Sparkies are our constellation of volunteers who support Spark programs and help us to ignite connection. Sharing their stories and perspectives normalises loneliness as a shared human experience.

 

Before Spark launched, I was asked to come on board in a marketing capacity and I jumped at the chance. It’s a wonderful cause that strikes a personal chord with me, so I was happy to help. Loneliness is something I have dealt with a lot, most potently in the past five years whilst recovering from some challenging health issues – which have sometimes left me housebound. This makes it hard to keep up with friends and means you spend a lot of time alone. Over time, isolation can erode your friendships and makes it very hard to find new ones. It’s so great to see an initiative like Spark making an impact in the community and I’m so grateful to be a part of it – I’ve met so many great people already!

 

Birds! Bird watching always brings me a lot of joy. Fairy wrens, parrots, cockatoos and boobies are particular favourites. Put me in a room full of birds and I’m happy. A great conversation also sparks joy for me. I’m quite social, so love catching up with friends and having a good chat over a glass of wine.

 

Yes, so many! I love watching a great movie, particularly a classic film. I’m a sucker for anything starring Audrey Hepburn, Gregory Peck or Greer Garson. Wine tasting and collecting is also a hobby. You can quite often find me and my husband at a cellar door on a weekend. I think we may run out of new cellar doors to visit soon! He’s in the wine industry, so it’s great to be so close to the wine making process. I also make my own chemical free cleaning and beauty products.

 

It’s gotta be Die Hard