We are pleased to present the Annual Summer Hill Little BIG Impact survey for 2024 and extend a heartfelt thank you to all 385 individuals who took part. Your participation has made this our most successful response to date!
Download the ReportKindness and community
Kindness remains a hallmark of our local community. Nearly three-quarters (71%) of respondents reported experiencing acts of kindness. Notably, a significant proportion (80% hyper-local, 77% local) agreed that they live in a kind and caring community—a trend that is growing year on year.
We are incredibly grateful to see this result at a time when we have recorded an increase in loneliness and a decrease in social participation. We know that loneliness is a complex issue, especially in the moderate to high (3+ days a week) category, which saw the most significant jump. While we don’t know the contributing factors for individuals, we do know that continuing this kindness, showing a high level of empathy to others, and holding space for people looking to connect is a critical part of the solution.
Making connection at Little BIG events
Little BIG has seen a boost in the number of events and attendance over the last 12 months, suggesting we are reaching more people in our community each year. We are excited that the programs and events on offer align to community interests with 71% of suggestions made in this report are already on offer by our wonderful hosts and volunteers.
Importantly, we found that three-quarters of people make new connections when they come to the events held by hosts and volunteers at the Summer Hill Little BIG House.
Need and desire for Little BIG Houses
We are also grateful that you value the Little BIG House, that it’s one of the (many) things you love about living in this community. This year, we asked our community if the connections they had made through the Little BIG House had shaped their decision-making about where to live. And the answer was YES!
The closer respondents lived to the Little BIG House, the greater emphasis they were likely to place on the importance and value of these connections. Almost half (47%) of hyperlocal respondents agreed this was one of the reasons influencing their decision-making about where to live. Additionally, 31% of respondents ranked a Little BIG House (or similar programmed community hub) as their top priority when choosing their next home; while 69% included it in their top three priorities.
This demonstrates the huge benefit in having safe, accessible spaces for connection in all communities.
Download the ReportWe are a young organisation and each year, we learn more and more about the art of connection, reducing loneliness and this community. No two years have been the same and we are committed to learn and changing and growing each year.
Thank you to Social Ventures Australia (SVA) for providing this external lens and engaging in countless hours of passionate debate and integration of the data with myself, our team and Board.
Thank you to our volunteers who ran events all year, those who completed and distributed the survey and those who contributed to question design, focus groups and editing the report.
Lastly, but certainly not least, we extend our deepest gratitude to al those who attended a Little BIG House event in the last 12 months. No matter if you are working on your loneliness, enhancing your connections or showing up in support of the vision – it wouldn’t happen without you.
Kindest,
Sarah Mathews
CEO | Little BIG Foundation