CALD Connect supports the CALD Community in Newcastle in various ways. Organising workshops, supporting refugees to start their businesses, and establishing social youth meetups, a multi-lingual book club, literacy support, cultural celebrations and establishing an Arab youth network; Ashraf Abdelbaky, CALD Connect director, contributes to the social, physical, and economic well-being of the local CALD community. During his PhD study in English literature at the University of Newcastle, Ashraf dedicated some of his time to volunteer work that served international students. He led many academic university clubs aiming to provide international students with services for at least six years, such as initiating swimming classes after the tragic drowning of a Pakistani student on Newcastle beach in 2017. Furthermore, Ashraf serves as a mental health advocate, an Arabic interpreter, and a Covid-19 cultural support worker to assist Hunter New England Health in communicating health information related to the current pandemic to CALD communities. Ashraf’s outstanding work has been recognised in the receipt of national awards and, most recently, the 2022 NSW Premier’s Multicultural Language Service Medal, as well as several grants that have supported his work.
Management Team and Advisory Board
Dr Ashraf Abdelbaky (Director)
