Kindness Company

16/01/2026

Ongoing and escalating conflicts around the world don’t just affect those overseas. They have real emotional impacts here in Australia. On individuals, families, communities, and people with lived experience of war and displacement.
Witness to War is a free, national support line for anyone impacted by war and conflict.

If global events are weighing on you or someone you care about, you don’t have to carry it alone. Reach out. Help is here.

As conflicts escalate across the globe, many people are feeling the emotional impact - worry for loved ones, memories resurfacing, or a sense of constant unease.

If war or violence is affecting you, your family, or your community, Witness to War is here to support you.

This free, national hotline is delivered by experienced professionals who have over 30 years of experience supporting survivors of war and refugee trauma. Support is available in your language of choice, and there is no cost to call.

We can:
• Listen to your concerns
• Provide information about available support
• Help connect you and your family to services that can assist

🕙 Monday–Friday, 10am–7pm (AEST)
📞 Free and confidential
🇦🇺 Available nationally through our FASSTT network

14/12/2025

This afternoon, Lynn Berger, Gina Conolly and I held a Sunset Loss and Remembrance Circle, a space dedicated to honouring the many losses our communities have and continue to move through. As we retuned to our homes we were confronted with fresh, unimaginable grief, grief now carried by the Australian Jewish community, by families, and by our nation.

We stand in solidarity with the Australian Jewish community. The loss being carried right now, by families, by community, and by our nation is profound. There is no place for violence, hatred or harm in our communities.

In moments like this, unity and compassion matter. They are not abstract ideas, they are lived through how we show up for one another, how we listen, how we check in, and how we refuse to let fear or division take hold.

If you are feeling shaken, overwhelmed or grieving:
•Slow your breathing.
• Put your feet on the ground. Step outside if you can.
• Limit news exposure if it’s heightening distress.
• Reach out, to a friend, a neighbour, a community space, or a support service.

Hold your people a little closer. Let children know they are safe. Let elders know they are not alone.
If you or someone you love needs extra support:
• Griefline: 1300 845 745
• Lifeline: 13 11 14 (24/7)
• Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636

In this moment, may we choose care over cruelty, connection over fear, and solidarity over silence.

We stand with the Jewish community. We grieve together. And we hold one another, now and in the days ahead.

14/12/2025

Gentle reminder for this afternoon …
As the sun sets over Burleigh, we’ll gather by the water to honour the many kinds of loss that shape our lives: loved ones, places, identity, connection, and the ways of being we’ve had to let go.

This simple community ceremony is a space to pause, breathe, remember, and renew. Through shared ritual, story, and quiet reflection, we acknowledge both our grief and the strength that comes from standing together.
🗓 Sunday 14 December
⏰ 4:45 pm – 6:15 pm
📍 Echo Beach, Burleigh Headland (southern walking path entrance)

Bring a picnic rug, a flower or small meaningful object, and your open heart. Together we’ll create a living artwork of gratitude, love, and resilience as the tide moves in and out, a reminder that endings and beginnings are always intertwined.

All are welcome: families, carers, kids, individuals, and community members from near and afar. Whether your loss is recent or long ago, visible or unseen, this space is for you.

Held on the lands of the Yugambeh peoples, with deep respect for Elders past and present.

24/11/2025

Festival of Death and Dying is one of the most unique gatherings of community and compassionate deathcare practitioners I participate in. Curated with so much integrity by Peter Banki and Victoria Spence of Life Rites Funerals, the Festival places somatic practice at its centre, something too often missing in collective spaces.

Here, embodiment isn’t an “add-on”, it is the method. It’s what allows grief, memory, connection and community to move, transform and settle in the body.

I’m grateful to Peter for welcoming us so openly and guiding us through the Five Remembrances, a profound reminder of balancing wisdom and compassion, the impermanence of our lives and allowing the body to breathe at the pace life rarely makes room for.

There were many highlights:
• Kopi Healing with Maree Clarke and Nicholas Hovington, a powerful, embodied ritual of shaping grief into clay and learning the deep mourning traditions of South Eastern Aboriginal communities.

• Home Funeral wisdom with Rebecca Lyons and Before & After Life - Emma Beattie, opening conversations on reclaiming community-held care for our dying and dead.

• The Village, an extraordinary evening of performance, testimony, movement, art and music that re-awakened our sense of shared responsibility.

• Worn Grief with Pia Interlandi, Maree Clarke and Hini Hanara invited us into intimate, creative ways of wearing and honouring loss.

Rhee Duthie and I shared experience, learning and tools from many years in community development and from those who have paved the way before us, reminding participants that Compassionte Communities along with community development is never a program delivered to a community, but a process built with them. We explored the Building Compassionate Communities in Australia Toolkit, ABCD practices, the Good Life Conversation, We Can Game resources, and Inverclyde principles to map strengths and spark the “one action in 30 days” compassion movement.

Throughout the Festival, the Remembrance and Mourning Installation created by the Muslim Collective with Sydney Friends of Standing Together held space to witness the grief of Palestinians, an essential reminder of how somatic, collective grieving becomes a political, communal and spiritual act when the usual frames of mourning are shattered.

Deep gratitude to Peter and Victoria for curating such a richly embodied, culturally grounded and community-held gathering. This Festival shows that when we bring somatics, culture, ritual and community development together, grief is not something to survive, it is something we can meet, move, honour and transform together. Compassionate Communities Australia

29/10/2025

A very critical conversation with the imminent aged care reforms coming in. The number of ageing Australians who simply won’t have the income to meet the increases in co-contributions for essential services and care is deeply concerning. Collectively finding solutions to this impending crisis must start now. Register to be part of the discussion.

Sweeping changes are coming to residential aged care with the introduction of the Aged Care Act 2024 on 1 November. At Compassionate Communities Australia, we welcome reforms that strengthen rights and transparency — but we also ask: will these changes translate into genuine relational care — where our older people are seen, valued, and cared ‘about’, not just cared ‘for’?

Join us for an engaging panel discussion exploring how policy reform meets human experience. Together, we’ll unpack what the new Aged Care Act could mean for everyday relationships between residents, their families, care staff, and communities — and how we can ensure compassion remains the foundation of the system.

This conversation builds on insights from our National Forum in Brisbane and the Residential Aged Care Advocacy Statement , which calls for a re-orientation from clinical models to community-connected care that restores dignity and belonging. It also builds on the 2025 Progress Report of Inspector General of Aged Care.

You can egsiter here - bit.ly/47mVnb8

27/10/2025

In Western culture, we’re taught to fear, fight, or hide death. But what if we looked at it differently? What if, by facing mortality, we found life itself becoming deeper and more meaningful?

Join me and Rhee Duthie at the Festival of Death and Dying in Sydney, 22–23 November at Rushcutters Bay, a beautiful weekend of workshops, talks, and ceremonies exploring how we live, die, grieve, and care for one another.

We’ll be holding a participatory workshop on Compassionate Communities alongside, focused on what community development is and inviting reflection on how we can collectively reimagine care, connection, and community around death, dying, loss, and grief.

Get your tickets and explore the full program here: https://deathfest.sydney

Festival Director: Peter Banki, Ph.D
Curatorial Advisor and Festival Dramaturgy: Victoria Spence Festival of Death and Dying Life Rites Funerals Compassionate Communities Australia Dying to Know

A two day festival of workshops, performances and talks on different aspects of death and dying.

17/10/2025

Thank you to Life Rites Funerals Zenith Virago- Doing Death Well Tender Funerals Mid North Coast for your ongoing support in Kinchela Boys Home Aboriginal Corporation creating cultural safe, Survivor, descendant and community led end community & home death care program 🙏🏽

Join us on Thursday 30th and Friday 31st October for two days of hands on learning on how to care for our families and friends at end of life.

End of life is a difficult time for many of us, especially with ongoing Sorry Business. KBHAC has developed the Reclaiming Community and Home Death Care Program with Life Rites and the support of Zenith Virago and Tender Funerals. Join us for a special few days of learning and sharing how we can support each other in physical, spiritual, cultural and emotional ways as those we care for approach their journey into the dreaming.

More details below. Please rsvp below if you’d like to join

14/09/2025

What a week! The Compassionate Communities Australia Forum and Dying to Know Dinner with Mama Saba set the scene for community at the heart of conversations and action. As You n' Taboo has rightly stated, many have paved the way, reminding us that our collective work is built on decades of dedication, courage, and care.

A central highlight at for me was the lived experience leadership shared by Jodie Clarkson, who reminded us of the deep equity and communication challenges in healthcare. As she powerfully noted, “Interpreters are a bridge between languages and cultures… everyone has a right to be linguistically present, to fully understand what’s happening to them, to fully express themselves.’’

Jodie’s call powerfully underscored that compassionate care must be grounded in culturally safe language and a steadfast commitment to human rights. As someone receiving palliative care, her courage, storytelling, and wisdom were not only moving, they were a profound privilege to witness.

The gathering also strengthened the case for a public health palliative care approach and Compassionate Communities, where care extends beyond hospitals into networks of families, neighbours, and civic life.
We were invited into the depth of storytelling:
• Professor Brian Dolan reminded us that “care will always be more important than cure… mortality remains at 100%” and reframed hospital time as “days away from home,” urging us to focus on dignity, humanity, and legacy.

• Chris Hall moved us with love stories of grief, showing how families oscillate between knowing and hoping: “Death ends a life, it doesn’t end a relationship”
His words affirmed that grief is not an enemy of care, but its companion.

Through these voices, the gathering affirmed the centrality of storytelling, compassion, and equity in shaping the future of palliative care.

Heartfelt thanks to Dr Joanne Doran for being the glue that brings compassion, humanness, and joy into spaces that are often heavy.

New friends were made and old connections energised. Shout out to the wonderful PCA consumer and carer panel members, with special acknowledgment to PCA fellow carer and consumer panel members Debra Letica and Shannon Calvert, who reminded us of the urgent need for lived experience leadership and co-creation in shaping services and Simon’s skilful hosting. Thank you to PCA for your support and the efforts of all organisers. PCQ the Jacaranda was incredible! Thank you to the compassionate community that supported me in caring for our daughter while being present, the juggle is real.

We are stronger together, and must continue to authentically collaborate, evolving systems and processes so they meet the needs of all, especially those most often pushed to the margins. By grounding care in equity, presence, and humanity, we can ensure that every community is included and supported with compassion.

11/08/2025

🧡Love, Loss & What Matters Most 💛

This year’s Before You Go – Dying to Know Day on the Gold Coast was more than a beautiful event, it was the result of years of slow, steady, often unseen community building. Hours of relationship-building, trust-guiding, and collaboration have created a strong foundation where supporters are now investing their time and resources, and for that, we’re so grateful.

We breathed together with Caroline Brunne and Louie the Therapy Dog, then journeyed through the end-of-life rituals of Sikh, Hindu, Māori, and Buddhist traditions — sharing stories, art, music, and creating space for difficult conversations.

We also want to acknowledge the “village” who made it possible: our venue Currumbin RSL, plus those who provided welcome, catering, face painting, arts & crafts, breathwork, cyanotype, sound healing, and generous staff time.

Grassroots community movements take time, investment, and genuine collaboration. Over the past three years, we’ve built a space where community and service providers come together to create real change.

If you feel called to join this small but growing movement, reach out. We’d love to welcome you.

Thank you: Amanda McClelland Amardeep Singh Carol Peach Caroline Tremayne Carla P. Sabrina Cleghorn Katherine Richards Rhee Duthie Joanne Doran Emma Beattie Gina Connolly Annie McGrath Anna DeVoigt supported by:
Currumbin RSL | Multicultural Communities Council Gold Coast Ltd.| Karuna Hospice Services Ltd | Gold Coast Hospital and Health Service| Gold Coast Primary Health Network | Dovida Australia | Volunteering Queensland | Proveda |Before & After Life | Kindness Company

11/08/2025

Love, Loss & What Matters Most 💛This year’s Before You Go – Dying to Know Day on the Gold Coast was more than a beautiful event, it was the result of years of slow, steady, often unseen community building. Hours of relationship-building, trust-guiding, and collaboration have created a strong foundation where supporters are now investing their time and resources, and for that, we’re so grateful.We breathed together with Caroline Brunne and Louie the Therapy Dog, then journeyed through the end-of-life rituals of Sikh, Hindu, Māori, and Buddhist traditions — sharing stories, art, music, and creating space for difficult conversations.We also want to acknowledge the “village” who made it possible: our venue Currumbin RSL, plus those who provided welcome, catering, face painting, arts & crafts, breathwork, cyanotype, sound healing, and generous staff time.Grassroots community movements take time, investment, and genuine collaboration. Over the past three years, we’ve built a space where community and service providers come together to create real change.If you feel called to join this small but growing movement, reach out. We’d love to welcome you.Thank you: Amanda McClelland Amardeep Singh Carol Peach Caroline Tremayne Carla P. Sabrina Cleghorn Katherine Richards Rhee Duthie Joanne Doran Emma Beattie Gina Connolly Annie McGrath Anna DeVoigt supported by:Currumbin RSL | Multicultural Communities Council Gold Coast Ltd.| Karuna Hospice Services Ltd | Gold Coast Hospital and Health Service| Gold Coast Primary Health Network | Dovida Australia | Volunteering Queensland | Proveda |Before & After Life | Kindness Company

24/07/2025

📣 Event Update – You're Invited!

We’re thrilled to welcome Caroline Brunne and the one and only Louie the Therapy Dog to Before You Go: A Gold Coast Dying to Know Day Community Gathering 🐾💛

Caroline, survivor coach and breathwork facilitator will open the day with a calming, heart-centred breathwork session to help us land in presence and connection. Afterwards, you’ll get to soak up some soulful cuddles from Louie. 🐶

From there, we’ll dive into powerful conversations about End-of-Life Rituals from around the world, featuring stories and insights from:

💫 Amardeep Singh – Sharing Sikh, Hindu, and multicultural perspectives, Amardeep has supported countless families through the depths of grief and loss.

💫 Rhee Duthie – A proud Māori and Swiss advocate, artist, and Volunteering QLD staff member who brings healing through heritage, creativity, and community.

💫 Tsultrim – A Buddhist practitioner and Karuna Hospice Community Connection Advisor, Tsultrim offers wisdom on grief, spiritual care, and the spaces between life and death.

💫 Dr Jo Doran – Our incredible MC with over 30 years in palliative care, bringing compassion, clarity, and leadership to end-of-life conversations.

🌿 This FREE community gathering is a beautiful space to reflect, connect, and explore what truly matters—before you go.

Here’s what else you can experience on the day:
✨ 1:1 Sound Healing with Caroline Tremayne
✨ Creative spaces: Cyanotype art + clay work
✨ The Human Library – hear real stories, ask real questions
✨ Family-friendly fun including free face painting for kids

🎤 Plus: You’ll be invited to share one end-of-life wish that no one knows… because if nobody knows, they never will.

Let’s get more comfortable with the uncomfortable. Because while only 53% of us talk about death… 💯% of us will face it.

👉 Mark your calendar and join us for a day of courage, connection, and compassion.



This event is brought to you by a passionate working group and supported by:
Currumbin RSL| Multicultural Communities Council Gold Coast - MCCGC| Karuna| Gold Coast Health | Gold Coast Primary Health Network | Dovida Australia | Volunteering Queensland| Align by Caroline| Before & After Life| Kinchela Boys Home Aboriginal Corporation| Shoutout to Dying to Know Proveda and the Wicking Trust in their support of Caroline Brunne, Louie and Cyanotype making
🙌🏽Share with your networks
📩 Register now to save your spot. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/before-you-go-a-gold-coast-dying-to-know-day-gathering-tickets-1475398299029?utm_experiment=test_share_listing&aff=ebdsshios

15/07/2025

Join us for Before You Go: A Gold Coast Dying to Know Day Community Gathering
Let’s talk about the one thing we all share…
Life. Death. Grief. And everything in between.

Now in its third year, this FREE community event brings together creativity, culture, and compassion for a meaningful day of connection and reflection. This years gathering features:
✨Embodied Practices
✨ Art-making + Interactive Spaces
✨ Human Library with powerful storytellers
✨ Panel on End-of-Life Rituals with speakers from Sikh, Māori, Buddhist & Aboriginal perspectives
✨ Hosted by the fabulous Dr Jo Doran – bringing humour and heart to the day
✨ Family-friendly with free face painting for kids

You’ll be invited to share one end-of-life wish that no one knows — because if nobody knows, they never will.

Let’s become more comfortable with the uncomfortable.

Because while only 53% of Aussies talk about death with loved ones… 100% of us will face it.
This event is brought to you by a passionate working group and supported by:
Currumbin RSL| Multicultural Communities Council Gold Coast - MCCGC | Karuna| Gold Coast Health| Gold Coast PHN | Dovida Volunteering Queensland | Before & After Life| Align by Caroline|Kindness Company| Dying to Know
📌 Tag a friend who should come.
📩 Register now to save your spot. https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/before-you-go-a-gold-coast-dying-to-know-day-gathering-tickets-1475398299029?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=ebdsshcopyurl