🌉 Bridges Stories: What Bridges Means to Me
Over the years, Bridges Centre has been many things to many people.
For some, it has been a place to meet friends over a cup of tea.
For others, a lifeline during difficult times.
For many, it has simply been somewhere they felt welcome, included and supported.
Following the flooding in November 2025, our building closed and much of our work moved into temporary spaces across the community. While the walls of Bridges may be quiet for now, the heart of the centre — the people — remains very much alive.
As we navigate this period of rebuilding and recovery, we want to find meaningful ways to stay connected with our community during what we’re calling our in-between year.
That’s why we’re launching Bridges Stories: What Bridges Means to Me.
💛 What is Bridges Stories?
Bridges Stories is a community storytelling project inviting people to share their memories, reflections and experiences of Bridges.
Your story might be:
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a moment that made you smile
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a friendship that began at Bridges
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a group that helped you through a tough time
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a photo from an event or activity
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or simply a sentence about what the centre has meant to you
There’s no right or wrong way to take part — short or long, past or present, words, photos or videos are all welcome.
🌱 Why are we doing this?
While the building is closed, we want to make sure the spirit of Bridges remains visible, celebrated and shared.
This project aims to:
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Keep our community connected during the rebuilding period
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Celebrate the people who make Bridges what it is
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Capture memories and stories that might otherwise be lost
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Show the real impact of community wellbeing services
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Create a living archive that will form part of our reopening celebrations
These stories will help us reflect on where we’ve come from — and remind us why reopening Bridges matters so deeply.
📸 How your stories will be used
With your permission, stories and images may be shared:
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on our website and social media
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in newsletters and fundraising materials
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as part of a community display when we reopen
You will always be able to choose how your story is shared — whether publicly, anonymously, or for internal use only.
🌉 Looking ahead
Rebuilding a building takes time.
Rebuilding together takes heart.
Every story shared helps paint a picture of a community that is resilient, caring and connected — and reminds us that Bridges is more than bricks and mortar.
It’s people.
Thank you for being part of our story — past, present and future.
