Calling all youth ages 10 and over !

Come on a Kayaking adventure with us to explore our Richmond River health. We will be exploring our local ecosystem, biodiversity and riparian zones and how we can look after our river and community.

Next workshop : Saturday 21st or Sunday 22nd October

Lunch and snacks included.

Sessions run from 9am - 3pm.

SPACES ARE LIMITED TO PLEASE GET IN TOUCH TO RESERVE YOUR SPOT.

If you have a budding young scientist, naturalist, outdoors enthusiast, environmentalist or keen fishers in your family we will be talking river health, exploring the results from our previous field trips, water testing, community surveys and discussing how we can work together to protect our river.

Join us to develop ideas for youth action !

This program is run in conjunction with the amazing team at OzGreen and supported by the NSW Department of Regional Youth.

Wardell CORE are absolutely thrilled to have been nominated and shortlisted as a finalist from a huge crowd of worthy applicants from across NSW and the ACT for this fantastic award.

The Awards Australia Connecting Communities Award recognises grass-roots, ‘real life’ initiatives (led by local community groups or not-for-profits) that demonstrate genuine involvement, long-term value and add to the life of their community. 

Everyone who has been involved, supported, volunteered, worked and contributed to our communities recovery can be incredibly proud to have this recognition of service and for having created a wonderful example of community led recovery.

Stay tuned, we will be sending representatives from our team to the awards ceremony in Sydney later in November.

Do you eat enough fruit and veg?

• 91% of Australians are not eating enough vegetables

• 72% say affordability is impacting consumption of vegetables

• Over 1 in 5 people have experienced severe food insecurity in the past twelve months.

• As many as 1 in 5 children in Australia start the school day without eating breakfast.

Try for 5 National Nutrition Week is Nutrition Australia’s annual healthy eating awareness campaign. Australian Health Survey data has found less than 4% of us eat the recommended daily serves of vegetables each day.

Wardell CORE also has a number of programs available to help us all improve our health and make it easier to access those 5 serves of fruit and vegetables every day.

1. Fresh Produce Buyers Group : this volunteer run program offers a fortnightly wholesale priced fresh produce parcels for small to large households and at a sliding scale of affordability.

2. Food Pantry : We offer a selection of subsidised dry goods, pantry staples and grocery items to available to anyone experiencing financial hardship in partnership with Food Bank.

3. Ready to eat meals : We offer a range of tasty, nutritionally-balanced meals to anyone experiencing food insecurity in partnership with Fare Share.

4. Workshops and Education : We offer a range of opportunities to learn about improving meal planning, nutrition, growing your own food, reducing food waste, preserving, home coo

Join us for Halloween !!

Get ready for plenty of entertaining scares, finger food, kids activities, face painting, Halloween fashion and DISCO ! Get your costume ready for best dresses prizes.

If you would like to be involved - please get in touch. We will be looking for a few extra ghouls and vampires to help out on the night.

Will you be offering trick-or-treat or would like to ? Get in touch if you would like your house on the Wardell Halloween Map.

We look forward to another fabulous Halloween in Wardell and hope to see all the kids out having fun !

TRICK OR TREAT MAP

Contact us with your address to register - anyone can join. The Halloween map will be available live on the WardellCORE website and print copies will be available at the hub. Come and see us if you need help.

Youth Mental Health First Aid - FREE

Valued at over $300

If you would like to join this program get in touch now to reserve your spot and offer your preferred dates for this program. This course is fully funded and positions are limited.

Phone : 0431 716 457 or email via the button below

Qi Gong 10 week journey

"THE ART OF SELF MASTERY THROUGH THE DAO OF QIGONG" is an introduction to QiGong with the intention of setting the foundation for continuing beyond this 10 week course. No experience or ability is necessary - this gentle exercise is practical and available for everyone.

WHAT IS QIGONG
Qigong is the cultivation and harmonising of your life force energy through intentional movement and breath work.
It can help to:

• Calm the nervous system

• Release trauma

• Ease stress and tension

• Elevate confidence and boost self esteem

• Alleviate arthritis

• Mitigate emotional stress and anxiety

• Heal your organs, cleanse your blood and boost immune health

• Bring your body/mind/spirit back into balance

Book your spot :

https://www.wardellcore.community/community-wellbeing

[ If you feel there are any barriers to your involvement in this program or you have any questions - please contact Michelle by email wellbeing@wardellcore.community ]

Cant commit to a whole program ? No worries - come to any session as a casual participant for $10

Grow Well Wardell

We are delighted to welcome Steve McGrane to Wardell to learn from his decades of experience to become more successful and purposeful home gardeners. In this workshop we’ll learn about the relationship between soil and plant health, how to understand your soils, interpret pests and disease and grow healthy plants and food year round. If you want to level up on your gardening skills this fun and practical workshop is not to be missed. There will be lots of prizes, giveaways and seeds for the coming season! 

Steve is an agriculturalist, blogger, educator, national gardening magazine writer (Good Organic Gardener) and ABC presenter with qualifications and experience across a broad range of horticultural industry activities. Steve has spent 25 years in conventional horticulture/organic agriculture, studying, implementing and devising various innovative approaches to reducing our footprint on the planet. His passion is obvious for gardening as his own garden in Coffs Harbour has been used for education and display for over 20 years.  Steve has developed a refined understanding and application of blending ornamental and productive gardens in urban landscapes.

FREE Nutrition and Wellbeing workshop Oct 25

Join us for this workshop that is open to anyone in the community to attend - the goal is to provide tips and strategies to help equip participants to support themselves and others nutritionally and emotionally post disaster.

The workshop is practical including a cooking demonstration, gentle movement, emotional wellbeing tools as well as referral points across the region. We will share the food we make along with a light lunch and get a chance to connect with community.

We hope to see you there. Please register by contacting Nerida by email or phone

Facilitators: Sonja Habernicht (Psychologist) and Nerida Colley (Health Promotion)

Nerida.colley@norwacs.org.au 6621 9800 or drop in to Wardell CORE and leave your contact details.

If you are feeling creative or just like to have your hands busy and enjoy some company and a cuppa come along to one of our social crafting groups this week.

Every second Tuesday we have sewing circle with Sharon.

Materials provided to make wheat packs and tote bags or if you have a sewing project - bring it down! No experience necessary to get involved, pop in and get involved or just stop in for a cuppa

We will now be hosting a casual crafting and making on Friday mornings 9:30-12:00 with Chez and Tamara. Join us for morning tea. This week we will be making Polymer beads.

Tea coffee and good company provided. Workshops by donation

Wardell Courts

The final touches are being done to the multi courts early next week and will soon be ready for community use.

There is a wide range of sports that are ready to get started, so if you are interested in playing or participating in Basketball, Tennis, Volleyball, Futsal, walking soccer or other court games - get in touch.

If you would like to become a member email wardell2477@gmail.com $25 per year per family membership.

Join our weekly Strength and Balance classes on Wednesday mornings.

For many of us, our balance and strength declines as we age, and conversely our risk of falls and sustaining a fracture increases. However these effects can be mitigated, or reversed to an extent, with appropriate exercise therapy.

Strength training can also reduce the signs and symptoms of many diseases and chronic conditions.

• Increased muscle strength

• Decreased falls risk

• Improved balance

• Improved mobility

• Improved chronic disease management

• Improved bone density

• Improved general wellbeing

All ages and stages can join this group and be supported with a personalised range of movement, balance and resistance activities.

Natural disasters and your mental health

• Beyond Blue

It's common for communities and individuals affected by a disaster to experience a range of thoughts, feelings and behaviours that can be intense, confusing and frightening. Fear, for example, is an important and normal reaction that helps activate our body and mind to make decisions to protect our own life and the lives of loved ones. It's important to know the difference between a common reaction to a stressful or traumatic event and signs that indicate you should seek more support.

Common reactions

These reactions can be severe and are at their worst in the first week after the event, however, in most cases, they fade over a month. 

These reactions include:

• feeling overwhelmed

• feeling numb and detached

• inability to focus

• inability to plan ahead

• constant tearfulness

• intrusive memories or bad dreams related to the event

• sleep disturbances

• constant questioning – "What if I had done x, y or z, instead?"

• 'replaying' the event and inventing different outcomes in order to be prepared should it happen again.

It is also important to understand that a friend, loved one or work colleague may see these reactions in you, often when you do not. They may see you are detached, unfocused, anxious, or tearful without provocation. Listen to the opinions of people that you trust. It is a sign of respect to friends and family to act on their advice and discuss these issues with a GP or mental health professional.

Beyond a common reaction

If you experience any of these symptoms at any time, seek help from a GP or mental health professional: 

• a sense that your emotional and/or physical reactions are not normal

• thoughts of self-harm or of ending your life

• loss of hope or interest in the future

• avoiding things that bring back memories of what happened to the point where you're unable to carry out day-to-day tasks 

• frequently being easily startled e.g. jumping when a door slams, and then taking a long time to calm down

• feeling overwhelming fear for no obvious reason

• panic attack symptoms: increased heart rate, breathlessness, shakiness, dizziness and a sudden urge to go to the toilet

• excessive guilt about things that were or weren't said and done.

While in many instances access to help and mental health support after a disaster is often really challenging - we are fortunate to be able to offer constant and FREE support.

Wardell’s Wellbeing Program offers a dedicated space for professional counselling services and qualified mental health supporters for the community and Wardell district.

Our facilities and programs are an essential asset for our community’s recovery and mental health. We are privileged to have the support of supported by Healthy North Coast to be able to provide this safe and welcoming space and offer a range of support with our amazing team of registered counsellors and mental health workers.

We provide a drop-in centre, appointments on demand and referral services available 5 days a week. We can also offer outcalls and outreach or consultation by phone. Our mental health services are free, discreet and confidential. You can come and talk to our professional team at any time for help, advice or support or just drop in for a cuppa and a chat.

Drop in at any time phone 0432 563 380 or email wellbeing@wardellcore.community