{"id":38615,"date":"2026-07-31T13:54:59","date_gmt":"2026-07-31T03:24:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vennu.com.au\/blog\/?p=38615"},"modified":"2026-08-03T09:19:33","modified_gmt":"2026-08-02T22:49:33","slug":"space-for-your-hobby","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vennu.com.au\/news\/space-for-your-hobby\/","title":{"rendered":"Your Hobby Needs a Home: Why Shared Space Is the Missing Ingredient"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row header_feature=”yes” padding_top=”90″ padding_bottom=”50″ margin_bottom=”0″][vc_column width=”1\/6″][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”2\/3″][vc_column_text css=””]We all know hobbies bring joy, connection and a sense of purpose. What’s less talked about is how essential they are to our mental health and wellbeing and how often the biggest barrier to enjoying them isn’t time, it’s space.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

The hobbies we love, and where they live<\/b><\/h5>\n

Cooking, baking, reading and gardening consistently rank among Australia’s most popular pastimes, according to <\/span>Statista<\/span><\/a>. These aren’t just ways to fill an idle hour. They offer real doses of joy, purpose and connection, and the good news is most of us can do them at home, on our own schedule.<\/span><\/p>\n

Plenty of our other favourite hobbies don’t work that way. Video gaming is more fun when you can share the thrill of a match with others in the same room, or gather for a fantasy football draft. DIY projects and arts and crafts often need extra hands and a proper workbench. Sports and fitness, meditation and wellness classes, photography and making music all benefit from space.<\/span><\/p>\n

That’s the real challenge: it’s not enough to carve out the time. You also need a suitable, local and affordable space where you and your friends, teammates or fellow hobbyists can actually show up and do the thing.<\/span><\/p>\n

The joy of purpose \u2013 or of no purpose at all<\/b><\/h5>\n

Yazdan Mansourian, a researcher and senior lecturer at Charles Sturt University, has spent years studying why we pursue hobbies. Speaking with <\/span>ABC RN’s Life Matters<\/span><\/a>, he describes the simplest form of hobby as one pursued purely for pleasure: reading a book, sharing dinner with friends, or going for a walk. There doesn’t need to be a bigger goal attached; the enjoyment is the point.<\/span><\/p>\n

“I don’t have time for a hobby”<\/b><\/h5>\n

While it’s the excuse for many, Rob Donovan, founder of Mentally Healthy WA’s <\/span>Act-Belong-Commit<\/span><\/a> campaign and an adjunct professor at the University of Western Australia’s School of Human Sciences, argues that hobbies keep us active mentally, spiritually and socially. Group activities in particular give us a sense of belonging, identity and connection that solo pursuits can’t fully replicate. He also points to hobbies as a way of building meaning, purpose and resilience, qualities that are hard to manufacture any other way.<\/span><\/p>\n

In other words, a hobby isn’t a nice-to-have squeezed around the edges of a busy life. It’s part of what keeps that life liveable.<\/span><\/p>\n

Loneliness is driving a hobby renaissance<\/b><\/h5>\n

This idea is playing out at scale right now. As traditional “third spaces” cafes, pubs, and community halls become less central to daily life, hobby communities are stepping in as what researchers are calling a “fourth space”: a recurring, low-pressure place to belong, built around a shared activity rather than a shared location. Climbing gyms, pottery studios, board game nights, run clubs and community gardens are all examples of this shift, and event data backs it up: attendees at interest-based gatherings are far more likely to form genuine friendships through them.<\/span><\/p>\n

It’s also showing up in an unexpected trend: Gen Z and Millennials embracing so-called “grandma hobbies.” Needlepoint, pottery, gardening, birdwatching and even blacksmithing have surged in popularity with younger Australians and their peers overseas, as reported by the <\/span>Associated Press<\/span><\/a>. The appeal isn’t nostalgia; it’s a deliberate, screen-free way to slow down, create something tangible and connect with other people in person. Many who’ve taken up these hobbies say it isn’t a fad rather a genuine shift toward a more analog, hands-on way of living.<\/span><\/p>\n

The pattern is clear: people are actively seeking out shared spaces to pursue hobbies together, because the connection they build there matters just as much as the hobby itself.<\/span><\/p>\n

Finding the space to make it happen<\/b><\/h5>\n

Once you decide your hobby deserves real time and real space, the next step is finding somewhere to put it. A community hall for your pottery class. A sports court for weekend games. A function room for your board game night or fantasy football draft. A studio for your photography group.<\/span><\/p>\n

We are here for you. This is exactly the gap Vennu was built to close. Vennu connects people with a huge range of unique, local and affordable community spaces across Australia halls, studios, courts, gardens and more \u2014 so your hobby group has somewhere to actually meet, rather than staying an idea you never quite get around to.<\/span><\/p>\n

Your hobby has already given you the “why.” Vennu can help you find the “where.” Browse spaces near you and turn your next hobby session from an afterthought into a standing date.<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/6″][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row section_type=”fullwidth”][vc_column]

<\/div>\"Huskisson <\/div>
Huskisson Scout and Guide Hall<\/h6>The Huskisson Scout and Guide Hall, Husky Hall, is ideally located moments from the village of Huskisson on the shores of Jervis Bay on the south coast of NSW.\n\n<\/span> <\/div> <\/figcaption> <\/figure><\/div> <\/a><\/div>
<\/div>\"1st <\/div>
1st Austinmer Scout Group Hall<\/h6>The 1st Austinmer Scout Group Hall is the perfect venue to hire for all your parties, photoshoots, community events, and gatherings.\n\nSet on a quiet suburban street, the Austinmer Scout Hall offers an open and large hall space fitted with wooden flooring.<\/span> <\/div> <\/figcaption> <\/figure><\/div> <\/a><\/div>
<\/div>\"Bulli <\/div>
Bulli Scout and Joeys Hall<\/h6>The Bulli Scout and Joeys Hall has a high pitched white raked ceilings which feels light and bright all year round.\n\nDark wooden floorboards compliment the clean and light walls \/ ceilings.\n\nThis hall is perfect for yoga, Pilates, Kids parties, craft and book fairs, art exhibitions, ballet and dance classes and more.<\/span> <\/div> <\/figcaption> <\/figure><\/div> <\/a><\/div>
<\/div>\"Sea <\/div>
Sea Scout Main Hall<\/h6>The Sea Scout Main Hall in Ulladulla is a large and open-plan hall with high-pitched ceilings, lots of natural light, stainless steel beams, and newly sanded and sealed beautiful timber floorboards.\n\nNew glass and screens have just been installed in all hall windows making the space feel open and inviting in the fresh sea breeze.\n\nA burnt orange colour theme for the walls ensures this hall feels toasty and welcoming. Interior and exterior lighting has also been upgraded.<\/span> <\/div> <\/figcaption> <\/figure><\/div> <\/a><\/div>
<\/div>\"Balgownie <\/div>
Balgownie Scout Hall<\/h6>The Balgownie Scout Hall is a beautifully maintained spacious hall full of character with wood panelling detail, timber flooring and soaring high ceilings that provide a feeling of space and light.<\/span> <\/div> <\/figcaption> <\/figure><\/div> <\/a><\/div>
<\/div>\"Oak <\/div>
Oak Flats Scout Group Hall<\/h6>The Oaks Flats Scout Group Hall is a large and fun open-plan space.\n\nThe walls are white with grey trimming and the impressive ceiling space features canoes within the rafters. It\u2019s an adventurer’s haven.\n\nThe space holds around 80 guests and has a domestic kitchen, unisex bathrooms, and a large open hall space to enjoy.<\/span> <\/div> <\/figcaption> <\/figure><\/div> <\/a><\/div>
<\/div>\"Albion <\/div>
Albion Park Scout Hall<\/h6>Albion Park Scout Hall is a vibrant and colourful hall, with unique art on every door and wall, that is sure to inspire you!<\/span> <\/div> <\/figcaption> <\/figure><\/div> <\/a><\/div>
<\/div>\"2nd <\/div>
2nd Abbotsford Scout Hall<\/h6>The 2nd Abbotsford Scout Hall offers an absolute waterfront venue hire at Scout Hall Prices.\n\nOur Scout hall is available for hire on a one off, occasional or regular basis.\n\nIt is ideally located only metres from Abbotsford ferry and bus terminus, with ample street parking. This is an easily accessible venue for any event and is now air conditioned for those hot days.<\/span> <\/div> <\/figcaption> <\/figure><\/div> <\/a><\/div>
<\/div>\"1st <\/div>
1st Putney Scouts<\/h6>The 1st Putney Scouts Alison Small hall is large and well maintained, beautifully located in a park close to the Parramatta River.\n\nSituated in Cleves Park, in the City of Ryde with a cricket pitch and kids play area, there is plenty of street parking and bus and ferry services nearby.\n\nThis hall is ideal for loads of family fun!<\/span> <\/div> <\/figcaption> <\/figure><\/div> <\/a><\/div> <\/div><\/div>
Discover more spaces for your hobby<\/span><\/a><\/div>[\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[vc_row header_feature=”yes” padding_top=”90″ padding_bottom=”50″ margin_bottom=”0″][vc_column width=”1\/6″][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”2\/3″][vc_column_text css=””]We all know hobbies bring joy, connection and a sense of purpose. What’s less talked about is how essential they are to our mental health and wellbeing and how often the biggest barrier to enjoying them isn’t time, it’s space. The hobbies we love, and where they live […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":122480,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[212],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-38615","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-guests"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vennu.com.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38615","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vennu.com.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vennu.com.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vennu.com.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vennu.com.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=38615"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/vennu.com.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38615\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vennu.com.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/122480"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vennu.com.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=38615"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vennu.com.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=38615"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vennu.com.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=38615"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}