Hello and welcome to a Good News Roundup from the Good News Movement!
Here are some inspiring stories from news websites around the world that prove there’s always a place for good news in the world.
First of all, from Jo Printz at ABC Central West Victoria, the story of a community-owned salon which services the remote rural Victorian town of Wedderburn.
It’s the brainchild of Robyn Vella, who had the idea while undergoing a breast cancer diagnosis and chemo, and wanted to find a way that locals could get basic services like nail and hair treatments or massages.
Even through COVID and an economic downturn, the salon has survived, thrived and has just celebrated its fifth anniversary.
It’s now even investing money back into the community!
Read more: Wedderburn’s community-owned hair salon Rejoov going strong after five years – ABC News
From the US, a story by Drew Weishotx of the Today Show – one of the best baseball players of modern times in Bryce Harper donated his time to help a young man ask a girl to prom (a far bigger deal in the US than it is here).
The clip of Harper and the young New Jersey school student surprising his potential prom partner at her front door has gone viral – and fair enough, it’s a pretty big flex to have an MLB superstar help you out!
Read more: Philadelphia Phillies Star Bryce Harper Helps High School Student With Promposal (today.com)
Anyone who knows a foster child or foster parent can tell you that the even the process for getting approved is an arduous one, even before you’ve started on actually living together.
Which is why when it comes together and it works, it’s very special indeed. In the case of Michael, a 15-year old from England, it was life-changing. And not only for him – for his foster parent Clive and his husband, it was an opportunity to be a parent that they never thought they’d have.
Debbie Tubby and Laura Devlin report for the BBC: Foster child’s ‘bright future’ and the need for more carers (bbc.com)
Also from the BBC, Chris Martin might not be one of the ‘coolest’ musicians in the world but he may be making a run for one of the kindest.
As Danny Fullerton reports, the Coldplay frontman offered a lift to a women living with osteoarthritis after she stopped to rest against a fence.
The musician asked his car to stop, picked her up and arranged for the rest of her travel so she could see the concert. What a guy!
Read more: Coldplay singer Chris Martin helps drive woman to Big Weekend (bbc.com)
One of the world’s greatest sporting events – Britain’s cheese-rolling extravaganza, the pinnacle of human athleticism – has been won by one of our very own.
Dylan Twiss of Perth won the second race and the delicious prize – a three-kilogram wheel of Double Glocester cheese, at what has become a highlight of the sporting calendar and the ‘wacky news’ calendar.
From the New Daily: Aussie man wins whacky cheese-rolling race (thenewdaily.com.au)
Our very own Profile Media clients at EES Shipping told their own good news story this week, with the success of their transition to a four-day work week featuring in the Sunday Times and on the West Australian’s website.
Even the Sunday Times editorial weighed in, saying “Move over nine-day fortnight, the four-day week is the new gold standard in rostering used by employers wanting to lure in and retain staff.”
The EES crew told their story to Sean Smith: EES Shipping customs broker tells all on new four-day working week | The West Australian
For many, TikTok is seen as a place for younger generations only, but there are plenty of folk more advanced in years making a splash on the platform as well!
Two of those are Ginger and Carman, who recently featured on SBS Insights program after going viral on the social media app du jour following a spur-of-the-moment decision on a trip to Paris.
They call themselves crazy aunts and being an influencer is their full-time job!
They spoke to Julia Abbondoza at SBS: Ginger and Carman are TikTok sensations. Both over 60, they say they refuse to be invisible | SBS Insight
And finally, scientific progress is responsible for so many great stories in the world, but we particularly loved this one from a remote Chilean island, which had been overtaken by rats that threatened to make the island’s black and white Peruvian diving petrels extinct.
But non-profit Island Conservation found a novel solution, not only making the island safe for the birds to return but using recordings of their bird call to encourage them back to their natural home.
Michael Dahlstrom reports for yahoo! News: Locally extinct bird lured back to remote island with audio recording (yahoo.com)
