the ‘unique’ community hub.
When North Shore local Fiona Vatiliotis retired, she didn’t feel ‘quite ready’ to give up working entirely.
The long-time teacher began seeking out volunteer roles that ‘seemed like useful things to do’, before coming across Willoughby Council’s MOSAIC Multicultural Centre in Chatswood. That was some 13 years ago.
“It doesn’t seem like that though. It doesn’t seem like a long time at all,” she says, earnestly.
“It’s just a very good place to be.”
Fiona has since been volunteering at the centre regularly, teaching English and facilitating conversation groups.
As the leading multicultural hub in Sydney’s north, MOSAIC has been providing a diverse community with accessible learning, leisure, and social programs for 30 years.
What started as a community-based initiative has since grown, through the support of Willoughby Council, to provide 50 regular activities as well as cultural events.
The program, which is designed to bring locals together to support and promote the sharing of different cultures, includes sessions in English, Japanese, Mandarin, Spanish, and French.
There are also painting sessions, flower and jewelry making, Tai Chi, traditional folk dances and even Cantonese opera and Korean calligraphy classes.
Fiona Vatiliotis says she likes the connections she makes as a volunteer English teacher with MOSAIC.
“It really is focused on building connections between people in different ways,” Fiona says.
“Most of my classes are conversation classes. The majority of the students have learnt some English before, but they don’t have the confidence, initially, or the opportunity to really use it.
“So, they come along to talk and make friends, and often they discover they have far more [speaking skills] than they realise.”
Fiona says MOSAIC’s range of services, which also include information and referrals for new migrants and technology programs, attract a ‘wide mix of ages and backgrounds’.
“It’s unusual, I think, certainly around this area. I don’t think there’s anything equivalent, really. It draws people from all around, not just from Willoughby.
“Thirty years is quite a lot, so I guess it proves that it’s been a great success.”
This success was recently recognised at the NSW Government’s 2023 Harmony Dinner, with the centre collecting a prestigious NSW Premier’s Multicultural Community Medal.
For Fiona, the award doesn’t come as a surprise. She says the centre regularly receives ‘positive’ feedback from its students and community members. Indeed, one of her English pupils has even returned to her class five years running.
“People keep coming back – which is always a good sign. You don’t get very much drop out from the first day through to the end of the term or semester.”
And after more than a decade of volunteering with MOSAIC, what does Fiona, herself, get out of it?
“It’s a bit like armchair travelling, actually,” she says.
“I like making the connections. You learn a lot about other countries and other people’s ways of seeing things.
“It’s also quite mentally stimulating, thinking beforehand, and preparing what I’m going to do [in the lesson]. Working out what’s going to be the best way to get them talking!”
For information on how to volunteer with MOSAIC, visit Willoughby City Council’s MOSAIC webpage.