Connect for Purpose

20/10/2026

Our ‘resident poet’ Rich Stark from Beyond Bank stepped things up a notch this morning. You’ve set the bar now for our Christmas breakfast event next month. 🎄

20/10/2026

What a wonderful morning of connection, culture and conversation at Soul Hub for our October Connect for Purpose breakfast!

We kicked things off with our ‘resident poet’ Richard Stark, from Beyond Bank who had the room buzzing with his unique blend of storytelling and, this time, a guitar accompanying his signature poem! What a way to set the tone for the morning! You’ve well and truly set the bar for entertainment at future breakfasts!

With an energised audience, we then turned our attention to an important conversation about Country, culture and connection, and what it really means to move beyond acknowledgement towards deeper understanding and meaningful relationships.

Kara Sullivan from Guts Creative shared her personal journey of building cultural capability as a non-Aboriginal woman, reflecting on the importance of learning, unlearning and embracing the discomfort that can come with genuine growth.

We then heard from David Newham and Heather Kember from Mawambul Design & Cultural Consultancy, who brought valuable perspectives on learning with Country, building respectful relationships with Aboriginal communities and recognising that cultural understanding is an ongoing journey, not a one-off experience.

With David threatening to jump on the drums on more than one occasion, there was certainly no shortage of personality or entertainment in the room! Maybe we'll have to hold him to that at a future breakfast!

The morning was a wonderful reminder that meaningful connection begins with curiosity, listening, openness and a willingness to keep learning.

A huge thank you to David, Heather & Kara for sharing your experiences and perspectives, and to everyone who joined us and contributed to such a thoughtful and engaged morning.

A special thank you to the wonderful staff and volunteers at Soul Hub Newcastle for looking after us so beautifully. We are so grateful for everything you do, not just for our breakfast, but for our community every day.

Heartfelt thanks to Beyond Bank for your ongoing support of Connect for Purpose. These important conversations and connections wouldn’t be possible without that support.

07/09/2026

Looking for a new home for your purpose-led organisation?

Our friends at Embrace People & Place have a rare opportunity available at 437 Hunter Street, Newcastle, and we thought it was well worth sharing with the Connect for Purpose community.

They’re looking for a new In-House Partner to join a community of 13 organisations already working from the building, each with their own identity and purpose, but with plenty of opportunity for connection, collaboration and greater collective impact.

There’s 267m² of office space available on Level 3, including open-plan workspace, two enclosed offices, a meeting room and four car parks, plus access to shared meeting, training and event spaces and a staffed reception.

It could be a great fit for an established not-for-profit, social enterprise, for-purpose business or government agency with an agenda for change and a settled funding base or steady trading income.

If there’s one thing we believe in at Connect for Purpose, it’s the value of putting good people doing good things in the same room, or in this case, the same building! If this sounds like your organisation, or someone in your network, get in touch with Embrace People & Place or click on the link below to find out more.

A space is available at 437 Hunter and we are looking for a new In-House Partner to join our community of thirteen organisations.

18/08/2026

What happens when we stop asking, “What do we need?” and start asking, “What do we already have that we could share?” That was at the heart of this morning’s Resource Revolution: Doing More Together breakfast event at Soul Hub.

Alex Rees (REACH Homeless Services) and Michelle Faithfull (Home in Place / Hunter Homeless Connect) kicked off the conversation by sharing real-world examples of collaboration, resource sharing and partnerships from within their own organisations, and the conversation quickly spread across the room.

There was a cascade of examples, ideas, offers and asks from people across multiple sectors sharing connections, expertise, spaces, people, knowledge and resources.

As a committee, this has always been what we strive for with Connect for Purpose, creating a space where we can connect with and learn from each other, better understand the work happening around us, and explore how we can support each other’s causes and missions through collaboration. Sometimes the resource you need already exists. It might just belong to someone else in the room!

Thanks again to the fabulous team of volunteers at Soul Hub Newcastle for seamlessly creating a welcoming environment for their regular guests and accommodating us at the same time. The significance of this is not lost on us.

Special celebration thanks to Beyond Bank in its tenth year of supporting this Connect for Purpose community (formerly known as NFP Connect and founded by Grace McLean). What an incredible commitment and investment in connection and collaboration over the years.

The resources are already in the room. Imagine what becomes possible when we get even better at sharing them. We’ve got some ideas on that…

11/08/2026

MEET OUR NEXT RESOURCE-SHARE REVOLUTION PANELLIST | MICHELLE FAITHFULL

With ONLY 6 TICKETS LEFT for our August Connect for Purpose Breakfast at Soul Hub Newcastle, it’s time to introduce guest panelist, Michelle Faithfull – Events & Partnerships Manager at Home in Place and Chairperson of Hunter Homeless Connect Inc.

With more than 35 years’ experience across operations, business development, project management and the community sector, Michelle has a long history of connecting people, organisations and resources to create positive impact.

At Home in Place, Michelle develops partnerships, fundraising initiatives and collaborative projects that bring businesses, community organisations and service providers together around shared goals, leveraging relationships, resources and expertise to attract funding and create meaningful community impact.

Home in Place’s commitment to resource sharing is reflected in its support of Hunter Homeless Connect, providing Michelle’s time and expertise to coordinate Hunter Homeless Connect Day for the past 10 years. What began as a professional resource provided to support the independent charity organically grew into a deeper personal commitment, with Michelle joining the Management Committee and taking on the role of Chairperson five years ago. Today, Hunter Homeless Connect Day brings together hundreds of service providers, businesses, volunteers and community groups, pooling their resources and expertise to support thousands of people experiencing homelessness and disadvantage.

That commitment to community extends well beyond her professional role. For more than 20 years, Michelle has volunteered, fundraised and supported causes across the Hunter and beyond, with her contribution to the community recognised when she was named Newcastle Citizen of the Year in 2020.

Drawing on both her professional and volunteer experience, Michelle will join Alex Rees, GAICD, Chairperson of REACH Homeless Services, to share practical lessons and real-world examples from years of building partnerships and bringing people together, exploring how stronger relationships, shared purpose and making better use of the resources already within our networks can create greater community impact.

The final six tickets won't last long! Get yours today!

https://events.humanitix.com/the-resource-share-revolution-doing-more-together

10/08/2026

MEET OUR AUGUST PANEL | ONLY 12 TICKETS LEFT!

We’re delighted to welcome Alex Rees, Chairperson of REACH Homeless Services, to the panel for our upcoming Connect for Purpose Breakfast, The Resource-Share Revolution: Doing More Together.

Alex joined the REACH Board in 2018 and brings a particularly timely perspective to our conversation about collaboration and resource sharing.

After 12 years of delivering its breakfast and Friday evening BBQ programs without a permanent home, REACH has recently signed a lease with The Salvation Army at 67 Cleary Street, Hamilton, providing a roof over these important services for the first time.

It’s a significant new chapter for REACH, and over the next 12 months Alex is focused on finding collaboration partners who can help strengthen REACH services and explore new ways the space can be shared and utilised for greater community impact.

Outside his volunteer role, Alex brings extensive experience from the engineering sector. He previously served as General Manager and Director of a local consulting engineering firm before establishing his own noise and vibration consulting business earlier this year. He is also a sessional lecturer at the University of Newcastle and has previously taught at TAFE.

Alex will join Michelle Faithfull, Events & Partnerships Manager at Home in Place and Chairperson of Hunter Homeless Connect, for a practical conversation about sharing people, expertise, resources and spaces, and what becomes possible when organisations look beyond their own boundaries.

And with ONLY 12 TICKETS LEFT, this is your last chance to join us and connect with other purpose-driven people from across the Hunter who believe we can achieve more when we work together.

Click here to get your ticket now!

https://events.humanitix.com/the-resource-share-revolution-doing-more-together

21/07/2026

❄️ Only 26 tickets left! ❄️

Join us at Soul Hub Newcastle for a winter warmer conversation about the power of doing more together.

As demand for community services continues to grow and resources are stretched, collaboration has never been more relevant.

Discover how Home in Place has embedded dedicated human resources to strengthen Hunter Homeless Connect and how REACH Homeless Services has expanded its impact through corporate partnerships, shared spaces and community support.

Facilitated by Megan Smith, with panellists Michelle Faithfull and Gary Parsisson, this practical and inspiring breakfast will leave you with fresh ideas for sharing resources, building stronger partnerships and creating greater impact.

Tickets are disappearing! Get yours via the link below now!

https://events.humanitix.com/the-resource-share-revolution-doing-more-together

16/06/2026

Thanks to Beyond Bank’s Regional Manager Scott Price for stepping into Rich Stark’s shoes with the traditional poem reading this morning!

16/06/2026

What does real impact actually look like?

That was the question at the heart of this morning's Connect for Purpose breakfast, and judging by the conversations that continued long after the formalities wrapped up, it's one that resonated with everyone in the room.

A huge thank you to our guest speakers, Jai Cooper, Tricia Martin and David Hubbard, for generously sharing their knowledge, experience and unique perspectives on social impact - how to measure it, how to report on it and why it matters.

From measuring long-term social and environmental outcomes, to understanding the role of behavioural change and human-centred design, through to using leadership and financial insight to make better decisions, the discussion challenged us to think beyond activity and start asking a much more important question... Are we actually making a difference?

Some of the key takeaways included:

Understanding the difference between outputs and outcomes.
Recognising that not everything that counts can be easily measured.
Ensuring that impact measurement is designed into a project from the very beginning, rather than being treated as an afterthought.

A sincere thank you to our event sponsor, Beyond Bank, for continuing to support these important conversations and helping create opportunities for connection across sectors.

And a special shout out to Scott Price, who very kindly stepped into Richard Stark's shoes this morning to deliver the much-anticipated poem. It's become a much-loved Connect for Purpose tradition, and Scott certainly did it justice.

Finally, thank you to the fabulous Soul Hub Newcastle volunteers and everyone who joined us, contributed to the discussion and helped make the morning what it was. These breakfasts are never just about the speakers, they're about the collective wisdom, generosity and willingness to share that exists within the room.

21/04/2026

Rain, a hot breakfast… and a room full of people with purpose.

A huge thank you to everyone who showed up to our April Connect for Purpose breakfast, we are so proud of this community that comes together in support of each other

We were grateful to hear from Sam Rykers, Founder of The Change Factor who delivered a practical and grounded session on what it really takes to lead through change in the for-purpose sector. We especially loved the focus on supporting individuals through this process.

A few key takeaways that stayed with us:
✨ Change is constant – but how we lead through it shapes culture and outcomes
✨ Clear frameworks give teams confidence and direction (especially in uncertain times)
✨ Communication builds (or breaks) trust – consistency and transparency matter
✨ Investing in internal capability is what makes change sustainable, not reactive
✨ Leadership continuity is critical – succession and planning can’t be an afterthought

In an unpredictable world where funding shifts, new systems and restructures are now a permanent part of the landscape, the real work is progressing strategy while protecting people and purpose. We love the latter part of this message!

Big love to the Soul Hub volunteers for always feeding us with a smile on their faces. A special thank you to our 2026 Breakfast Series sponsor Beyond Bank and our resident poet Rich Stark, for backing these important conversations, and to every person who continues to show up, share, and strengthen this community. 🙏