2007 List of Laughter Clubs in NSW
Updated for 2012
According to now defunct
Laughter Clubs NSW Inc
As background information, the list of NSW laughter clubs reproduced below is taken from Laughter Clubs NSW Inc. (LCNSW). With the passing years its getting more and more out of date, but is worthwhile to reproduce here.
LCNSW was an organisation that was established as a self regulating, nonprofit organisation in May 2000 by Shirley Hicks (www.shirleyhicks.com.au), a Sydney based Naturopath. The organisation’s goal was to bring laughter to the broadest section of the community. Shirley believed that laughing in the park should be a free community service and not a way to raise money, so the policy was there be no charge to attend, in line with the philosophy of the founding father of laughter clubs, Dr Madan Kataria. Laughter Clubs NSW was therefore supported by the effort of volunteers.
Shirley also provided quarterly one day workshops on laughter leading, on completion of which attendees were automatically covered under the association's public liability insurance should they choose to run a free community laughter club. I believe the cost of the insurance was met by someone's generous donation.
At the start of 2007 laughter leader training was suspended because, in Shirley’s words, “the resources of our Association are very limited” and that laughter leader training was now being provided locally by Dr Kataria on his occasional visits to Australia, and also by Steve Wilson’s organization in the USA.
Around August 2007 the Laughter Clubs NSW website closed and Shirley advised (in a private email to a third party) that the organization was folding although individual clubs would continue to run but independent of any official organisation. Ownership of the Laughter Clubs NSW website (www.laughterclubsnsw.com) has transferred to a Japanese organization which has nothing to do with laughter, most probably because that site had backlinks and page rank. At the end of 2008 Shirley moved to Queensland. Good luck, Shirley, and thanks for your all your work in the past.
As at the time of the closing of the LCNSW website, Shirley listed the following laughter clubs for NSW. If you plan on visiting a club for the first time, best to call ahead to confirm its still on. The demise of LCNSW means that, at the moment, there is no umbrella organisation for laughter clubs in NSW. I created this website for fun, but am happy to hold together what I can as regards laughter yoga and laughter club opportunities in Sydney and NSW.
Please email me to update this list.
Cheers, Usuff Omar.
Locations
Venue
Time & Day
Contact Name
Contact Number
Balgowlah School for Seniors (doesn't meet during school holidays) Jim informed me on Jan 28 2012 that this club will probably fold because of lost of regular members
Uniting Church Hall
Tuesday 11.00am
Jim Murphy
02 9949-5773
Bondi Beach
The Chapel by Sea,
95 Roscoe Street, Bondi Beach, NSW
11.00am Saturday
Julia Gusman
0450 743 795
Ashfield - Call ahead, not sure still on.
Ashfield Park near the BBQ area where Ormond Street and Gower Street intersect
Saturday 9.15am
Uttam Mukherjee
Sydney CBD - Call ahead, not sure still on.
Suite 203 127 York Street - opposite QVB’s middle entrance on York St side.
Friday 12.30- 1.30pm
Michael Shineberg
0403777360 or email David Low at dave.m.low@gmail.com
Central Coast- Terrigal Confirmed going strong April 2010, thanks, Hans.
Terrigal at reserve on corner of Willoughby Road and Terrigal Drive, picnic table closest to lagoon on Willoughby Road
Saturday 8.30am
Hans Schwedler
0408969-639
Cronulla
Still going strong! Feb 2012
Shelley Beach
Saturday 8.15am
Michael Mitchell
02 9520 6104
Lindfield
Active Feb 2012
Energy & More Yoga Studio Lindfield Arcade (near train station and above Franklins) 27-31 Lindfield Ave Lindfield Wed 6.30pm
Bernadette McGree
aka Laughing Be0411 087 363
Galston Going strong! 2013. Thanks, Cherie.
Fagan Park
Sunday 9.00am
Cherie Richey-Lowe
0422 547 678
Hobart Laughter Club Going strong in September 2009 - Thanks Annette!
St. David’s Park, near Rotunda (under large pine tree if raining.)
Saturdays at 10am
Annette
0410944328
Hornsby
Still going.
Hornsby Park
Saturday 8.30am
Maria Keeler
02 9482-2488
Hunters Hill
going strong 2013!!
Valentia Street Reserve Woolwich
Saturday 9.00am
Chris Kaye
0408082474
Liverpool Womens Health Centre (Women only) ??
26 Bathurst Street Liverpool
Thursday 10.00am
Peta or Lorena
02 9601-3555
Mulgoa ??
Mulgoa Park
Monday 9.30am
Elizabeth French
02 4773-8574
Murwillumbah
Active - Oct 2011
Showground in Murwillumbah
Wednesday 10.00am
Cathy Hulme
02 6672-6817
Newcastle - Throsby Laughter Club
Confirmed July 2011
Islington Park, Islington. (Meets between the children's play area and the footbridge to Tighe's Hill.)
Saturdays, 10.30am
Virginia or Anna
Virginia 0417 293388 or Anna 0403 043647
Newtown - Going strong, into 11th year now.
Camperdown Memorial Park
Saturday 10.00am
Leadership rotates from week to week.
Leadership rotates from week to week. Co-ordinator is Adrian Hill.
North Sydney
I lead this one :-)
North Sydney Community Centre, 220 Miller St, next to and behind Stanton Library, North Sydney
Sunday 5.00pm
Usuff Omar
0400804354
Source : Laughter Clubs NSW Inc
Another source of laughter clubs in Sydney is the Laughter Yoga International website. (Again, check before going as parts of the list may be outdated.)