lifestyle

Six good news stories of the week to help you remember the world is a lovely place.

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Thanks to our brand partner, Uncle Tobys

 

It’s been a big week of tax talk, politics and other grim news.

So we rounded up six good news stories of the week so you’ll feel better about the world. You’re welcome.

A South Australian community crowdfunded for a giant beach mat so wheelchair-bound people could get down to the water and dip their toes in.

The mat, The Australian reported this week, is being rolled up for winter but it’s been such a success that it will be adopted by other states and councils. Hoorah!

This guy saved up for 14 years so he could pay off grandparents’ mortgage and send them on a trip to the Bahamas.

24 year-old college student Stefan Darts surprised his grandparents when he presented them with an oversized cheque for US$15,000, announcing that he’d paid off their mortgage and was sending them on a holiday. Darts came up with the idea for the surprise when he was in Year 2 and kept the idea a secret from his family since then.

GG | GP I promised God in the second grade I would pay off you guys house and help you retire. A promise I would never…

Posted by Stefun Darts on Sunday, March 20, 2016

Darts saved up by living on microwave pizza and turning down invitations to go out and party. What a guy.

 

Indian restaurant installs fridge on the footpath with free food for the homeless.

The tea café Pappadavada, in the south of India, has installed a fridge that runs 24/7 out the front of their restaurant, open to everyone in need of a meal. They have pledged to keep the fridge stocked with at least 50 meal packets a day, and have issued a message on their Facebook page asking their followers asking them to help stock the fridge with any leftovers they can spare.

The owner of the café, Minu Pauline, believes that not only will the fridge be beneficial to the local homeless population, but also teach paying customers not to waste food.

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The fridge has been fondly dubbed Nanma Maram, meaning Tree of Goodness.

Prince William saves a guy. Guy hardly notices. 

When 37-year-old arborist Jim Schembri was left with a dislocated hip and shoulder after a tree branch collapsed, one of the members of the rescue team that came to his aid was none other than the future King of England, Price William. The Prince has been serving in the East Anglican Air Ambulance since July and donates all his earnings to charity.

Schembri barely noticed that the monarch was present, as he’d been knocked around on pain medication. Once he realised that the Prince was around, Schembri commented: ‘Old Willsy better not be flying this thing,’ to which the Prince replied, ‘I’ve been holding your head for thirty minutes.’ Just a bit of banter amongst mildly-concussed mates.

 

Dog adopts orphaned cheetah cubs and forms cutest family ever.

After a mother cheetah died following a C-section that delivered her five babies, a dog has stepped up to take care of the cubs. Blakely the pooch has become an unlikely father to the orphaned jungle cats, who will remain in the nursery at Cincinnati Zoo with Blakely for 8-12 weeks. The animals have formed a close bond, with Blakely letting the cubs climb over him for exercise, and cuddle up when affection is needed.

Authors and librarians band together to replace little girl’s books that were lost in fire.

Eight year-old Heidi Van Sumeren loves reading, but a house fire that took her family home meant that she lost all her treasured books, as well as the rest of her possessions.

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Noted children’s author and illustrator Bob Shea visited Heidi’s school on March 22, and after learning about her family’s ordeal, sent out a tweet to his followers about Heidi’s family’s fire, suggesting that they all send her some new ones to replace those that she lost.

 

Boxes containing books, a desk, a chair, a bookshelf and art supplies started arriving on Monday from all over the country. They have been delivered to Heidi and her family at her grandparents’ house.