Many people hear the word ‘Wellness’ and recoil. Their mind has already presented images of guru type figures, smudging white sage and requests of bending your body into positions you can’t even pronounce! But Thrive Wellness Festival is anything but this figment of that mind image.
Thrive came about as a brainstorm of HCOS’ event manager Dannii Warner, after multiple natural disasters hit the Hawkesbury. Floods and bushfires brought our communities to such a halt with loss after loss for so many residents. Then covid happened and brought the world to a place of total bewilderment, putting Thrive on hold just when the Hawkesbury people needed connection and support.
Fast forward to 2024, the year that saw the vision finally come to life yet without the unwaivering support of Hawkesbury Community Outreach Services, this unique festival would not have been born.
For those who don't know, HCOS is an incredible not for profit registered charity established in 1980 based at the Kurrajong Community centre in MacMahon's Park, Kurrajong. They serve residents across the entire Hawkesbury Local Government Area (LGA) including urban and isolated areas like Richmond, Windsor, Bilpin, and Colo Heights with a primary focus on supporting disadvantaged individuals, children, youth, families, and seniors. HCOS operates as a community hub and provides a wide range of practical, educational, and social programs such as family support and casework, childcare and early education, food relief, youth and parent programs and also seniors and community events. The Hawkesbury is blessed to have such a supportive community service within it's reach. You can connect with HCOS via their website: https://hcos.org.au
Moving forward, Dannii invited Hawkesbury local Lisa Charnley to be her partner in co-ordinating the Thrive festival. Dannii calls Lisa her ‘left arm’, and someone who shared her vision of bringing together community around the foundations of support in holistic wellbeing, connection, engagement, fun, education and sustainability.
Whilst these two women pair together for community better than a fine dining palate and pour experience, this was another all-inclusive festival with a something for everyone.
To spread the word outside of social media, this year the girls and a team of volunteers set out on a good old-fashioned expedition with flyers on hand and visits to local businesses. Posters and flyers were shared far and wide from up the mountain to the foothills of Hawkesbury and beyond, with connections being made along the way.
Thrive is unique in what it delivers. At the core of the day are smiles, laughter and connection along with a healthy dose of fun. The day is an evolving door of roving performers, talented musicians, interactive spaces, market stalls, taster workshops from community providers, games, support services, presented workshops, education and so much more.
Sustainability and conservation are a focus at Thrive, with connected workshops being informative and educational.
Science for Wildlife are a leading not-for-profit conservation organisation working to ensure a future for wildlife and the places they call home. They bring the best available science to wildlife conservation in Australia and beyond. Through the creation and sharing of ecological knowledge they empower people to participate in conservation that has an on-the-ground, enduring impact. And their koala scat detection dogs workshop at Thrive absolutely delivered with 65 attendees on the day. You can read more about their fantastic work here: https://www.scienceforwildlife.org
Mountains for Wildlife also joined Thrive and are a community-led, not-for-profit conservation organization based in the lower Blue Mountains and Hawkesbury region of New South Wales. Their key activities are habitat regeneration such as building frog hotels and transforming hollow logs into natural wildlife next hollows, with many hotels on display for the Thrive goers.
Citizen Science is the space where MFW organise community events like Frog Funday Sunday and tracking initiatives like the Aussie Bird Count and Bogong moth monitoring. They also support koala safety and habitat, protect native flora such as waratahs and mitigate environmental hazards like road stick and excessive outdoor lighting. You can join their facebook group and learn more about their work here:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2160339134155473/
Thrive is an experience, not just a festival. It is a beautiful thing to witness people and communities come together in a space where we can nurture ourselves, connect with each other and celebrate the richness of being human.
This wellness festival is a place where connection is cultivated, wellbeing is honoured and we are reminded that we don’t have to navigate life alone.
We begin to thrive - individually, collectively and as a community.
