Cultivating Connection & New Communities – Quarter 1 in Review

Cultivating Connection & New Communities

Quarter 1 in Review

The first quarter of 2023 has been an exciting one for Connected Women, drawing to a close with almost 900 members across our communities in Perth, Sydney, Melbourne, and their surrounding regions. From book clubs, brunches, and beach walks, to coffee catch-ups, culinary delights, and quiz nights, our events calendar has been a smorgasbord of fun! Let's take a look back at some of the Connected Women highlights over the last few months.

Western Australia

As our Connected Women founding community, Perth has grown in leaps and bounds over the quarter. The Western Australian capital now boasts a membership of 450, with women coming together across the city and in the surrounding regions to connect with one another, form new friendships, and make lasting memories. A standout for our Western Australian Community Manager, Poppy Burrell, has been going along to New Member Meetups to welcome women as they join. She says, “Our New Member Meetups are always so energising and cup-filling. I have really enjoyed attending these get-togethers over the last months — meeting our newest members in person, learning what it was that motivated them to join, and hearing about how much they are already getting out of their experience. Observing first-hand the difference that the community makes in the lives of our members really underscores the purpose behind Connected Women, and is a real motivation to keep growing and nurturing this wonderful community.”

Over the last months, ladies in Perth have had the opportunity to join a variety of eclectic events — including a 6-week Spanish language course, a cheese-making morning, and exclusive backstage access to the Western Australian Symphony Orchestra. A particular highlight was a series of makeup workshops with Rita Kenny, a makeup artist who specialises in cosmetics for women over 50. We also had the pleasure of hosting a Melbourne-based fashion stylist, Lisa Stockman, who held two style workshops exclusively for Connected Women members at the beginning of March. The workshops were inspiring for those who attended, with one woman saying that it was a “fantastic day”, and another reporting that she “found the workshop informative and reassuring. I discovered I was well on the way to working out my style. Now to clean out the wardrobe and get rid of all the things I never wear!”

Victoria

After establishing our Connected Women community in Melbourne just one and a half months ago, we have seen an impressive uptake by women in the Victorian capital. We had 80 women in attendance at our Open Days in Elwood and Richmond in February, where they were able to mingle with one another, meet members of the Connected Women Team — Phoebe, Steph, Elese, and Melissa — and experience our warm and welcoming community. With the member base already reaching X in just over a month since the launch, ladies across the city and surrounding regions are relishing the opportunity to be founding members of our Connected Women chapter in Victoria, shaping and contributing to the community as it continues to evolve and flourish.  

It has been heart-warming to see how the ladies in Melbourne have embraced Connected Women from the get-go, with its fledgling weeks already paying witness to a large array of interesting get-togethers. From brunches, lunches, and coffee in the city renowned for its food scene, to walks along the Yarra River, burlesque shows, and trivia nights, members in our newest community certainly know how to have a good time! When asked about the highlights in the first weeks since the launch, our Victorian Community Manager, Elese Berthold, says, “It has been an absolute joy to connect with so many incredible women and build this warm and uplifting community together. I feel so lucky to be part of cultivating the Victorian chapter from the beginning, and have loved seeing members join, form new bonds, and share with one another. I can't wait to continue connecting women across the state, and see these women flourish with new friendships!”

New South Wales

Having only opened at the end of last year, our Sydney community has come along with flying colours over the last few months. With more than 300 members in the NSW capital and surrounding regions, a standout event this quarter was the French themed Member Day held on the North Shore in February. Donned in berets and elegant dresses, we had 40 members join us for a delicious grazing platter and a delectable croquembouche, French trivia, and champagne and cheese tasting — all while enjoying an extensive repertoire of French music by a trio of talented musicians. The day was a treat for all the senses, and members went home with filled bellies and full hearts!

As the NSW Community Manager, it brings me so much joy to see how the community continues to shift and evolve as a perpetual celebration of female connection. Another peak for me this quarter has been witnessing friendships between women continue to develop and deepen, and observing members contributing to the community in meaningful ways both online and offline — sharing content, posting their own events, and being supportive and uplifting of one another. Furthermore, we have seen many more women join in Wollongong and the Central Coast, and it has been such a pleasure to support the growth of our area groups outside of Sydney. We hosted an Open Day for the women of Wollongong in February, to which we had a record number of 54 women come along. It was a memorable afternoon spent together, with attendees able to meet Phoebe, Steph, and me, hear more about the Connected Women community, and enjoy afternoon tea over some get-to-know-you games. I left feeling excited to see how Connected Women continues to prosper over the coming months, both in Sydney and in our more regional communities.

Member Benefits

We really value each and every one of our Connected Women, and want to extend our gratitude for the contribution they all make to ensure that our community continues to blossom and bloom. As a token of our appreciation, this quarter also saw the release of our Member Benefits portal as an exclusive offering for Connected Women members. The portal provides access to an extensive range of discounts that can be used to take part in fun and exciting activities with Connected Women friends – including movies tickets, adventures and attractions, dining experiences, gift cards, retail, and so much more!  

And that’s a wrap for the first quarter of the year. We are already busily planning some exciting events for the quarter to come, and look forward to seeing Connected Women continue to flourish in the coming months and beyond — becoming even richer, livelier, and more diverse as women continue to join and contribute to the colour and vibrancy of our beautiful community!  

If you would like to join our fun community of women over 50, we would love to welcome you! Please visit this link for more information and to sign up for a 7-day free trial.

Written by Lisa Stelling, the Connected Women Community Manager for NSW. She is a proud dog mum to her Schnoodle, Lenu, who is named after her favourite book series — My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante.

‍A professional eclectic, Lisa fills her spare time with a vast array of colourful hobbies, but loves nothing more than walking with Lenu along the beach close to their Wollongong home.