Welcome to the Year of Yes.
The Year of Yes is a new project aimed at making people live positively and get involved in their community.
Launched this month by Kogarah Community Services, The Year of Yes will offer a series of community workshops and volunteering opportunities to uncover, showcase and develop stronger community connections.
And local businesses will be encouraged to give their staff one paid day to choose from a menu of volunteering opportunities.
These can vary from being a fun ambassador for children to volunteering at local festivals, socialising with local seniors on bus trips to sharing their skills at a community workshop whether it be ukulele, cake making or photography.
The Year of Yes will culminate in The Yestival, a festival of positive ideas to be held at Hurstville Entertainment Centre on July 28, 2018.
The Year of Yes project manager, Cathy Nisbet said the aim is to turn the typical ideas of volunteering on their head by starting with the individual and creating opportunities that resonate with them on a personal level.
“By discovering a person’s unique skills and passions, The Year of Yes will create strong connections that will deliver long-lasting and sustainable benefits to the entire local community,” Ms Nisbet said.
Workshops will include The Big Drop Collective, The Happiness Workshop and Shared Reading NSW to create educational and inspiring workshops including War on Waste and Plastic Free Living, The Reading Ripple Effect and Happiness Finding it, Keeping it, Sharing It.
2018 will bring Neighbourhood Appreciation Walking Tours, more workshops and The Yestival to the community.
“The goal for The Year of Yes is to evolve into a community lifetime of yes, with everyone taking consistent and committed steps together towards a positive future,” Ms Nisbet said.
The Year of Yes is an initiative from Kogarah Community Services supported by the NSW Stronger Communities Fund.