Getting together to make the most of getting older.

Growing older can be a great time to re-evaluate your priorities, to explore and learn new things and to continue to grow and develop.  

Flourishing Groups are free groups of friends (or soon to become friends).

Flourishing groups bring people together regularly for guided conversations about topics that are relevant to growing older. Topics such as:

  • Cultivating a positive ageing Mindset

  • Building your Resilience

  • Making Friends as an Adult

  • Living your Meaningful Life

  • Creating Healthy Habits

  • Living with Vitality

We’re all about Flourishing, not Languishing.

Flourishing is a state of well-being. To flourish is to find fulfillment in our lives, accomplishing meaningful and worthwhile tasks, and connecting with others at a deeper level. Languishing is to feel empty or hollow, drifting through our days without a real sense of purpose. Only surviving.

Our flourishing conversations are based on the six domains of positive psychology as developed by Martin Seligman from the University of Pennsylvania , and other researchers. I focuses on understanding and cultivating positive emotions, strengths and well-being. It’s about building a life of meaning and purpose, moving beyond surviving to flourishing.

We represent the six domains in our Flourishing Protocol.


Click here for a lot more on Positive Psychology

Our research tells us we’re making a difference.

We have a participant-voluntary, ethics-approved research project at Victoria University measuring the impact of Flourishing Groups for those people participating in these groups. The research team at Victoria is:

  • Professor Paul Jose - one of our Trustees

  • Senior Lecturer Agnes Szabo - on of our Trustees

  • Research Assistant Katie Knowles

There are a growing number of Flourishing Group members (currently 90+) participating in this confidential research.

To date the research is showing significant improvements in Life Satisfaction, Meaning and Hope

Click here for our research presentation to the August 2024 New Zealand Association of Gerontology

And here’s what some of our group members have said ….

“I felt like we were all soaking up the information, and it was making all of us think a little bit differently.” (Woman, 60-64, Ashburton)

“so it's really quite good I find for challenging my expectations and judgments.” (Man, 65-70, Wellington)

“And I enjoy the validation, and I enjoy the sort of way people are relating to me, what they seem to share, how they respond to me, which is giving helping, giving me an insight into myself.” (Man, 65-70, Wellington)

“Well, there’s a lot of people that are moving around retirement age whether it's to go closer to their children or whatever. And they're often feeling quite isolated. And this is just exactly the sort of group that they need.” (Woman, 70-74, Ashburton)

“I particularly enjoyed when we knew there was the trust of the group in the people there were actually revealing, and how you could relate to it, even though you'd never talk about it and you’re sitting there thinking, well, I actually thought about that, I felt that, but I've never talked about it.” (Man, 70-74, Wellington)

“Thanks so much to the team who put all this together! Its a privilege to be engaged in this work, to be learning new things that contribute to my wellbeing and to be engaged with a wonderful group of people” (Man, Auckland)

“I value the chance to exchange ideas about ageing and retirement, or impending retirement, and how there is so much to look forward to, rather than dread” (Woman, Auckland)

“The most enjoyable aspect of being part of the Flourishing Group is the group discussion and interacting with like minded people. The links to videos and Ted Talks are very interesting and enable us to structure our discussions around the topics” (Woman, Hamilton)

“The group feels purposeful and useful as it is a time to reflect on the later years of life with shared positivity” (Woman, Whanganui)

“Meeting new people has been the best thing about being part of the group for me. The format of sharing ideas on the set topic of the month is producing some interesting and diverse ideas from the group members and that is enriching for me.” (Woman, Cromwell)

“It’s great for me to be part of a group of older men, kiwi blokes, who all look forward to getting together for a bit of a laugh and also to share what’s really going on for each other. The topics really create the opportunity for much deeper conversations” (Man, Wellington)

“Feel stronger, more self compassionate and more aware of my strengths” (Woman, Queenstown)

“A great way to reassess and reflect on better ways to think about my 3rd age” (Woman, Ashburton)

“Like that we engage in constructive and stimulating discussions” (Woman, Christchurch)

Contact us here if you’re interested in being a part of our community