At a local pub in Sydney’s inner west, a long table is stacked with colourful scrapbooking supplies and is abuzz with creative ideas from keen crafters.
Natasha Mcnauff is behind a fortnightly scrapbooking club in Newtown, aimed at creating a community space through a shared love for craft.
“[The club] attracts those people who are creative but might not have done anything since being a child,” Ms Mcnauff said.
“Those people who want to express themselves, who are busy working all day and want a break from that.”
Natasha Mcnauff is behind the fortnightly event Scrap and Yap Craft Club. (ABC News: Nandini Dhir)
The Scrap and Yap Craft Club has so far attracted university students, office workers, new migrants and academics.
“People want to connect with people. People want community… more than ever,”
Ms Mcnauff said.
Making meaningful connections
Sula Creassidis moved from Spain and found a community in Sydney through the craft club.
“In Spain, we didn’t used to have these kinds of clubs, so it was really nice to find it,” she said.
“I feel like it’s a safe place for girls and that’s really important to me.“
Sula Creassidis made new friendships through the scrapbooking club. (ABC News: Nandini Dhir)
Ms Creassidis attended the club regularly where she met Catherine Tran.
“It’s got me back into crafting again, because I’ve always done it just by myself, but I feel like it’s a dedicated space,” Ms Tran said.
“I met Sula [here] and I had so much fun, and … I think everyone’s craving community.”
Students, office workers, new migrants and academics gather to craft and socialise. (ABC News: Nandini Dhir)
Gina Lee and her three friends run a film club from a number of venues across the city.
They came up with the idea because they wanted to share lesser-known films with a range of audiences.
“It just means we can come together regularly … watch a film and discover new things, different perspectives, cultures and connect with other people,”
Ms Lee said.
(Left to right) Gina Lee, Sabrina Loh, Emily Gunawan and Chloe Ngongo-Keller run the Subtitles Film Club together. (Supplied)
The Subtitles Film Club focuses on screenings with captions, which Ms Lee said made it more accessible for people who speak different languages and those with accessibility needs.
“Most of [the club organisers] speak a second language at home which naturally means we’re watching a lot of foreign films,” she said.
Ms Lee said finding community was not easy for her friends who had migrated to Australia.
“We just wanted to make a safe space where you can simply watch a film together and connect with people,” she said.
The film club aims to be inclusive of everyone in their film screenings. (Supplied)
Ms Lee said she was excited to continue building the club and its community.
“It’s just so special when you’re in a packed room watching the same film and then having a chance to talk about it with people who are just as excited as you are afterwards,” she said.
Loneliness common among young adults
The NSW Mental Health Commission found that, in a 2025 survey of about 2,000 people, 10 per cent more women aged 18 to 29 experienced loneliness compared to the state’s average.
Michelle Lim, scientific chair at Ending Loneliness Together, said young people were “predisposed to feeling lonely”.
Michelle Lim says loneliness is a global issue. (Supplied)
“What’s worrying is, about one in seven young people … experience persistent loneliness, so loneliness that lasts at least two years,” she said.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr Lim said loneliness had been recognised globally as a social issue.
“For the most part, community helps, and young people really, really desire quantity of relationships … and this is where community can really step up,”
she said.
“Shared interest groups are an amazing non-stigmatised way to get connection.”
Keeping community affordable
Dr Lim said there was not enough investment in community solutions for young people.
“I think that young people often say that ‘I don’t have a safe space where I can just be’.”
She said the emergence of hobby-based clubs showed how “resourceful” Generation Z was.
Hobby-based clubs are helping combat loneliness among young adults. (ABC News: Nandini Dhir)
Ms Lee said the club purchased 20 movie tickets for an upcoming film screening and sold them at the same price to club attendees so they could be seated together.
“It diminishes the fear of going to something alone because at least you have a built-in group that you’re going with,” Ms Lee said.
For Ms Mcnauff’s craft club, she started a donation jar to help fund materials.
“It’s not about making money, it’s about bringing people together and having a safe space for people,” she said.
