Even before Covid-19, loneliness posed a major challenge in Aotearoa New Zealand. Loneliness intersects with other wellbeing factors and can have major negative impacts on our physical and mental health. Covid-19 has exacerbated the risks of loneliness, but also presents an opportunity to adopt policies that create the conditions for social connection to thrive.

Join BERL, WSP, and The Helen Clark Foundation for an online panel discussion as we explore how good public policy can create the conditions for social connection, focusing on income, digital inclusion, community-building, and the built environment.

The panel features:

– Max Rashbrooke, J.D Stout Fellow, Victoria University of Wellington
– Anna Pendergrast, Co-founder, Antistatic
– Carinnya Feaunati, Architect, WSP

Facilitated by Amanda Reid, Senior Researcher, BERL, with an introduction from Holly Walker, Deputy Director and WSP Fellow, The Helen Clark Foundation.

More about our panellists:

– Amanda Reid, Senior Researcher, BERL
Amanda is interested in wellbeing enablers, and the connection between the subjective wellbeing of individuals and the social wellbeing of public and private institutions and communities. Her key areas of mahi are the Māori economy and workforce issues.

– Anna Pendergrast, Co-founder, Antistatic
Anna is an analyst and writer, and co-founder of Antistatic, a communications and research group.

– Carinnya Feaunati, Architect, WSP
Carinnya Feaunati is an experienced Architectural Graduate at WSP with a strong appetite for social design.

– Holly Walker, Deputy Director and WSP Fellow, The Helen Clark Foundation
Holly has a background in social policy, politics, and communication, and was previously Principal Advisor at the Office of the Children’s Commissioner, and, before that, a Green MP from 2011-2014.

– Max Rashbrooke, J.D. Stout Fellow, Victoria University of Wellington
Max is a Wellington-based writer with twin interests in economic inequality and democratic renewal.