Discover stories, insight and support from our community
John's WingSpan Group
Each Friday morning at Armadale Library, the meeting room is transformed into a bird sanctuary. Tabletops become havens for birds…
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Nat's Art Circle
Through Nat’s Art Circle, Nat offers a quiet, creative space for connection, where people can show up exactly as they…
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2025 Social Impact Report
Befriend’s 2025 Social Impact Report captures how grassroots community building is strengthening connection, belonging, and wellbeing across Greater Perth. With…
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Helping Others Feel More Connected
Supporting someone to feel more connected means creating the right conditions for friendships to grow. By focusing on shared interests,…
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Ep 1. The Builder
Alyssa Nixon-Lloyd has always had a keen interest in community. Growing up in a small country town, community-building was second…
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Ep 2. The Sociologist
2020 will always be known as the year we all jumped on online to socialise. But we had a question;…
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Ep 3. The Researcher
We see a lot in the media about the downside of online connections and the superiority of face-to-face friendships. But…
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Ep 4. The Dreamer
Valerie Weyland dreams big. In her early 20’s she moved by herself to Australia, a place where she knew no-one,…
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Ep 5. The Optimist and the Listener
Fee has a happy knack of seeing the best in everyone. As a woman with an intellectual disability and autism,…
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Ep 6. The Empowerer
In this episode, we talk with occupational therapist and disability rights advocate, Dr. Bec Waters. Bec teaches a unit about…
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Ep 7. The Facilitator
Dave Lindner is Befriend’s Community Connector – he’s the guy who helps Befriend members create new communities and connections. In…
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Give the gift of connection this Christmas!
Human connection is the best gift of all. We tend to think of the festive season as a busy time…
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The Swan Repair Cafe
The Swan Repair Café is not just about mending broken items – it’s about people, community, and giving things a…
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"I Like People!"
Tim’s story shows how connection grows through purpose, creativity, and contribution. Living with expressive aphasia and using a wheelchair, he…
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Resilient Together Wanneroo Project
Befriend is building stronger, more resilient communities in Wanneroo and Perth’s northern corridor by nurturing local connections and community-led initiatives.…
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New tactics for a new era
Strong social ties determine how communities survive disasters. Research from the Australian bushfires shows connected places recover faster and suffer…
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People Need People
People need people, yet modern life makes community fragile. Even intentional groups struggle to live well together. In rapid, uncertain…
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Garry's Story
Garry is the one of the Hosts of the Burns Beach Sunset Walk and the Neil Hawkins BBQ, alongside his…
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Cav Cafe - "setting the world right in our little way"
“I was sitting in the cafe in January with my husband and grandchildren, when I noticed a little Befriend postcard…
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Nurturing your own community idea to life
Nurturing a new community idea to life can feel like stepping into the unknown – exciting and a little intimidating!
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Sarah-Lee's story
Sarah Lee Parker is no stranger to bringing people together. “To tell you the truth, I’ve always been a community…
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Robyn's story
With so much land development happening across greater Perth, we continue to see the development of new suburbs and new…
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Alice's story
It’s been 9 years since Alice had to finish work, due to a combination of workplace changes and a personal…
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Sandie Thorne has been a Host and a friend of Befriend for 6 years. After many months of juggling multiple…
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The Possibility Fellowship Alumni - Journeying with Alysha
When Alysha dashed off stage to grab her guitar from hiding, and told us she had never before performed in…
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The Possibility Fellowship Alumni - Journeying with Samantha
Samantha learned of the The Possibility Fellowship in late 2022 at a Ceremony for Befriend Volunteers in Wellard, where she…
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The Possibility Fellowship Alumni - Journeying with Gonzalo
I always considered myself a curious person, ever since I was a child. It’s just that: how could one not…
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The Possibility Fellowship Alumni - Journeying with Patricia
When Patricia left Colombia for Australia, she embarked on a journey far greater than the physical distance between these two…
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The Possibility Fellowship Alumni - Journeying with Marika
Marika’s curiosity and love of play enticed her to come along to the taster session for the Possibility Fellowship 2023.…
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The Possibility Fellowship Alumni - Journeying with Kim
It was in 2021 that Kim Hutchinson discovered her autistic identity, an important revelation in her ongoing quest for self-discovery,…
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The Possibility Fellowship Alumni - Journeying with Barbara
Barbara began her community work as a 20-year-old at an Italian bakery in Brunswick Street, Fitzroy, an iconic district in…
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Sue's Story
This is what I wrote during yet another lonely and frightening night of being unable to sleep, sitting in the…
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The Possibility Fellowship Alumni - Journeying with Dianne
The event kept popping up on her phone screen. She thought of all the reasons why she shouldn’t participate—a 3-month…
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Sharron's Story
Sharron’s journey is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the power of community. After a sudden…
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The Empathy Effect: sparking friendships through the art of understanding each other!
Empathy is a powerful way to build connection and friendship, even with strangers. By showing curiosity, listening deeply, and keeping…
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Give it a Go in Swan
Give it a Go is a fun, free travelling community adventure happening across different locations in the City of Swan!…
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Open Communities - coming together in learning
Open Communities invites community builders, volunteers and organisations to co-design a shared learning space for connection and collaboration. Through gatherings,…
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Feeling awkward about meeting new people? It's totally natural!
Do you often find yourself saying “I’d like to go… but I don’t really know anyone and it might be…
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Margarita's Story
Margarita’s story is one we’ve loved to watch unfold: someone who stretched out of their comfort zone to spark connection…
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Elizabeth's story
This is Elizabeth’s story, written by community dreamer, weaver, writer, story-teller and Befriend staff member, Nicola. It’s a story of…
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Nicola's story
Meet Nicola. Nicola has been a Host with Befriend for a little over a year. But the journey that led…
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Supporting Community: A Network Development Project in the City of Kwinana
We are a non-profit social enterprise based in Perth, Western Australia who exist for one single purpose; to foster inclusive,…
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How do I make friends in Perth if I’m introverted?
You want to meet people, form friendships and feel less alone, but you think that your introverted nature is an…
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Creating a friendship that lasts
Do you find that even if you chat with new people while out and about, these interactions don’t lead to…
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COVID-19 was a strange time. It was a unique moment in history where we bunkered down safely at home wherever…
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