Work, health, finance and special interest goals topped the ‘will do’ lists of participants in the ‘Franklin, You’re Dreaming’ event held recently in Waiuku.

St Andrew’s Community Trust (SACT) hosted the event at St Andrews Centre on 25 January. Local motivational speaker Tom O’Neil provided tips on setting and achieving goals. The audience then shared their aspirations and sought assistance from fellow attendees to help them achieve their dreams.

Pauline Livesey, Chair of SACT, says offers of support included people sharing their relevant knowledge, being a sounding-board for business ideas, recommending useful contacts, or actively participating in a project.

“Even if people couldn’t help directly, they could at least offer encouragement. Sometimes just having someone tell you that your idea is a good one, or that they wish you well, is the boost people need to keep persevering with their dream.”

Forty people attended on the night. Linda Grigg, who helped SACT organise the event, says although numbers were down on what was hoped, the smaller group size made it easier for conversations to take place.

“Everyone was energised and engaged. Even after the official close of the event, people continued talking in small groups. There has already been a request to have a follow-up gathering in six months’ time. And someone who missed the event asked if it could be repeated in a North Waikato location too.”

While no definite plans are in place for a subsequent event, SACT is not ruling out the possibility in the future.

“We think it might have been the first ‘crowd-dreaming’ event of its kind in New Zealand, which made promoting it a challenge as it was an unfamiliar concept,” says Grigg.

“However, we saw the potential in something like this. A thriving community needs people who are connected and genuinely interested in helping one another. A good mix of ages and gender attended on the night. It proves that no matter our life stage and situation, most of us have some kind of dream. Also, that we each can help in some way to enable others to reach their potential too.”

Caption: Albie McCabe and Ann Smillie were among 40 participants in the ‘Franklin, You’re Dreaming’ event held in Waiuku on 25 January.