Community Service Sydney

Digital Mentor Youth Network - Volunteer Community

Register here https://qualtricsxmkgg2n2lzt.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_885AiIJ7jt3qXMq Free coffee! We are excited to invite you to participate in the **FREE** **Online Workshop**. This is a great opportunity to develop your digital communication and mentoring skills while making a meaningful impact on the lives of seniors in our community. This Young Digital Mentor Program is proudly supported by the **Australian Government’s Be Connected initiative and includes a Digital Mentor Certificate**! After completing the training, you will have the opportunity to volunteer as a digital mentor and assist senior community members at Parramatta Library. You will also gain valuable volunteer experience and strengthen your CV.

Unhurried Conversations - Saturday

Bring yourself along, we explain how it works.

Welcome to the next 2026 AWS Sydney Well-Architected Meetup!

Hi Architects, Welcome to the next 2026 AWS Sydney Well-Architected User Group Meetup! Each month we cover off AWS best-practices across all pillars and give away drones - lots of drones 🥳 **Please also note that AWS Security now requests a company name and company email where it is available. If you are a student, please list your institution and your student email address at that institution 👍** We'll be announcing more speakers on [https://well-architected.me](https://well-architected.me/) and previewing presentations during the coming weeks - our speakers and details this month include: * **Michael Taylor, Lakebase Specialist, Databricks** **How Lakebase provides a well-architected platform for next generation application and AI development.** Come and hear how Databricks experts show how customers run applications and agents on Lakebase; serverless Postgres governed by Unity Catalog. See instant branching, scale-to-zero, point-in-time recovery and synced tables in action. The Databricks team will also give a first look at LTAP; one open, governed copy of data for transactions and analytics, with no ETL in between. * **Mystery Speaker** **The AWS AI Competency - can automation support?** Achieving the AWS AI Competency can unlock many benefits for AI customers. In this talk, we explore if achievement of a competency can be automated. This month's menu will include: * Pizzas * Beer * Wine: Big and red 🤤 So come join us at 5:30 for a 6pm start, followed by beer, wine, pizza and friendly networking after our talks :-) Tired of Linkedin’s "thought leadership”, spam and advertising? Join https://well-architected.me/ , the AWS community built for architects, developers and cloud professionals. * Connect with experienced AWS practitioners * Preview upcoming AWS Meetups and relive past content * Create and review beautiful AWS case studies in minutes * Prepare for AWS certifications with curated quizzes * Show your manager and reports you’re well-architected (Please note that by registering to attend you agree to your details being shared as and where required with Amazon Web Services and AWS Well-Architected User Group partners)

🚀 NASA Space Apps Challenge Prep & Team Formation Day!

The **NASA Space Apps Challenge** is the largest global hackathon on Earth—and it’s right around the corner! Using open NASA data, teams from around the globe work together to solve real-world problems on Earth and in space. Since the main hackathon takes place on **November 14th–15th** (the weekend after this Meetup), we are getting together to get a head start, form teams, and start brainstorming! **💡 What We’ll Do** * **Explore Challenges:** Walk through the official list of NASA challenge prompts. * **Form Teams:** Find collaborators who share your interests and skill set. * **Prep & Research:** Start early brainstorming and research so you can hit the ground running on hackathon weekend. **👉 Preview the challenges and register here:** [Official NASA Space Apps Challenge List](https://www.spaceappschallenge.org/2026/challenges/) **💻 What to Bring & Prerequisites** * **Your Laptop (and charger!)** to research and test out ideas. * **No prior space/NASA experience needed**—all backgrounds, coders, designers, and enthusiasts are welcome! **🍕 Perks & Details** * **Pizza Provided:** We'll have pizza to keep us fueled while we brainstorm! * **Community Chat:** Join the discussion before and after the event on our [Discord Server](https://discord.gg/wPmp25Xnm5). **📸 Media Consent** By attending this event, you consent to being photographed and recorded on video for future marketing and promotional purposes. If you have any concerns or prefer not to be photographed, please inform one of the organizers upon arrival.

Sydney Claude Community: From Beginners to Builders

Welcome to the Sydney Claude Community! Whether you are completely new to artificial intelligence or a seasoned developer looking to architect enterprise solutions, this meetup is your space to learn, share, and grow. AI is moving fast, and navigating it alone can be overwhelming. We’ve broadened the scope of this group to support everyone in our local community who wants to understand and leverage AI—specifically Anthropic’s Claude—no matter where you are on your journey. **What to Expect:** Grab a coffee and join us for relaxed, open discussions broken down into three main areas of focus: •⁠ ⁠The AI Explorers (Beginners): For those who don't know much about AI yet but are eager to explore, ask questions, and get hands-on experience in a welcoming environment. •⁠ ⁠The Professionals (Intermediate): For those who understand the basics of AI but want practical advice on how to implement it to help their teams, automate workflows, or support their companies. •⁠ ⁠The Builders (Advanced): For developers and consultants willing to dive deep, study AI architecture, and prepare for the official Anthropic certification exams. **Why Join Us?** As AI evolves, getting the right guidance is crucial. One of our co-organizers is an official Anthropic Partner and a newly Certified Claude Code Architect Professional. We are here to support the community, provide mentorship, share real-world use cases, and help you navigate the certification pathways. Come along to network, share your ideas, and learn how to make AI work for you! **About the Organizers & Partners** •⁠ ⁠Code Sydney (https://code.sydney/) •⁠ ⁠Community Partner: Seiment (https://seiment.com/)

Unhurried Conversations - Sunday

Bring yourself, we will go over how Unhurried Conversations works.

Fairfax Walk 🚶‍♀️ (North Head)- Human Hearted Sydney 🌻

**Event Summary:** Our monthly social event is going to be a walk around North head on the trail known as Fairfax walk. The plan is to gather there at 11:00 and then do the walk. Interested in meeting new people ? Or refreshing existing friendships with members of our human hearted Sydney community? Or curious about what it means to be [Human Hearted](https://areomagazine.com/2022/05/05/a-human-hearted-modernity/)? Then why not come along and join us. This month we're planning a gentle scenic walk around North Head following the Fairfax trail for our our social event. The total distance shouldn't be more than about three kilometres and we'll be going at a gentle pace. The walk will include some great harbour and ocean views. Our goal is to enjoy the walk and the view, and socialise as we walk. **Connecting to our values:** This event is part of living out Human Hearted Sydney's values of positive social connection and building community in Sydney. So lets meet and connect with those we already know, and those we haven't met before. All are welcome to socialise, meet new people, and build friendships. For more information about human heartedness and its values please see our [website](https://humanhearted.org/) or [skool community](https://www.skool.com/human-hearted-world-6839/about) **Meeting Point:** We'll meet at 11am on Sunday 25th of October at bus stop 209583 ( stop name: Fairfax Walk, North Head Scenic Dr. ) on bus route 161. This bus route goes up to North Head and back from Manly Wharf. After the walk we'll head back into Many and look for a place for lunch. People are welcome to do the walk only, or also join us for lunch.

Lunch and Co-Working

Drummoyne Toastmasters Meeting @ Club 5 Dock

Join us to Develop 'YOU'. Improving your confidence, leadership skills, public speaking and communication skills are all benefits that could have a great impact on your personal life and career. Members of Toastmasters find unlimited opportunities for personal and professional growth and development. Joining Toastmasters could change your life. Great time, great venue, great Club. Supporting you in: * Giving prepared speeches * Talking “off the cuff” * Giving evaluations * Telling jokes and stories * Chairing meetings * Meeting management skills * Handling props * Using audio-visual equipment This is a place where you will: Continue to grow; Enhance your social skills; Be entertained; Laugh...... and HAVE FUN! Our meetings are held at **Club Five Dock RSL**. To **confirm your attendance** please RSVP or email your details to **president.drummoyne@toastmastersD70.org**

Why Aren't We Working Less? The Four-Day Work Week Debate

Why do we still work so much? In 1930, celebrated economist John Maynard Keynes predicted that rising productivity would reduce the working week to just fifteen hours by now, leaving society with a novel challenge: what to do with all that free time! He was remarkably close on the productivity prediction—yet the standard working week has barely changed. So where did the promised leisure go? Did consumerism convince us to trade leisure for luxury brands and better gadgets? Did work itself become too central to who we are — our identity, our worth, our status in the world — to simply give some of it up? Or did most of the gains from productivity growth flow upward, leaving the rest of us running just to stand still? We'll explore the history of the five-day week, the evidence coming from today's four-day week trials, and whether working less could create a happier, healthier society—or simply new problems. Join us as we unpack this fascinating debate about the future of work. **Primary Reading:** ***[Why Do We Still Work So Much? The Pros and Cons of a Four-Day Week](https://1drv.ms/b/c/adb4f7488b2eef0a/IQCMLOhSERNXQrLX7RbhwoOjASCYnbF-FMR0fSJ4mRubaFA?e=s1NMGH)*** (a document prepared for this meetup) **Report: *[Four-Day Work Week (2026)](https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_departments/Parliamentary_Library/Research/Issues_and_Insights/2026/FourDayWorkWeek)***[ ](https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_departments/Parliamentary_Library/Research/Issues_and_Insights/2026/FourDayWorkWeek) by Parliamentary Library of Australia **(Optional) Book: *The Case for a Four-Day Week* (2021) by Anna Coote, Aidan Harper and Alfie Stirling** There wasn't one ideal book (affordable and easily available in paperback) for this month's topic, so the primary reading is a document prepared specially for this meetup, It traces the history of the working week from its origins through to today's four-day trials and policy proposals, weighing the strongest arguments on both sides. It's designed to give everyone a shared, evidence-based foundation for the discussion. However, if you are fine with reading eBooks or can find it with your library, the main book I would suggest is *The Case for a Four Day Week* by Anna Coote, Aidan Harper and Alfie Stirling, which is a widely cited book-length treatment of the topic and is readily available as an eBook, though you will probably need to order it in if you'd prefer a paperback. And if you have no luck with that book, there are also two other similar books mentioned below which you may also want to try (O'Connor and Lindzon, 2026; Schor, 2025) We also recommend you look at a short, up-to-date report from the Parliamentary Library of Australia, which offers a concise local policy snapshot to complement the broader discussion in the main reading. As always, we strongly encourage you to do the reading before attending. This will enrich both your experience and our collective discussion. We’ve also included links below to further resources on the topic. So join us for a drink (and optional meal) at 6:30pm on Monday, 2 November, on the 2nd floor of the Keg & Brew Hotel in Surrey Hills (i.e. up two flights of stairs). The venue is conveniently located near Central Station and the Light Rail. We look forward to seeing you there! P.S. Please adjust your RSVP if you have indicated that you will come but are no longer able to do so. This is courteous to others if there is a waitlist. \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- These are just optional links to consider. Feel free to pass on other useful links in the discussion section. **Videos** * Two short explainer videos about why we still work so much: [The five-day workweek was made up. What if we changed it?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hn5-FIkFq0I) [Why do we still need to work?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KXZP-Deel4) * Two videos on the four-day work week: [TED The Case for a 4-Day Work Week by Juliet Schor](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyVfUaXyyqo) [ABC Could a 4-day working week be coming to Australia?](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-07-29/could-a-4-day-working-week-be-coming-to-australia/105588208) * SBS Insight - Rat Race - Episode 11 2026. As post-COVID attitudes towards work-life balance continue to change, some of us are questioning our role in the rat race and opting out. For others, the choice is hampered by housing and cost-of-living pressures. This Insight explores how Australians are balancing a desire to clock-off - and doing something like a 4-day week - with their need to pay the bills. **Written** * Primary Reading: ***[Why Do We Still Work So Much? The Pros and Cons of a Four-Day Week](https://1drv.ms/b/c/adb4f7488b2eef0a/IQCMLOhSERNXQrLX7RbhwoOjASCYnbF-FMR0fSJ4mRubaFA?e=s1NMGH)*** (a document prepared for this meetup) * An Easter egg for those who have read this far: [The Case for a Four Day Week](http://reparti.free.fr/coote2021.pdf) * A Britannica overview of issues relating to a four-day work week: [The Four-Day Work Week](https://www.britannica.com/procon/four-day-workweek-debate) * Studies and trends in Australia's experience with four day work week; [Emerging Four Day Work Week Trends in Australia](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/372461877_Emerging_Four_Day_Work_Week_Trends_in_Australia) [The four-day workweek in Australia: insights from early adopters](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41599-026-07536-x) * An annotated reading of John Maynard Keynes' 1930 lecture about what 2030 might look like: [Keynes (1930) Economic possibilities for our grandchildren ](https://www.elysian.press/p/economic-possibilities-for-our-grandchildren) * Other books which members may want to look at: *\- Do More in Four: Why It's Time for a Shorter Workweek* (2026) by Joe O'Connor and Jared Lindzon — written by the pioneer behind Ireland's national four-day week pilot, this is one of the most current, practically-minded account of how organisations are actually redesigning work around a shorter week, including in the age of AI. *\- Four Days a Week: The Life\-Changing Solution for Reducing Employee Stress\, Improving Well\-Being\, and Working Smarter* (2025) by Juliet Schor — drawing on the largest study yet conducted on reduced-hours trials (245 organisations, 8,700 workers), this is Schor's own full account of the evidence behind the case for a four-day week. *\- Bullshit Jobs: A Theory* (2018) by David Graeber — a provocative anthropological argument that a significant share of modern work is pointless by the admission of the people doing it, offering a very different angle on why we still work so much.

Community of Practice 🗣️ - Human Hearted Sydney 🌻

Join our monthly Community of Practice (COP) where we discuss the ideas of Human Heartedness: a secular approach to life that promotes empathy and social connection based on cultivating our human social potential. Each meeting we discuss these concepts and how they can help us in practical ways to live better, happier, and more fulfilling lives. The meeting is followed by an optional lunch together nearby. This is a great opportunity to meet like-minded people and find your local community! ⏰ **When:** Sunday November 8th at 11:00am 📍 **Where:** Darling Square Library, Level 1 - Ideas Space 2 (see directions) 🎟️ **Cost:** Free 🧑‍🦱 **Who should come:** anyone looking to meet new people and build connections with like-minded Sydneysiders. We’re queer-friendly and welcome people from all ages and backgrounds :) **About Human Heartedness:** The modern world’s focus on competition and materialism makes it easy to feel isolated and overwhelmed. The collapse of traditional sources of meaning like religion and local community intensify this so that we’re often left with a lack of meaning and purpose. We can try to fill the void with money and success—or to numb it with drugs and technology— but nothing seems to work. Human heartedness reminds us that the path to living well doesn’t come from money and power, but from building on the best in our own human hearts. Our human social potential. It points to a better way: to build in-person communities that build on our innate social potential and inherent value as humans. By building good relationships and social connections, we can live a more fruitful and fulfilling life (and help others to do the same). We can move from struggling alone to flourishing together. Following the human hearted way offers a secular, inclusive, forward looking solution to the meaning crisis of our times. [Learn more about Human Heartedness and our other events here!](https://linktr.ee/humanheartedsydney) **About the Community of Practice (COP):** Our human hearted community of practice (COP) offers a friendly welcoming environment in which we support and encourage each other to live more human hearted lives. Our goal is to build a community that supports us all to live more meaningful and fulfilling lives. We welcome you to join us in exploring together how to live better lives. *Human Hearted Sydney is sponsored by Humanists Australia which kindly funds our activities and keeps events like this free. Consider donating to Humanists Australia to show your support for community-building in Sydney and beyond. All our events are governed by [Humanist Australia's Code of Conduct](https://bit.ly/ha-conduct-pdf).*

Passion to Purpose: Learn to Host Small Events and Test Your Business Idea

**A 4 Week Program for Women Ready to Share Their Ideas with Confidence!** Have you ever thought: * I'd love to run my own workshop. * I'd like to see if people are interested in my idea. * I enjoy helping others, but don't know where to begin. * I'd love to build a community around something I'm passionate about. If that sounds like you, we created this four-week program for you. Instead of spending months planning, you'll learn how to test your idea by hosting a small, welcoming experience where you can learn from real conversations and genuine feedback. Whether your interest is wellness, creativity, business, personal interests, food, gardening, fitness, education or another topic you enjoy, hosting can be a practical way to explore your idea while building confidence and connecting with others. **What You'll Learn** * Week 1 — Discover Your Passion and Purpose Explore what genuinely interests you, who you enjoy helping and how your interests could become a simple community experience. * Week 2 — Design Your First Hosted Experience Learn how to turn your idea into a simple event that people would enjoy attending. * Week 3 — Build Confidence as a Host Hosting is a skill that improves with practice. We'll share practical ideas that have worked well through Morgaia's own community experiences. * Week 4 — Test, Reflect and Grow Bring everything together by planning your own small hosted experience. **Who This Program Is For** This program is ideal for women who: * have an idea they'd like to explore * enjoy bringing people together * want to build confidence speaking with groups * would like to develop leadership and communication skills * are considering creating future workshops, events or community experiences * want to learn in a friendly and supportive environment No previous hosting experience is required. **What You'll Receive** * Four interactive group sessions * Practical worksheets and planning templates * Opportunities to learn alongside other women * A supportive community where questions are encouraged * Practical ideas you can apply at your own pace **What to bring** * A notebook/journal + pen * An open mind **Contribution**: $5 **Meeting point** The Sorrel Cafe & Kitchen https://share.google/UdizTCl7qcKVNrbUG **Check out our Sister Meetups** Glow Up and Go Sydney - Yoga and Mind-Body Movement [https://www.meetup.com/glowupandgosydney](https://www.meetup.com/glowupandgosydney) Sydney Eats Walk Social Life [https://www.meetup.com/sydneyeatswalksociallife](https://www.meetup.com/sydneyeatswalksociallife) This event is brought to you by **Morgaia**, a welcoming community for women 40+ who want to build healthy habits, enjoy gentle movement and connect with like-minded women. Learn more at [www.morgaia.com](http://www.morgaia.com/). **About Morgaia** Morgaia encourages women to keep growing, learning and building confidence through community experiences. This program shares practical ideas, personal experiences and lessons learned from hosting community events over time. Every participant is encouraged to adapt what they learn to suit their own goals, interests and circumstances. Whether you choose to host one event or continue developing your ideas beyond the program, you'll leave with more confidence, practical knowledge and a clearer understanding of your next steps. Come along, meet like-minded women, and discover how hosting can be a practical way to explore your ideas, grow your confidence, and create meaningful community connections. **Important Information** This event is an educational community program that shares practical experiences, ideas and general information. It is not business, legal, financial, medical or psychological advice. Individual experiences and outcomes will differ, and participants are encouraged to seek professional advice where appropriate for their personal circumstances.