Vital Village Voices: A kind space to think, talk and connect

🌿 Vital Village Voices

A kind space to think, talk, and connect.

You’re invited to gather, share stories, and learn together. We know that communities can and do support each other in tough times, including those who are most vulnerable. Strong communities take care of those in need—our elders, people living with disabilities, and others facing hardship.

As the many overlapping crises of this era intensify, so too does the need to meet them. Climate change, political polarisation, wars, massive income and wealth inequality, AI risks, ill health, the legacy of colonialism, industrialism, racism, and so on, are a polycrisis.

Sudden onset environmental disasters like bushfires and heatwaves are becoming more severe and frequent. Social crises, such as housing insecurity, emerge more slowly, stealth-like. We can’t rely solely on governments or market forces to take care of us. A truly strong community doesn’t just have a token seat at the table—it can be the table.

While there are no straightforward solutions to our collective problems, when we pay attention to our senses, our relationships with one another, and our curiosity, the difference between how things combine within you and how they combine within me allows for new collective perceptions to emerge.

The strength of our community depends on the quality of our communing—how we show up, listen, and support each other. 

These sessions, known as Warm Data Labs, offer an experience of mutual learning, fresh ways of seeing things, and new possibilities. No expert presentations, no panels—just meaningful conversations with real people.

🌿 What is a Warm Data Lab?

Warm Data Labs are like the best after-dinner conversations you’ve ever had, with people you may have never met. Participants share their stories and observations about a common question, moving between small groups and inside conversations to explore their perspectives from multiple viewpoints such as family, health, economy, and others. Everyone moves whenever and wherever their curiosity takes them, listening to each other and often sharing whatever occurs to them. At the end, we come back together as one group and share what we’ve noticed, weaving together the sense we’ve been making.

These experiences have been described as a “kaleidoscope of conversation,” packed with enriching stories, laughter, and insight. The experience may nourish the soul, transform our approach to work, life, and community — and, ultimately, open new possibilities that can't be predicted.

✨ What to expect

🔹 A welcoming space for stories, laughter, and learning together
🔹 Move between small, informal group chats exploring an important question
🔹 Follow your curiosity—join the conversations that interest you
🔹 Have fun, make new friends

✨ How do I prepare?

No preparation is necessary. Bring your curiosity, open mind, open heart, and perhaps a friend. Everyone is welcome.

💬 Who’s It For?

✅ Anyone who wants to be more connected to others in their community—like living in a village
✅ Local residents, businesses, schools, clubs, groups, governments, volunteers, and emergency responders in Perth's northern corridor
✅ Those curious about how we can face life’s challenges—big and small—together

This isn’t about finding quick fixes—it’s about thinking, sharing, and learning together in a safe and welcoming space. 

✨ How it works

These sessions create a space where ideas and calls to action arise through conversation—not from experts, but from each other’s experiences.

Instead of debating solutions, these gatherings invite us to:
🔹 See the bigger picture—how our challenges are deeply connected.
🔹 Listen deeply & share stories—discover new insights together.
🔹 Move beyond roles & titles—meet as people, not as experts.
🔹 Discover new possibilities—that emerge organically through conversation.

✨ Meet your hosts

Nicola-Jane le Breton is a Certified Trainer and Advanced Master Facilitator
of the Core Gift Discovery™ process. She is an experienced story teller and a 
Warm Data Lab Host, certified by the International Bateson Institute.

Peter le Breton has a PhD from California Institute of Integral Studies and
awards from Murdoch University and the Australian Government
for outstanding contributions to student learning.
Peter is a Core Gift Discovery Master Facilitator and a certified Warm Data Lab Host.

📅 Upcoming Sessions – Join One or All!

📍 3 in-person sessions at Edith Cowan University - Joondalup, Building 9, Room 209 - The Staff Room. "Enjoy a kaleidoscope of conversation."
🌱 Saturday 26 April — 1:00 PM to 3:30 PM – IN PERSON
🌱 Saturday 10 May — 1:00 PM to 3:30 PM - IN PERSON
🌱 Saturday 24 May — 1:00 PM to 3:30 PM - IN PERSON

The venue for each session is The Staff Room at ECU - Joondalup. The room is light and airy with picturesque views of the campus grounds. Parking is free on campus on Saturdays. There are frequent buses from Joondalup Station: travel time (including walking) is 11 minutes. Or you can walk from the Station (travel time is 18 minutes). See map at bottom of this page.

✨ 3 online sessions on Zoom. "The best over-lunch conversation you'll have in 2025."
🧑‍💻 Friday 2 May — 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM – ONLINE
🧑‍💻 Friday 16 May — 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM – ONLINE
🧑‍💻 Friday 30 May — 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM – ONLINE

📩 Register now! Select any session(s) you'd like to attend from the available ticket options. Spots are limited, so if you can’t make it, please cancel your ticket to free up space for others.

🌍 Why It Matters

When people connect, communities thrive. Research shows that stronger social ties help communities adapt and recover in times of change.

By coming together in open conversation, we can:
✔ Build relationships and strengthen our communities
✔ Gain fresh perspectives on resilience and change
✔ Find inspiration and support in each other’s stories

🌿 Join us—not to solve problems, but to explore new ways of seeing, relating, and acting together.

📌 About This Project

Vital Village Voices is part of the Resilient Together Wanneroo project, funded by the National Disaster Risk Reduction (NDRR) program through the Department of Fire & Emergency Services WA (DFES) for residents in Perth’s northern corridor.

👥 About these sessions and Befriend

In these sessions we explore 'Warm Data'. Warm Data (a term coined by Nora Bateson) is information that is alive, such as the tone, the feel of an encounter with another person. Warm data is real and vitally important, but tends to be neglected because it can't be measured. 

Each gathering is an innovative group process—a 'Warm Data Lab'—in which participants share stories, learn together and connect. Insights and motivation are likely. When we see things differently we act differently. Fresh ideas for action emerge. We're more likely to 'have each other's backs', our fellow humans. Also for non-human life and the land. 

Our facilitators are experienced Warm Data Lab hosts, certified by the International Bateson Institute. They love this process. Do yourself a favour and give it a try. It will make a difference.

Befriend is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to helping people grow meaningful connections in everyday life. We believe that strong relationships make communities more resilient and inclusive, so we can all thrive together.

🌿 Learn more at: www.befriend.org.au

📩 To Find Out More

🔹 Iain Shields – Wanneroo Neighbourhood Connector
📧 iain@befriend.org.au | 📞 0400 548 430

🔹 Peter le Breton – Thinking Partner
📧 peter@befriend.org.au | 📞 0427 483 113

🔹 Nicola-Jane le Breton – Community Story Weaver
📧 nicola@befriend.org.au | 📞 0421 633 124