Purpose Media CBR

16/12/2025

This Christmas we are celebrating our first year of business and what a year it has been! Behind the scenes we enable and build the capacity of community organisations. Such as delivering a Funding Empowerment Workshop for organisations in the New England in partnership with and Hunter New England. That was amazing!

14/12/2025

Looking for a democratic way to give back to your fellow Canberrans this holiday season? 🤔🎁

Why not share your views on one of our inquiries open for public comment - some of which close in the next week!

ℹ️ Find the full list here: https://bit.ly/3toR4fq
✍ How-to guide: https://bit.ly/3tdzD1g

12/12/2025

If you’re a local NFP this is worth checking out. You will need volunteers to help!

With over $170,000 Raiders in 2025, charities can now apply to become a Raiders Foundation 50/50 raffle partner in 2026!

MORE: https://bit.ly/3YlgOVL

10/12/2025

Canberra, we need to talk about something that happened quietly this week but will impact real people in a very real way.

Thirty three staff from Embrace Disability Group, most of whom live with disability, were told with just two weeks’ notice that their jobs in the Meals in Schools program would end. For many, this role was their first pathway to independence and the pride of earning their own income. Some had shared that this Christmas would be the first time they could buy presents for their families using money they earned themselves.

The program change is one thing. The lack of planning and communication from the ACT Education Directorate is another. When decisions affecting vulnerable workers are made behind closed doors and delivered at the last moment, the people who feel it most are those who deserve stability and respect.

𝗦𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻.
Right now, booking their catering is the most practical and powerful way we can help protect jobs while long term solutions are created. If you are planning Christmas celebrations, staff gatherings, morning teas, summer events or new year functions, please consider choosing Embrace.

Every order keeps someone working.
Every decision shows that Canberra values inclusion.
Every act of support helps soften the impact of a decision made without enough notice.

This is what community looks like when we show up for each other.

𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭 𝘗𝘶𝘳𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘔𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘢 𝘊𝘉𝘙 𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘭𝘦 (𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘪𝘯 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴).

09/12/2025

But I didn’t know… relief could come with a cancer diagnosis.

This week on Purpose Media CBR we shared the story of Jerri, a vibrant young Canberran who spent two years in excruciating pain before finally being diagnosed with Stage 4 uterine cancer. What followed wasn’t fear first. It was relief, relief that she wasn’t “imagining it”, relief that someone finally listened, relief that she could stop blaming herself.

Her story is raw, honest and full of the kind of lived wisdom that only comes from walking a hard road. It’s also a powerful reminder that no one should have to navigate cancer alone.

That’s why we’re proud to highlight the incredible work of Rise Above – Capital Region Cancer Relief.

They’re the team providing real, practical support when families need it most, pharmacy tabs, treatment costs, everyday essentials, and the small but life-changing advice only someone who’s “been there” can give.

𝗪𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗺𝗮𝘀? 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝘄𝗼 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀:
1️⃣ 𝗝𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗮 𝗥𝘂𝗻 – Thursday 18 December at Lake Burley Griffin.
A sea of Santas raising money for local cancer support. Walk, run, bring the kids or the dog — $10 tickets include a hat!
2️⃣ 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗺𝗮𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗥𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘃𝗲 – Your gift helps keep local families afloat during treatment, right here in Canberra and Queanbeyan.

This community shows up when it matters.
Let’s show up again.
For Jerri. For every family facing cancer.
And for the hope that no one walks this journey without support.

❤️ 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗝𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗶’𝘀 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗻 𝗣𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮 𝗖𝗕𝗥 (link in comments).

04/12/2025

Introducing our latest People with Purpose story 💜

This week we’re celebrating Stuart, a volunteer whose impact runs deep across Canberra’s community.

From Camp Quality to Canteen to now serving as a Board Member with Rise Above, Stuart has spent years showing up for others in the most humble, human ways. And it all began millimetre by millimetre, moment by moment, including one Santa Run that changed everything. His story is a reminder that community is built by people who give without expecting anything in return, the kind of kindness that makes Canberra feel like home.

✨ Read Stuart’s story
✨ Learn the real impact Rise Above has on local families
✨ And get ready for this year’s Santa Run at The Jetty on Thurs 18 Dec

A beautiful reflection on what Christmas is truly all about.

Running for Resilience

In every community, there are the loud voices, the natural storytellers, the people whose impact is easy to see. And then there are the others, the ones who carry communities quietly. The ones who …

02/12/2025

Today we celebrate International Day of People with Disability, a reminder that a truly inclusive community is built when everyone has the opportunity to shine.

Across Canberra, countless organisations work quietly and powerfully to remove barriers, create pathways, and make sure people with disability can contribute their skills, passions, and leadership to our shared community life. Their work strengthens our city. It shapes our workplaces, enriches our social fabric, and reminds us that belonging is not a gift, it is a right.

One organisation doing this beautifully is who believe that purpose and participation go hand in hand, and their team lives that value every day. From employment pathways to real opportunities for contribution, they show what it looks like when people are supported to bring their whole selves to work and to community.

And if you’re still finalising catering for your Christmas events or planning ahead for the New Year, here’s your gentle nudge: check out Embrace Disability Group’s catering team.
Not only is their food genuinely incredible, the kind you keep talking about afterwards, but every order supports meaningful employment and skill-building for people with disability. It is food with heart, purpose, and impact.

Today is a chance to recognise and celebrate the organisations that lift people up. Tomorrow, it’s our job to keep choosing and supporting them.

Let’s keep building a Canberra where everyone belongs and everyone contributes. 💛

27/11/2025

Meet Disha, the Founder Creating Friendship, Courage and Glow in Canberra

If you’ve ever felt the weight of starting over, or watched someone you love navigate the loneliness of being far from family, this story is one you’ll want to read.

Today we’re shining a light on Disha, Founder of Glow Getaways, psychology student, mental health educator and the heart behind a growing movement that tackles one of the biggest issues affecting young people in Australia… loneliness. From supporting first-generation women to empowering international students who often feel unseen behind the “sociable” stereotype, Disha is building real connection through group travel, shared experiences and a message that reminds us all:

You have the power to change your own story.

Her work reflects everything Purpose Media CBR stands for lived experience, community impact, and brave individuals stepping up to make Canberra a place where no one feels alone or unsure where to turn.

💛 We think she’s someone you should know.
💛 And we’re proud to share her story.

If you know someone creating community, connection or change in Canberra, tag them below. We might just feature them next in our People with Purpose series.

25/11/2025

But I Didn’t Know You Could Spend Time With Your Person ❤️‍🩹

So many Canberrans tell us they didn’t realise they were allowed to sit with their person after they died, to hold their hand, brush their hair, decorate their coffin, share food, or simply breathe in the same room for as long as they needed.

Our latest Purpose Media CBR article explores why this time matters, how it helps the brain begin to understand loss, and why Canberra is changing what meaningful goodbyes can look like.

If you’ve ever wondered, “What are my options?” or “Is this allowed?” this one is for you.

👉 Read the full story at the link in our bio
👉 Save this for a friend who might need it
👉 Follow our “Meaningful Goodbyes” series as we explore more “But I Didn’t Know…” moments

18/11/2025

Saying goodbye is one of the hardest things we ever do.
What most of us are never told is that we have far more choice, time and tenderness available to us than it feels like in those first raw days of loss.

Over the next few weeks, we are starting a new “But I Didn’t Know: Meaningful Goodbyes” mini-series, exploring what happens in the quiet, in-between moments around a death. Together, we will look at things like:
• Spending unhurried time with your person before the funeral
• Decorating a coffin or shroud with stories, art and love
• Washing and dressing someone you love, if you choose
• Creating small rituals with food, music and memories
• How these hands-on acts gently help the brain understand that someone has died

This series is not about telling you the “right” way to grieve. It is about showing that you have agency, options and support in Canberra, and that goodbyes can hold both heartbreak and humour, tears and laughter, all at once.

If you have ever thought, “I didn’t know we were allowed to do that,” this one is for you.

👉 Follow along as we unpack one “But I Didn’t Know…” at a time.
👉 Save this post if you might need it one day, or for someone you care about.
👉 DM us your questions about funerals, farewells or planning ahead. We will weave them into the series.

You do not have to navigate this alone.

14/11/2025

We recently facilitated a youth mental health webinar. Check out what was discussed in our latest article.

If you’ve ever tried to find the right mental health service; for yourself, your child, or a young person you support, you’ll know that it can feel like trying to read a map with half the landmarks missing. In Canberra, there are dozens of programs, websites, and phone numbers offering help, yet for many families and frontline workers, the hardest part remains the same: where do you start?

Read more purposemediacbr.au