originally posted on 27-08-2019 9:50 AM

Not a news story, but I've been watching clips from this ABC show called Retirement Home for Four Year Olds and it is the sweetest thing ever. Older people and four year olds hanging out and enriching each other's lives.

originally posted on 27-08-2019 10:50 AM

That is so funny @Tiny_leaf! Looks like so much fun. Did you see the person standing in middle dodging all the mattresses? They actually did a solid job of ducking and diving!

originally posted on 27-08-2019 1:52 PM

@Jess1-RO 🤣

Oh my gosh I missed it somehow! I'll never un-see it now though.

originally posted on 27-08-2019 5:32 PM

@Tiny_leaf OMG! This is pure amazing! I love it!
@Jess1-RO I also missed the guy, but now I see him!
I clicked into the link and people have edited the video with different songs and it's hilarious!

originally posted on 11-12-2019 4:56 PM

I wanted to include some incredible good news stories here that lifted my spirits today! 

 

There has been an amazing community response for the Koala rehabilitation centres which you can read more about here. 

 

Here is an article that gives a snapshot into all the amazing work being done by organisations in Australia and how to help out if you'd like to. 

originally posted on 16-12-2019 4:53 PM

Hey everyone! I just wanted to share these magnificent pictures of of Black Rocks, Bundjalung National Park. After quite some time of enduring fires, some rain finally hit. Nature didn't wait long to do it's thing and shine! 

 

This reminds me that our earth is resilient and built to survive. It's also a nice metaphor for personal growth, following a period of tough times  

 

 

originally posted on 18-12-2019 10:38 AM

What absolutely stunning photos, and what a powerful reminder that the earth, and its inhabitants, are resilient. 

 

It's so easy to feel despondent about the state of the world, especially when the media often only report the bad news stories, so I really love this thread. 

 

I just stumbled across a fabulous page where someone has gone through and made a list of all of the amazing positive things that have happened in 2019 in environmental and sustainability news, health care and technology and all sorts of other things. The link is here , it's an amazing list 

 

https://futurecrun.ch/99-good-news-2019

 

The image below is from my favourite story: scientists have discovered the root cause of cystic fybrosis, which may open up a whole range of new treatments that can change lives 

 

 

originally posted on 20-12-2019 12:38 PM

Thanks for sharing that @Janine-RO I know some people who personally benefit from those developments  

 

It can be so easy to miss all the incredible work being done by every day people everywhere. Scientists, farmers, artists, parents, small businesses etc... Especially with how bombarded by upsetting world news, we are. On the news and all over social media - it can get a bit much.

 

I found this wonderful website that celebrates the unsung hero's of science. "Science Can Changes The World" is a really uplifting place to find stories of hope. 

originally posted on 23-12-2019 12:30 PM

Another good news story going around the ReachOut office today! 

 

Some amazing people working to protect koalas in the Blue Mountains:

 

Sydney Morning Herald piece on relocating koalas to safety

 

SBS also have a similar article and video 

originally posted on 24-12-2019 3:18 PM

This is so heartwarming - strong communities can achieve so much together. 

 

Here is an SBS article on some of the work being done to contribute large donations to NSW firefighters. 

originally posted on 24-12-2019 3:30 PM

I just wanted to share one more beautiful good news story I read this morning -  people undergoing inpatient treatment in psychiatric wards in hospital can often find this time of year incredibly isolating. There is unfortunately still so much stigma around mental health issues, so some people may be ashamed to admit that's where they are. 

 

There's now a beautiful campaign that was started by someone who was herself an inpatient last Xmas, to deliver handwritten cards to inpatients, with messages of hope, strength, and support over Xmas. 

 

Gave me goosebumps - what a simple, yet powerful way to spread hope. 

 

 

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-12-24/the-christmas-cards-bringing-light-to-psychiatric-wards/11823...

 

originally posted on 07-01-2020 5:20 PM

@Janine-RO  @MB95  What a beautiful story! 🙂 Reminds me of a volunteering position I saw being advertised a while ago looking for people to write cards for children who were going through a tough time. I didn't know a similar thing existed for patients on psych wards.
I'd love to do something like that one day, especially because the Christmas period is hard for a lot of people.

originally posted on 08-01-2020 12:34 AM

INCREDIBLE!! 

 

Thanks heaps for sharing @Janine-RO - she's not wrong when she says the impact can be life changing. Going to keep my eyes open to be part of this next year!! Or maybe theres a way RO could get involved too? I just think it's such a beautiful idea! 

originally posted on 08-01-2020 3:23 PM

@WheresMySquishy  @MB95  isn't it amazing, from what I can see it's a real grassroots movement, and it's such a brilliant idea. A friend shared an article recently about how people don't tend to get sent flowers in the psych ward, and it's so true. What a wonderful way to spread hope and kindness. I'll try and look into it a bit more and pass it on to the RO team to see if it's something that people might be interested in being involved in next year, if you follow the hashtag #DecemberLetters on twitter it looks like a lot of people are doing it from wherever they happen to be in Australia 🙂 

originally posted on 09-01-2020 4:40 PM

Hey everyone! 

 

I love this thread so much, reading through it gives me such a good dose of faith in humanity  

 

I thought I'd add to the good news stories, with this piece from The Guardian that details some of the beautiful gestures coming from every day Australians in the wake of the bush-fires. If anyone wants an uplifting read it's here. 

originally posted on 17-01-2020 1:52 PM

Hi everyone! Just wanted to share a good news story that popped up on my news feed yesterday 

 

This article was posted by National Parks NSW talking about the hero firefighters that saved our prehistoric Wollemi Pines in Wollemi National Park- the only place in the world they grow in the wild! 

 

It made me smile to read this big win for Wollemi National Park! 

 

https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/news/fire-fighting-mission-saves-prehistoric-pines

originally posted on 10-02-2020 1:58 PM

Hi guys!

 

I know it's been a week where a lot of the news hasn't been great, so just thought I would share one good news story that I really loved! 

 

The full story is linked here - but basically, it's about how wombats in a hunter valley property that has been ravaged by the drought have acted as "water diviners", by burrowing down to an underground soak, and by doing that providing water to a lot of beautiful native animals that wouldn't have survived without it. 

 

They somehow managed to burrow down at the exact location where there was an underground water supply, scientists still aren't exactly sure how... "

He said a camera trap recently set up by Hunter Region Landcare Network showed new species including birds, goannas, possums, echidnas, and even emus drinking from the soak.

Mr Finnie, who is a retired Taronga Zoo veterinarian, said the animals had the hero wombats to thank." 

 

Such a heartwarming story! Does anyone else have any good news stories to share?

originally posted on 10-02-2020 11:21 PM

This is so beautiful @Janine-RO!!😍

Thanks heaps for sharing 😊

originally posted on 25-02-2020 4:07 PM

Hey guys! I thought it would be nice to share another good news story, I don't know about you guys but I've found the news pretty tough going this week. SO - a good stories, about humans being wonderful, and baby turtles! 

 

 

This actually happened about a month ago, but was so lovely that I just had to share here! I remember hearing about it when it happened - basically, a  green turtle mama (they are a really vulnerable species) somehow got confused, and laid her eggs on a really busy Sydney beach, instead of further north where it's much quieter, and much warmer.  North Steyne in Manly if anyone knows it - definitely not a quiet part of the world. 

 

So a beautiful group of people painstakingly collected all 144 eggs and then transported them 500km north, where they could hatch safely. 

 

 

The full story is here.

 

Does anyone else have any good news stories they would like to share? 

originally posted on 04-03-2020 1:37 AM

The ABC news website has a good news page!

Here it is for anyone wanting to check it out:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/good-news/

originally posted on 04-03-2020 1:35 PM

I've bookmarked that, thanks @Tiny_leaf  - I think I might have taken a few I shared from that section, actually. With so much heavy news in the world lately I find it really helpful to actively seek out happy things. 

 

My contribution to this thread today is a bit of a different one - it was inspired by Eden1717 's list of activities that included baking.

 

 

I was listening the other day to a podcast that was an interview with an author, who experienced a crippling episode of clinical depression, including some psychotic features, and was incredibly unwell for a long time. She's called Marian Keyes,  and is an author I like a lot ( she's an Irish author, looks like chick lit, but is really beautifully written and delves into some massive topics). 

 

She had a massively debilitating episode of clinical depression 8 years ago, to the point that she was nearly catatonic. She really did not know if she would make it through and certainly didn't know if she would ever write again. 

 

One of the only things she was able to do was bake. She'd never baked before, but decided to make a cake for a friend, and became a bit addicted to it. She couldn't write, or focus, or do most of the things she usually liked, but found baking to be something she could do. 

 

She ended up publishing a cookbook called "Saved By Cake", and it's fantastic. Some awesome recipes, and she also talks about how cooking was literally what got her out of bed a lot of the time. It's also a good cookbook and has some great cupcake recipes which I really appreciate!

 

 

This isn't to say that any of this is a "cure", because I think we all know that isn't the case and she certainly says the same. But it definitely reminded me of the power of just doing something, anything that floats your boat, when you feel totally stuck in those really awful places. 

 

For her, it was about doing what she had to do to survive each day. 

originally posted on 04-03-2020 2:05 PM

This one is a bit late, but it really made me smile - a lucky homeowner woke up on Valentine's day to discover that they had a brand new genuine Banksy artwork on their wall!! 

 

The flowers are real ivy, and have been spray painted red. The image below is from the full story, which is here

 

Personally I'm not the biggest fan of Valentine's day, but I feel like that would be an amazing thing to wake up to! I love Banksy's work and the idea about spreading joy, as well provoking discussion and political commentary, through guerilla art. 

 

originally posted on 04-03-2020 2:10 PM

@Janine-RO I just like the phrase "guerilla art".