Friends for Good | Charity organisation

Friends for Good

Phone: +61 3 9434 7770

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24.01.2022 INTRODUCING OUR NEW STATE MANAGER FOR SOUTH AUSTRALIA We are thrilled to welcome Amanda Goodfellow to our growing National team. Amanda brings a range of career experiences to her role; from Business Development and Marketing Manager at financial services firm, Grant Thornton, to heading up the SA chapter of Family Business Australia. ... Amanda joins us with extensive experience in stakeholder engagement and relationship management. She is a qualified meditation teacher and runs Agile Mind Meditation, a business specialising in mindfulness programs for corporate and community groups. Most recently she has delivered mindfulness training to aged care clients experiencing issues associated with reduced mobility and ageing. Amanda is passionate about giving people tools to help reduce loneliness and to feel more connected. Welcome, Amanda. We're delighted to have you on board!

22.01.2022 Ian Buston; The Box Hill community connector from Korus Connect, joined us at the Friends for Good Symposium to talk to the Importance of forging social connections in an age of social disconnection and loneliness. Ian has had the opportunity to create a number of initiatives such as Men on Mondays (MOMs). Pre-COVID the group met were able to meet up at a swimming pool for a coffee and a swim. When restrictions were in place, they quickly adapted and met weekly via Zoom, including a guest speaker which alowed them to stay connected throughout the pandemic.

22.01.2022 We want to say Thank You.Last week, Friends for Good hosted the second of the symposium series, "Innovation: Responses to Loneliness During COVID-19 and Beyond". Opened by the NSW Ageing and Disability Commissioner, Robert Fitzgerald AM, the event consisted of presentations and discussions highlighting innovative responses to alleviate loneliness. Watch the opening address herehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivqzYyM2u6kA big thanks to our sponsors for your support to host this event, all of our speakers and presenters for your time, effort and involvement.

22.01.2022 We are delighted to introduce our community to our new State Manager for Brisbane, Kate Saxton. Kate was born on Waddawurrung Country (the area now known as Geelong) to a Dutch mother and an American father of Irish and Nahavo descent. After living and working in Fiji and Tonga for over a decade, she returned to Australia to complete her PhD and pursue a career in Higher Education. Kate's PhD explores the role of Indigenous knowledges in shaping community care and stems fro...m her passion for culturally responsive and inclusive ways of working, learning and teaching. Kate brings her passion for responsive and inclusive adult learning experiences to her role within Friends for Good and loves working in a collaborative way to overcome barriers of social isolation. It was this drive to work collaboratively, coupled with Friends for Good's guiding principles that saw Kate step away from a full-time academic role to take up the QLD State Manager Position. Kate is originally trained as a social worker and has since worked in academic and leadership positions both within Australia and Internationally. She now lives in Brisbane with her husband, two cats and a giant dog, Arnold. Kate is an avid, lifelong Geelong Cats Football supporter. Go CATS!

21.01.2022 Tonight we will be hosting The Bloom, an online art exhibition and therapeutic art class from 7pm. Will you be joining us? If you haven’t had a chance to submit artwork for the exhibition but would like to attend, don’t stress and click on the link below. ... We are excited to come together, view some amazing artwork and participate in the therapeutic art class. See you there!! https://friendsforgood.org.au/the-bloom

21.01.2022 To all those affected on the East Coast, we are here for you and thinking of you through this difficult time. Our FriendLine service is available for anyone who needs to reconnect or just wants to chat with phone and chat services available. Sydney: (02) 7226 1708 or Free call on 1800 424 287... Open: 2pm 8pm, 7 days a week Brisbane: (07) 2103 3170 or Free call on 1800 424 287 Open: 2pm 8pm, 7 days a week Chat is available 1pm-5pm Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday each week. Note: this is not a crisis service.

21.01.2022 ? ? . When it comes to loneliness and one’s mental health, no age range can be discredited as anyone can experience these emotions. We believe it’s necessary more than ever that people know they are supported and they have an avenue to turn too when needed.... Our Research Volunteers have conducted background research, surveys & focus groups to understand how to better help and support young people across Australia with the goal to establish a value and impactful resource. They have received some great insights to date but would love to hear some more. As young people ourselves in our early 20s, we have struggled with our own mental and emotional wellbeing. It's been tough being unable to see our friends and family for months and we've often found ourselves struggling and feeling overwhelmed with the uncertainty of the future. Views from our research volunteers If you are under 25 and believe you can bring something to the table, please have a read and if comfortable give your option. https://friendsforgood.org.au//views-from-our-research-vo/

19.01.2022 We are delighted to introduce our community to our new State Manager for New South Wales, Lara Gallagher. Lara brings a range of business development skills to the role, with a 20-year career in Marketing and Communication Management, for large multinational companies in Sydney and the UK. In recent years, Lara made the conscious decision to move into the NFP sector so she could apply her experience and skills to make a difference to causes she is passionate about. Lara is e...xcited to join the team and work together to improve awareness about the devastating impact loneliness can have on an individual’s mental and physical health and to ensure Friends for Good services are known and accessible to those in need. When not at work, Lara is heavily involved with her family and enjoys spending time with her husband and three gorgeous girls.

19.01.2022 We are looking for volunteers located in Adelaide & Brisbane, who can have a friendly chat with people about every day topics and want to join us on our mission of freeing people from loneliness. If you said Yes to the above, this sounds like an opportunity for you. Your role will be to answer incoming calls via a computer and have a friendly chat with people as well as completing simple data entry tasks online during your shift. All volunteers will be provided with training... and on-going support. If this sounds like an opportunity for yourself, please click on the link below for the application link. Please note: This is not a crisis intervention or counselling service. Adelaide: http://bttr.im/i3pgc Brisbane: http://bttr.im/v9bjx

18.01.2022 Look at the creativity in these two pieces of art submitted to the Bloom gallery. The first titled Swimming in the sea and the second, Jellyfish stones.

18.01.2022 Did you join us at the second Australian Loneliness Dialogue last week? Our mission is to free our fellow Australians from chronic loneliness. It was an insightful week with inspiring stories, plenty of learning, and new connections. Tell us what you enjoyed, valued and took away from #FFGALD20 in the comments.

18.01.2022 The creativity continues with artwork submitted to the Bloom Expedition. These amazing artists have captured "Bloom", groups of jellyfish coming together in times of need. First piece we have is called Mother and child, with the second titled The Bloom and our third piece named Free floating.

18.01.2022 C A L L I N G all artists and art lovers! You are warmly invited to create and submit a jellyfish-inspired drawing or painting and join us for T H E B L O O M: A free online art exhibition and live therapeutic art class on Friday 11 September - from 7pm. The event will consist of two main parts:... + A virtual art exhibition (featuring all of your wonderful pieces) and + A virtual art class. Our art exhibition is called The Bloom because every year across Australia, groups of jellyfish called a bloom come together in times of need. Sound familiar? To learn more about submitting your masterpiece or to learn more about the event, visit the link below: https://friendsforgood.org.au/the-bloom?url=/the-bloom #FFGBloom

13.01.2022 The Connection Collection What is it you ask? The Connection Collection is an opportunity to express your creativity, focusing on stories of friendship and connection. You have the opportunity to submit panting’s, photographs, writing, or any other creative art form, to be shared as part of a physical and online collection. Submissions for artwork are open from now until the 30th of April. For more information and to submit pieces of works, head over to https://friendsforgood....org.au/connection-collection " See more

12.01.2022 Since the very beginning, the Friends for Good community has proven itself to be a group of resilient, empathetic individuals from all walks of life with one shared vision: to free our fellow Australians from loneliness. We're pleased to invite all Australians to take part in our next community building initiative: The Bloom. Our goal is to combine a little bit of creativity, a little bit of mindfulness, and some under-the-sea adventures (don't worry, no need to get wet!) to ...show support for Australians currently feeling lonely or isolated. The Bloom will culminate in the shape of a free online art exhibition and live therapeutic art class on Friday September 11. Curious? Take a look at what it all means here: https://friendsforgood.org.au/the-bloom #FFGBloom

12.01.2022 We are excited to present the second of our symposium series, Innovation: Responses to Loneliness During COVID-19 and Beyond. The afternoon event will explore the perceptions of loneliness and how it has changed as a result of the global pandemic, highlighting innovative responses on alleviating loneliness. Join us online for a full afternoon of presentations, discussion and networking opportunities. ... Limited spots are available. Book now to secure your place at our symposium. Additional details are provided below with the link to which you can purchase your ticket. https://friendsforgood.org.au/innovation-responses-to-lone/

12.01.2022 We're so excited to welcome Rachael Bloom as the instructor for our upcoming therapeutic art class for The Bloom. Rachael is a qualified Art Therapist, facilitator and founder of Frondly & Co. She is passionate about supporting people experiencing challenging times through the lens of art making. She holds qualifications in Art Therapy, Community Services and is currently studying Community Development. ... The Bloom is our community building initiative to show support for those who are isolated or feeling lonely right now. Register for the art class to be held on Friday 11 September, or find out more about submitting your jellyfish artwork for the online exhibition below. #FFGBloom

11.01.2022 In July 2020, the second The Australian Loneliness Dialogue conference was hosted online via video link. It was an opportunity to discuss issues, latest research and interventions related to loneliness particularly with a focus on rural and regional Australia. Due to the devastating effect of the Victorian bushfires and COVID-19 pandemic the conference moved to an online format. With technology at our fingertips we were able to record and share these sessions with you. Did yo...u miss it? Did one peak your interest? Did you want to learn more about loneliness during this period? Click on the link attached. https://friendsforgood.org.au/the-australian-loneliness-di/

11.01.2022 , : - . We're looking for expressions of interest to participate. Is that you or your organisation?... The afternoon event will provide an opportunity for individuals from a range of interest areas to come together to discuss new initiatives to alleviate loneliness and the latest research in the field. Date: Monday 15 March 2021 Location: Sydney CBD,New South Wales, Australia Theme: Responses to Loneliness During COVID-19 and Beyond Our focus for the symposium is how major worldwide health events (such as COVID-19) have impacted our public awareness about loneliness and prompted new community responses. If you or an organisation you work for would be interested in participating or proving an abstract, please see below details. To submit your abstract or expression of interest to participate, please email [email protected] using the title: ‘Symposium Abstract/EOI for participation’ and include: - Abstract title and contentAuthor/presenter name/s - Headshots and a brief bio for each presenterAffiliations: , - Anticipated length of session - Method of deliveryAn example of a previous presentation - Please supply a video of a previous presentation or a short recording of the presenters outlining their proposed topic - Any special requirements Abstracts close: 5pm (AEST), Friday 13 November 2020Notification regarding acceptance will be emailed to applicants by Friday 27 November 2020.

11.01.2022 We're so pleased to announce that our FriendLine volunteers are now available to chat from 2pm every single day. Starting from 2pm this afternoon, we're here for a casual, friendly chat 7 days per week: Mondays from 2 - 6pm... Tuesdays - Thursdays from 2 - 8pm Fridays from 2 - 6pm Saturdays - Sundays from 2 - 5pm We look forward to chatting about everything from your favourite Netflix series binge / the hilarious things your dog did last night / the fact that your favourite plant is finally starting to grow / the performance of your footy team over the weekend. We hear you. We see you. Speak soon :) http://www.friendline.org.au/

10.01.2022 The countdown is on! This Friday at 7pm, FFG will be hosting The Bloom online art exhibition and therapeutic art class. The event will consist of two main parts:... + A virtual art exhibition (featuring all of your wonderful pieces) and + A virtual art class The opening night allows all of us to come together, reconnect and enjoy art and mindfulness. What a great way to spend a Friday Night! And you still have time to submit your own piece of artwork and/or register to join the event. Follow the link below to get more details and we hope to see you there. https://friendsforgood.org.au/the-bloom

09.01.2022 Y O U N G Australians, we need your help! Sadly, an overwhelming amount of research indicates that the number of young people experiencing mental health problems is increasing. Covid-19 has only exacerbated this. Which brings us to how you can help us fill a gap in the services already offered to young people. Unlike other services, ours won't be designed for people in the middle of a crisis; it is intended for people feeling lonely or isolated and craving connection with a ...friend. Because that's what Friends for Good is all about. If you're aged 18 - 24 and keen to help co-design a support service, we're keen to hear from you. Or feel free to share this with someone who is. Follow the link below to complete the survey and we thank you in advance for contributing to the wellbeing of fellow young Australians. https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx

09.01.2022 We have really enjoyed receiving all of your jellyfish-inspired artwork for The Bloom Exhibition. For those who haven’t yet started, don't worry, you still have plenty of time to submit your artwork before the 11 September. In the meantime, we couldn't resist sharing this beautiful masterpiece from Adrian (aged 13). He describes his "Night time Jellyfish" as "a neon jellyfish floating through life". It was produced as a freehand drawing on iPad. Well done, Adrian. We're so im...pressed! To learn more about submitting your masterpiece or to learn more about the event, visit the link below: https://friendsforgood.org.au/the-bloom?url=/the-bloom #FFGBloom

08.01.2022 Have you ever considered volunteer work previously? Are you located in Western Australia? Are you friendly and enjoy having a chat? If you answered yes, this sounds like an opportunity for you. ... We are looking for volunteers located in Western Australia, who can have a friendly chat with people about every day topics and want to join us on our mission of freeing people from loneliness. Your role will be to answer incoming calls via a computer and have a friendly chat with people as well as completing simple data entry tasks online during your shift. All volunteers will be provided with training and on-going support. If this sounds like an opportunity for yourself, please click on the link below for the application link. Please note: This is not a crisis intervention or counselling service. http://bttr.im/ygkx9

08.01.2022 We are delighted to introduce our community to our to our new State Manager for Western Australia, Ruth Wernham. Ruth joins Friends for Good with 13 years of experience in health promotion. Her work with members of the community who often face stigma, shame and discrimination due to the health challenges they face allowed Ruth to see how poor health and loneliness are often inextricably linked. She is looking forward to using her skills and passion to raise awareness of and ultimately reduce isolation and loneliness for Western Australians. Outside of work, Ruth is a self-confessed "nerd" with a love of Lego and Lord of the Rings - and we're also pleased to welcome a new four-legged friend to the FFG community in the form of Ruth's little dog, Pucky!

06.01.2022 A huge thank you to all those who submitted fantastic pieces of artwork and attended the Bloom online exhibition and therapeutic art class. What a success! Across Australia, groups of jellyfish called a bloom come together in times of need and we can see this replicated in the artworks produced by many of you. For those who wanted to attend but were not able, don’t fret. Over the coming weeks we will show case artwork from The Bloom Gallery. This week we have two pieces to share with you. The first titled Floating and the second, Mummy & Daddy. Different median’s utilised to showcase a Jellyfish.

05.01.2022 We're looking for Australians aged 18-24 to participate in our 5-minute Youth Services Research survey. We know that this year has been a particularly tough one for people already at risk of loneliness, with younger people feeling disconnected due to the impact of changes brought on by Covid-19. Friends for Good wants to tackle this head on and offer support and avenues for reconnection that suit the younger members of our community. The results from the survey will help us t...o drive the creation of services specifically aimed at younger people experiencing loneliness, isolation and disconnection. Access the survey here (and be sure to share it with anyone you know in this age group): https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx

05.01.2022 Our mission at Friends for Good raise awareness of loneliness as a significant issue in the community and address gaps in services to foster a greater sense of connection and wellbeing for individuals and communities. We provide support to the community through FriendLine an online chat and phone service. FriendLine is available for anyone who wants to reconnect or just have a chat. If you know anyone that may benefit from reaching out to one of our friendly trained volunteers, please share or tag. Friends for Goods vision is to free people from loneliness and we believe this starts with a conversation.

04.01.2022 To show support for those who are isolated or feeling lonely right now, Friends for Good invites you to join The Bloom: A free, online art exhibition and live therapeutic art class. Across Australia, groups of jellyfish called a bloom come together in times of need. During these difficult times, we need our community to come together and reconnect, especially for those in Victoria feeling the effects of isolation. To participate, simply create a drawing or painting of a j...ellyfish anyone can have a go and then come along to our free online exhibition and interactive art class on 11 September. Despite rough seas, we swim together. https://friendsforgood.org.au/the-bloom/

01.01.2022 friendline exists to make sure you stay connected - both during lockdown and beyond. Our phone and online chat service is available to anyone looking for an anonymous, casual and friendly chat. #Wehearyouweseeyou Call: 6pm 8pm AEST, Tuesday to Thursday and 2pm 5pm AEST, Saturday & Sunday... Chat: 1pm 4pm AEST, Tuesday to Thursday. www.friendline.org.au