Have you ever wondered how you could better support a friend going through a tough time? Were there moments when you had no idea what to say or do? Sometimes, what a friend needs most is simply our attention, the chance to talk, be heard and feel understood.
Meeting Lexi is an uplifting experience and for those of you who haven’t had the pleasure, she’s the bundle of joy with an enormous sense of presence who hosts our Spark Empower Her class. Lexi saw becoming a Sparkie as an opportunity to give back to her community.
Her experiences of moving cities and raising young children have given her an understanding of how loneliness can show up even when people are surrounded by others. We asked her to share a little about her journey, what inspires her and what brings her joy.
One of the biggest misconceptions about creativity is that it’s only for creative people. At its heart, creativity isn’t about being artistic or producing something perfect, it’s the process of making, exploring and expressing yourself, and doing it in a shared space with others can be a powerful way to build connection. Here’s why.
August has been a wonderful month of collaboration and co-design workshops with our partners and communities in Murray Bridge and Alexandrina. More than 35 people gathered to share their experiences and perspectives to ignite connection and belonging.
Roz has always believed in the power of community. After navigating loss, isolation and the challenge of starting over, she’s discovered that meaningful connection often begins with a simple conversation. As one of our wonderful Sparkies, Roz brings warmth, curiosity and generosity wherever she goes. We asked her to share a little about her journey, what inspires her, and the moments that bring her joy.
Why becoming a regular at your local café could be one of the simplest ways to boost your wellbeing. Research shows that small interactions with acquaintances, known as micro-interactions, play an important role in our happiness and sense of belonging.
On June 19th, more than 25 men gathered at the Bridgewater Sports and Social Club to discuss mental health, connection and wellbeing for Men’s Health Week, bringing together The Hut Community Centre, Good Better Best Men, Summit Health Centre, and Spark.
We often talk about connection, but far less so about how to actually create it. In reality, meaningful connection is rarely accidental. It’s built over time, through small, intentional actions repeated again and again. So, if connection matters so much, why aren’t we better at creating it? To explore that question, we asked six ‘connectors’ in the Adelaide Hills community for their advice with one simple question: what creates meaningful connection?
It’s National Volunteers Week and we’re shining a light on the wonderful people that volunteer their time and talents to Spark. There are now over 40 Sparkies (and growing) who have collectively contributed 1357 volunteer hours to date – each in their own way to elevate the conversation of loneliness, gently host groups, listen deeply to others, and send ripple effects into the community.
In early May, many of the Spark team came together for a day filled with robust discussions, questions, ideas and, most importantly, meaningful connection.
