2 Years, 140 Free Events, 4000 New Connections
On the 13th April 2017, The Kindness Collective hosted its first free event - a sunrise yoga class at Nelson Park, Alexandra Headland, attended by about 10 of our local community members. These classes, thanks to the kind support of youth mental health organisation Headspace, still continue to run weekly to this day. Since then, as our range of events has expanded thanks to the offerings of a variety of facilitators throughout the Sunshine Coast, so too has our supportive following.
It has been a privilege to connect with so many of you over the past two years through the many experiences we've shared - from hiking trips in the Glasshouse Mountains to Noosa and Pomona; endless paddle boarding trips on the Maroochy River watching the full moon rise over the water; meditation and art therapy workshops; yoga classes on the beach and in parks run by a range of awesome teachers; pilates and fitness classes; community fun days; and so many other events to celebrate this beautiful region we live in and the community that surrounds us!
Maybe it's the name that draws the best type of people, but it's clear that The Kindness Collective would be nothing without the compassionate and open-hearted community that our events draw together. The Sunshine Coast has an incredibly high number of people who migrate here to start a new life, and as many of you would know, forming new friendships can sometimes be difficult, and the cost of loneliness is often high. Particularly on our group hikes, it's heartwarming to see how welcoming people are with new attendees, and the efforts made to ensure everybody feels included and that nobody is left behind. It is that compassionate spirit that has built this collective of kindness and allowed the group to live up to its namesake, and for that, we thank you for being a part of it.
So, What's Next?
More events, more collaborations, more friendships, and a fun little twist!
For the past two years, while forming connections with a range of local groups and organisations, we have also been working behind the scenes to develop a resource that will allow the mission of The Kindness Collective to spread even further. Our vision of creating a fun and uplifting tabletop board game that can be played amongst families, friends, and strangers as a means of building deeper relationships is slowly being brought to life with the upcoming launch of Listen Up™. Already played and tested by hundreds of people throughout the Sunshine Coast and beyond within families, businesses, and mental health support centres, the connections that we've watched develop through this game have inspired its fitting tagline: "The game that turns strangers into family"
Upon its release in late-2019, we look forward to using this game as a resource to host free events in communities throughout Australia, and provide a space for people to connect, share their stories, and have a tonne of fun in the process! In addition, we'll also be partnering up with local and national organisations to implement Listen Up™ as a tool to be used in classrooms, offices, and mental health centres to assist those who may be going through a difficult time and need help reaching out.
If you would like to help us with the initial production costs, and also secure your own copy of our Limited 1st Edition Listen Up game, Pre-Orders are now available here. Your support is hugely appreciated! :)
For more details, and to sign up to receive info on our free game night and launch event later in the year, you can also check out our website - www.listenupgame.com
In the meantime, we hope you can join us for some of our upcoming events around the Sunshine Coast (details here), and keep an eye out on our Facebook and Instagram pages for details on the release of Listen Up!
We hope to connect with you again soon! :)
With gratitude,
The Kindness Collective
