Next Spark Award Winner

What a marvellous afternoon at Mounts Bay Sailing Club for the Next Spark Pitch event, our key event for World Prematurity Day 2025. We heard from three early career researchers who were shortlisted finalists. They pitched their project ideas to win over the audience.

Dr Gayatri Jape pitched her project Bridging the Gap: A pilot school readiness clinic for preterm born children, followed by Dr Lindsay Kindinger who pitched Vaginal Progesterone for preterm birth prevention: prescription versus reality, and the final pitch of the day was from Dr Rebecca Watkinson with her project Identifying preterm babies at risk of re-hospitalisation with respiratory infections.

Following the fast paced pitches the audience had just 10 minutes to decide which pitch should win and cast their vote. We would have loved to fund all three of these big ideas, but there could be only one winner.

Huge congratulations to Rebecca 👏🏻 We can't wait to see how this work unfolds in 2026!

Next Spark Award finalists announced

Our very first Next Spark Pitch Night is nearly here! Bright ideas, bold innovations, and inspiring people will take the stage to pitch for support that can change lives.  This will be our key World Prematurity Day event. We can't wait to hear from:

Rebecca Watkinson - Identifying preterm babies at risk of re-hospitalisation with respiratory infections

Gayatri Jape - Bridging the Gap: A pilot school readiness clinic for preterm born children

Lindsay Kindinger - Vaginal Progesterone for preterm birth prevention: prescription versus reality

Your vote will decide who walks away with $25,000 to help fund their next big idea!

📆 Sunday, 16 November 2025

⏰ 4pm - 6pm

🎟️ One beverage on arrival and light refreshments

📍 Mounts Bay Sailing Club, Australia II Drive, Crawley

*Note the function room is up one flight of stairs, no lift available*

🔗  https://tiny-sparks-wa.grassrootz.com/next-spark-award

World Prematurity Day Community Picnic

With World Prematurity Day (17 November) falling on a Sunday this year we are super excited to once again be having a Community Picnic to celebrate!

We welcome everyone to join us from 10 am to 1pm at Holyrood Pavilion and Park, Cambridge Street, West Leederville. We are partnering with The Kids for this event so there will be opportunities to hear the latest research impacting people born prematurely, we will also have face painting, a petting zoo and other family friendly activities. BYO picnic, suncream and picnic blanket.

This is a FREE community event however registration is encouraged. Those who register will go in the running for some amazing door prizes. To win you will need to be present when the door prize is drawn.

Neonatal November 2022

With 15 million babies born early all around the world each year, prematurity is a critical issue! Every day in WA we experience 12 or more admissions to Neonatal Units. Partnering with organisations all over the world we aim to light as many buildings and landmarks purple as possible to help shine a light on this critical issue. We invite you to light a candle or shine your own purple light to join the global wave at 7pm on November 17. Since 2013 we have been coordinating lighting in Western Australia and the community support we have received has grown and grown.  We are delighted to have support from the following venues and landmarks this year:

• Albany Town Square

• Alison Hartman Gardens, Albany

• Perth Children’s Hospital ‘Fizz’

• The Kids’ Bridge, PCH

• Matagarup Bridge

• The Sky Ribbon

• Mount Street Bridge

• Fremantle Prison Gatehouse

• Perth Concert Hall

• The Bell Tower

• ECU Joondalup

• Mandurah Bridge

• Council House Perth *from 10:30pm

• Yagan Square and Water Fountain

• Elizabeth Quay

• King Edward Memorial Hospital entry

• Trafalgar Bridge, East Perth *from 10:30pm

• Eastern Goldfields Community Centre, Kalgoorlie

• William Grundt Memorial Library, Kalgoorlie

• QV1 Tower

• Busselton Civic Centre *unable to change lighting will be running an LED banner with special message

• Brockman Street, Manjimup

• Rockingham Beach Foreshore

• Graham Farmer Freeway Tunnel entrance

• Joondalup Drive Bridge

We would love you to get out and about to enjoy the purple lighting.  Huge thanks to everyone on the list above.  Please let them know what it means to you to see them light it up purple!

Some members, volunteers are supporters will be walking across Matagarup Bridge as the sun sets over Perth to take in the purple lighting. You are welcome to join us, meeting at the playground on Burswood side of the bridge at 6:30pm.

Don’t forget to tag us when sharing to your social media @tinysparkswa #worldprematurityday #neonatalnovember

**Please note this list is subject to change.

That’s a wrap world prematurity day 2020

Each year we work hard to shine a light on the 15 million babies born too soon globally and bring the challenges they face to the forefront of government, health care providers, and the broader communities thoughts.  It’s an opportunity for our families to celebrate and honour their journeys.

Whilst our annual Family Fun Day is a highlight it did not go ahead this year.  Bringing together a vulnerable group in the community with COVID19 on our minds... it was not a risk we were willing to take.

Working together with WIRF, The West, Channel 9 and two of our lovely families we were delighted to see a print article and news segment run.

Thanks to our Board Secretary Briana many locations lit the night sky purple including Broome Water Tower, Yagan Square, Mount St Bridge, Optus Stadium, Matagarup Bridge, Sky Ribbon, Graham Farmer Freeway Tunnel entrance, Perth Children’s Hospital, King Edward Memorial Hospital, Trafalgar Bridge, St John of God Mount Lawley, Busselton Civic Centre, Mandurah Bridge, SJOG Bunbury and ECU Joondalup.  Capturing the magic of these locations we thank volunteers Shannon, Sarah, Noel, Rowena, Nicky and Leisa.  Standing in Yagan Square, hearing the running water, bathed in purple light it was surreal!

St John of God Subiaco hosted a lovely morning tea in their Neonatal Unit lounge for current inpatients.  This was a lovely opportunity to chat with parents and staff about the services we provide to the hospital and community more broadly.

Our friends at Kalparrin collaborated to host morning tea at Perth Children’s Hospital for inpatients and those with outpatient appointments.  Some fascinating discussions were had.

We attended an important meeting with Telethon Kids Institute to discuss exciting plans for projects in 2021.  You’ll have to stay tuned for more information on this one! 

The avalanche of ‘then and now’ images we were tagged in or shared to our social channels was remarkable.  It’s truly inspirational to see just how far all these ‘tiny sparks’ have come.  ‘A mighty flame followeth a tiny spark’, could not be more accurate!

The theme this World Prematurity Day was ‘Together for babies born too soon - Caring for the future’.  This past week we celebrated our 7th Birthday, since inception we have understood just how important collaborative effort is.  We have strong relationships with likeminded organisations who all work together for the benefit of families and children.  We are run by volunteer WA families, for WA families and understand the unique challenges faced by those living rural and remote.

Thank you for supporting World Prematurity Day 2020!

#WorldPrematurityDay2020

#togetherforbabiesborntoosoon

#NeonatalNovember