Bringing Community Back Together

Heart and Soul Story
  • 0.0 (0)
  • Mental Health
  • Updated Weekly

What if an important part of the answer to our community mental health challenges doesn’t lie within us… but between us? Bringing Community Back Together, hosted by Samantha Heron, explores the growing impact of social fragmentation - from rising anxiety in young people to loneliness in older adults - and how connection across generations can be an important part of the answer. Through real conversations fortnightly with educators, aged care leaders, and community voices, this podcast highlights the role we all play in building meaningful engagement, belonging and stronger communities.

Episodes

  1. Rethinking the way we measure progress

    Jun 4

    Rethinking the way we measure progress

    Bringing Community Back Together | Episode 6 Catia Davim "Human life is worth it until the very last breath. You could be 102 years old and you are still very valuable." In this episode we explore Bhutan's Gross National Happiness & Indigenous wisdom and how they relate to community, plus much more! The secret to making a real impact isn’t always about doing more - it can be about starting small and building community that lasts. Catia Davim’s journey leading Australia’s Social Good Summit for the past decade reveals how one person’s purpose, can ripple outward to create meaningful change. Catia’s personal quest for social impact was sparked by asimple question: What can I do for the world? She shares how attending theUN-affiliated Social Good Summit in New York ignited her mission to spotlight good projects and inspire collective action in Australia. We break down: * The power of community-led initiatives andhow shared purpose sustains long-term impact * The Indigenous Wisdom Summit  that emphasises interconnectedness with land, family, and community - Indigenous principles from the 2025 Indigenous Wisdom Summit from amazing leaders such as Benson Saulo, Professor Yalmay Marika-Yunupiŋu. Professor Anne Poelina and more, that can reframe our approach to social progress * Lessons from Bhutan’s national happiness index and why collective well-being trumps GDP in creating a thriving society *How cultivating neighbourhood relationships and valuing older generations is vital for social cohesion and mental health * The importance of incorporating indigenous and local voices into leadership and decision-making, both in Australia and globally Why does it matter? Because communities fractured by individualism and neglecting ancestral wisdom risk deepening crises like loneliness, inequality, and environmental degradation. Our opportunity lies in reconnecting … through stories, values, and purpose-driven action, to build a more inclusive, resilient society. Catia’s experience highlights that change doesn’t have to start with grand gestures; it begins with listening, sharing, and small acts of courage. Whether you’re a social impact leader, community builder, or someone longing for deeper connection, this episode offers powerful insights on how disciplined nonconformity and hope can create ripples that reach far beyond the individual. Pls take a listen to see what happens when purpose meets community - an inspiring call to action for everyone ready to make a difference, starting with one small ripple at a time. This episode is hosted by Heart & Soul Story and supported by Good Flock. We gratefully acknowledge their support and commitment to exploring the cultural shift needed to reimagine how we live, age and belong ... together. Join the movement encouraging a cultural shift in ageing:⁠⁠ Good Flock Connect with Catia Davim : Social Good Summit / Simplify.co Connect with Samantha Heron: heartandsoulstory.com

    41 min
  2. Rethinking the way we school

    May 25

    Rethinking the way we school

    Bringing Community Back Together | Episode 5 Dr Hugh Chilton "Education of the Mind without Education of the Heart is no education at all" Aristotle What does it actually mean to educate a human being? Not just fill them with knowledge or prepare them for a career, but genuinely form them as a person, capable of connection, empathy, and belonging across difference? Dr Hugh Chilton has spent his career inside that question. From twelve years on the executive leadership team at Scots College Sydney , where he co-designed ScotsX, an experimental model of schooling built around real-world learning and sustained intergenerational relationships to his current role as Head of Teaching and Learning at Wycliffe Christian School in the Blue Mountains, Hugh has been quietly building an answer. He's also co-founder of the Sydney Character Initiative at the University of Sydney, working alongside Professor Phil Cummins to put character formation back at the centre of what schools are for. In this conversation, we talk about what happens when you let teenagers spend real time with older people.. fortnightly, for a whole year , and why some of the boys who struggled most in a conventional classroom were the ones who shone brightest in an aged care home. We talk about the difference between adding community connection to a school program and actually designing it in. And we talk about vocation, what it means to choose work that is more than a career. Some take aways from this conversation: * Character is the whole work of school - not a strand, not an add-on, not a value on a wall. The question is whether we're intentional. *Sustained relationship change lives - the magic in ScotsX's intergenerational program wasn't the visits. It was the same students, the same residents, every fortnight, for a whole year. The awkwardness of the first few weeks became the foundation for something real. *Students who struggle in traditional settings can shine brightley - when given a real human to connect with rather than a curriculum to perform for. The boy who bought a toy horse for a woman he'd come to genuinely care about. Real settings reveal real character. * We've normalised things that aren't normal — hypermobility, digital connection as a substitute for physical presence, age-segregated living and learning, the very idea of "the teenager" as a separate category. Hugh's historian lens reminds us: these are recent inventions. Which means they can change. *Small is not a compromise - it's a design choice — Hugh left one Scott's College to ride his bike to work at a smaller school in his own community. Not as a step back, but as a step toward something different. Proximity, presence, and knowing your students across their lives and within his own community. Drop a comment — who was your Miss Oxley? Hugh and Sam both shared names of teacher who changed something for them. We want to hear yours. Who was the teacher you still remember ... and what did they give you that no curriculum could? This Episode of Bringing Community Back Together is supported by Good Flock, committed to culturally shifting how Australia thinks about connection ageing. Find out more at GoodFlock.org So we can keep bringing these podcast episodes to you, make sure you subscribe and follow on Spotify / Apple To learn more about Bringing Community Back Together head to heartandsoulstory.com

    44 min
  3. Connection is everything

    May 11

    Connection is everything

    Many of us underestimate how simple acts of genuine human connection can transform lives, especially across generations. On Bringing Community Back Together this week, Luella Prasad, a Year 12 student from International Grammar School Sydney, shares * her love of connecting with people* appreciating friendships no matter what age* a special bond with her own grandfather through a love of piano and ABBA* a mutual love with her aged care buddy Louise of all things cats 🐱& ABBA 🎶 (even her pet dog Fernando !)* hopes to be a Speech Pathologist and help improve people's quality of life ....and more This episode reminds us that friendship & connection transcend age. Luella’s heartfelt sharing uncovers the profound impact reaching out beyond our comfort zones can yield, highlighting the importance of simply being present and open to others. Luella reminds us that lifelong friendships are born in moments of vulnerability, laughter, and shared stories. Perfect for young people, educators, or anyone tired of surface-level interactions, because at the end of the day, we believe, human connection is what truly makes life richer. This episode is essential listening for anyone craving authentic relationships in our fast paced, digital world… especially if you believe connection is the heart of community. It is a reminder that taking the time for human connection isn’t complicated …it’s everything. For more information on Bringing Community Back Together visit heartandsoulstory.com To learn more about intergenerational programs like STEP Seniors & Teens Empathy Program Australian Institute Intergenerational Practice To join others embracing a culture shift in the way we approach ageing in Australia Good Flock Movement

    21 min
  4. Rethinking the Way We Live

    Apr 27

    Rethinking the Way We Live

    What if connection wasn’t something we added on… but something we designed for? In this conversation, Samantha Heron chats with Churchill Fellow Savannah Fishel, who researched 54 intergenerational and communal living communities across the US and Australia, and authored the report Beyond the White Picket Fence. Drawing on these real-world models that are already emerging, we explore what it means to move beyond individual moments of connection and begin thinking at a systems level. This episode invites us to consider what becomes possible when we stop treating connection as a “nice to have” and start recognising it as essential to how we live. This episode is hosted by Heart & Soul Story and supported by Good Flock. We gratefully acknowledge their support and commitment to exploring the cultural shift needed to reimagine how we live, age and belong ... together. Because building a the more connected society we need for a more sustainable world, isn’t just an idea, it’s already beginning to happen. Join the movement encouraging a cultural shift in ageing:⁠https://goodflock.org/get-involved/⁠ Connect with Savannah Fishel: thinkitforward.netConnect with Samantha Heron: heartandsoulstory.com Please comment, like and share to help us on our mission of Bringing Community Back Together.

    35 min
  5. Boots on the Ground

    Apr 21

    Boots on the Ground

    What does it really take to bring community back together? Sometimes it starts with a pair of boots. Mel Knuckey has spent her career doing the quiet, essential work of community connection - from her early days as a shy 18-year-old joining Rotaract on the Central Coast, to running 16 intergenerational programs across Tasmania in under a year as Community Programs Coordinator at COTA Tasmania. In this conversation, Mel reflects on finding her purpose, the moment something "just clicked" working in community development, and why she believes real change happens on the ground We talk about: *The Generations Connect Tech Together program, connecting young people with older residents in residential aged care homes across southern Tasmania through digital literacy and genuine friendship *Student Sophie, who came in wanting to work in childcare and left with a traineeship in aged care, one of many young people now considering careers they'd never imagined *The very real aged care workforce crisis, and why intergenerational programs might be part of the solution *What it means to embed these programs into school curriculum at Years 9 and 10 (and the funding reality that sits behind that vision) *The AIIP (Australian Institute of Intergenerational Practice) and the growing movement of practitioners across Australia and New Zealand working toward systems change *And the boots. The beautiful, bold, mandala-printed boots that have sparked more genuine conversations in aged care homes than any icebreaker activity ever could. "Working in community was where I felt really alive and found my purpose in life." — Mel Knuckey If you have an old tablet or smartphone you no longer use, or new ones you would like to donate COTA Tasmania would love to hear from you. Reach out via the Heart & Soul Story socials and we'll connect you with the right people. A huge thank you to Hazel Brothers , Tasmanian family-owned builders, for donating 25 tablets to the program. That's community in action. Bringing Community Back Together is hosted by Samantha Heron, founder of Heart & Soul Story New episodes dropping regularly .... subscribe so you don't miss one. Pls comment, like and share to help Bring Community Back Together Connect with Mel:COTA Tasmania — cotatas.org.au Connect with Sam:heartandsoulstory.com Join the movement to transform how we feel about ageing: https://goodflock.org/get-involved/

    30 min
  6. The Prime Minister Problem .. or all of ours?

    Apr 2

    The Prime Minister Problem .. or all of ours?

    I had a chat with children's author Brenton Cullen this week about his beautiful, warm and deeply relevant book The Prime Minister Problem "Old folks might feel a little left out. Lonely. So they hide away. They can seem angry or sad — but they might just want a friend." This is a children's book. Yet it captures something that researchers, clinicians and community workers spend entire careers trying to articulate with the same depth. It gently points to something many of us are sensing — that ​as we fragment and become too 'busy' as a community, so too does our everyday experience of connection and belonging Brenton Cullen writes about a boy, his grandmother, Meals on Wheels rounds, and the quiet devastation of an older person being moved far from the community that knows them. It is a story written for children, but it is most definitely a story for all of us. After over 7 years working on ways to increase intergenerational connection, this is the first episode of Bringing Community Back Together — and I could not have asked for a better place to begin. For more info go to heartandsoulstory.com Pre order the Book https://rivetedpress.com.au/bookshop/the-prime-minister-problem-pre-order

    18 min

  7. Trailer

    Bringing Community Back Together Introduction

    Bringing Community Back Together is a podcast about what happens when we stop trying to solve wellbeing in isolation — and start rebuilding connection across generations, roles, and communities. Hosted by Samantha Heron, founder of Heart & Soul Story, this series explores the growing impact of social fragmentation on our mental health — from rising anxiety in young people to loneliness and loss of role in older adults — and asks a simple but powerful question: what if the answer lies between us, not within us? Through conversations with a diverse range of voices — educators, aged care leaders, young people, authors, and social commentators — this podcast uncovers the moments, ideas, and initiatives that are quietly reshaping how we relate to one another. From a young boy whose mission to help his grandmother sparks change across an entire town, to school communities rethinking what wellbeing really means, each episode reveals the ripple effect that connection can have — not just on individuals, but on the systems we live within. This is not just a podcast about ageing, or youth, or mental health in silos. It’s about the space in between.It’s about contribution, belonging, and the human need to feel that we matter — at every stage of life. If you’ve ever felt that something is missing in how we do community today…you’re not alone. And you’re in the right place.

    2 min

Trailer

About

What if an important part of the answer to our community mental health challenges doesn’t lie within us… but between us? Bringing Community Back Together, hosted by Samantha Heron, explores the growing impact of social fragmentation - from rising anxiety in young people to loneliness in older adults - and how connection across generations can be an important part of the answer. Through real conversations fortnightly with educators, aged care leaders, and community voices, this podcast highlights the role we all play in building meaningful engagement, belonging and stronger communities.

Information

You Might Also Like