Spark is launching a new community-led project in Murray Bridge focused on strengthening connection and reducing loneliness. Working alongside local residents, organisations and researchers, Spark will explore how communities can create greater opportunities for belonging and social connection.

Community members aged 25 and over are invited to share their ideas and experiences through surveys, interviews and workshops to help shape future local initiatives.

Interested in getting involved? Find out more and register your interest here

A recent South Australian Living Artists (SALA) Festival exhibition, Together at the Torrens, brought aged care residents, clients, families and carers together through collaborative art-making, with thousands of handcrafted butterflies symbolising the power of community and social connection.

The exhibition coincides with Loneliness Awareness Week and demonstrates how creative, community-led initiatives can strengthen relationships, foster meaningful interactions and reduce social isolation.

The exhibition runs from 4 to 6 August, 10am to 4pm daily, at the Torrens Parade Ground Drill Hall, 1 Victoria Drive, Adelaide. Entry is free, parking is free, and there’s an onsite café. Find out more

More than 25 men gathered at the Bridgewater Sports and Social Club on 19 June for a special Spark Mateship session focused on mental health, connection and wellbeing as part of Men's Health Week.

The event brought together The Hut Community Centre, Good Better Best Men, Summit Health Centre and Spark, highlighting the value of community collaboration in supporting men's wellbeing.

Participants also heard from guest speakers John Macquire, Forte Worthy and Bharat Sundaresan, who shared their knowledge, lived experience and inspiration.

Spark Mateship provides a welcoming space for men to build connections, share experiences and support one another. Sessions are held every Thursday from 5.30pm.

Loneliness Awareness Week Australia will take place from 3–9 August, and this year’s theme, Make Room for Connection, reminds us that connection doesn’t happen by accident, it grows in the spaces and opportunities we intentionally create for one another.

Whether it’s making time for a conversation, welcoming someone new, or creating opportunities for people to come together, we all have a role to play in building a more connected Australia.

To help you start planning for the week, we encourage you to:

Download the Loneliness Awareness Week Toolkit for ideas, resources and practical ways to get involved.

Ending Loneliness Together is a national initiative working to reduce loneliness through research, advocacy and cross-sector collaboration. By bringing together community organisations, governments, researchers and people with lived experience, the initiative is helping to shape evidence-informed responses that strengthen social connection and belonging.

Explore opportunities to engage with the network and contribute to this growing movement.

Find out more

Queensland MP Renee Coffey has helped establish and now co-chairs the new Parliamentary Friends of Social Health Group, a federal parliamentary initiative created in partnership with The Foundation for Social Health.

The initiative reflects increasing recognition that social health is a vital part of overall wellbeing, with loneliness affecting people of all ages and backgrounds. Through advocacy and collaboration, the group will work to promote practical solutions that help build stronger, more connected communities across Australia.

The Foundation for Social Connection have published their new Social Prescribing Vibrant Communities Impact Report.

In May, 55 leaders from 44 organisations across healthcare, community services, research, philanthropy, government and the arts came together to explore opportunities for strengthening the social prescribing ecosystem.

The workshop highlighted the many community assets already supporting health and wellbeing, while identifying opportunities to strengthen partnerships, improve referral pathways, invest in community infrastructure and make it easier for people to connect with local supports and activities.

The report captures key insights from the workshop and outlines opportunities for healthcare providers, community organisations, funders, policymakers and advocates to help advance social prescribing and community wellbeing.

Read the report here