Child Friendly by Design Toolkit Launched

Congratulations to Healthy Illawarra's Debra Langridge, Geoff Woolcock, Prue Walsh, Elle Holder-Keeping and every single person who contributed to the development of this fantastic and unique resource.

Over 80 people enjoyed a delicious breakfast and the stunning facilities at Ravensthorpe Guest House in Albion Park for the launch ceremony.

Local Members of Parliament Steven Jones MP (Throsby) and Matt Brown MP (Kiama) spoke and the Toolkit was officialy launched by NSW Commissioner for Children & Young People Megan Mitchell.

The launch was followed by a demonstration workshop that generated some lively discussion and reminising on childhood escapades!

Debra and team will now be offering facilitated workshops to other Local Government areas, developers and community groups.

Tessa Parsons

program Manager

Family Gathering at Barrack Heights Community Garden

On 6th October 2010 Barrack Heights Community Garden hosted a family day attended by visitors and local residents.

Shellharbour Council Community Services , Access Community Group, FACE, Housing NSW, NSW Police Community Liaison, Barnardos C4C, Baptist Community Services, Park & Play and Illawarra Children's Services Barrack Heights Children's Centre joined forces to create a great atmosphere at the garden.




Proud volunteers conducted talks and tours of the garden, Katie & Kac provided face painting. Wendy supplied her ever favourite 'Slime'. The police Community Safety van was there with lots of information and Craig's Good Neighbour BBQ was most popular.


Park and Play were on hand with craft, games and activities. Children and adults all joined in with the drumming sessions and some budding architects made teepees and decorated them with materials from the garden.




The Garden is open to everyone, especially residents of Barrack Heights and new volunteers are welcome. Working Bees are held every second Tuesday from 2pm - 5pm. Contact Aileen or Megan at Council for more information ph 4221 6170.


Tessa

Welcome Janelle Brown

Please welcome our new member of the C4C team Janelle Brown.

Janelle has accepted the position of Aboriginal Community Engagement Facilitator. She will be working 21 hours a week to assist C4C activities to be responsive and welcoming to Aboriginal families and to engage the Shellharbour Aboriginal Community to make sure they are aware of all the opportunities available for families.

Janelle is well known and very well connected in the local community so we are very excited to have her on the team working with us towards "The Best Possible Start in Life for Children in Shellharbour City"

You can contact Janelle on 4295 4268 or jbrown@barnardos.org.au

Tessa

C4C Program Manager

Fun in the Sun for Child Protection Week

On Friday 10th Sept The team from Park and Play were at Little Park Shellharbour with some extra friends and helpers to promote safe and healthy fun and games for families.

To celebrate Child Protection Week 2010, C4C Community Development Facilitator Judy organised for Craig and the Good Neighbour Crew from Shellharbour Council to provide a BBQ lunch. Ryan and Beth from Pink Fox Face Painting were also on hand to provide free fancy decorations for hands and faces.

Once again proving that Shellharbour is a Child Friendly City there was a great turn out of 48 adults and 51 under fives! The weather was kind and the rain held off till after everyone had gone home for a rest.

Thanks to Glenda and Fiona from POPPY playgroup who brought their group and helped with games.

They are under there somewhere!

Tessa

Introducing Katc Medenis

We are very happy to welcome Katc Medenis, a TAFE student studying Community Services, to C4C.

Katc will be with us for the next couple of months. She is taking on some research/evaluation work for us while she is on placement and will be working her way around to all the Community Partner activities. You will be able to meet Katc at the C4C meeting on Wednesday 8th Sept at the PCYC.

Tessa

Welcome Katie - FACE coordinator!

Katie Murphy, the new project coordinator of the latest C4C Activity Family & Community Engagement (FACE :)) was a welcome addition to the Barnardos / C4C display table at the CDEP Reunion Event today.

The gathering and services expo was held at The Land - Warrigal Employment site at Windang. We were invited to display information from all the Barnardos and C4C programs for families. To make sure we attracted attention Katie brought bananas and apples to give away and I brought C4C bags, drink bottles and the last of our Frisbees. Katie has also invested in an Apple Slinky machine which was a big hit with both the children and the Aunties! She is now looking forward to lots more community engagement as her project develops.

Talking to families at this event it was interesting to hear feedback about which services are well known and being able to introduce more people to ones that may interest them. When we spoke about the FACE target age group of 8-12s there was a lot of support and encouragement that this is definitely a needed.

Tessa

Farewell Barb Jents

We are very sad to announce that our chief Blogger Barb Jents has resigned as Communications Officer for Communities for Children Shellharbour to pursue a full time position. Barb has been with us for almost all our four and a half years. She started when we were crammed into one tiny room at the Albion Park Community Centre. Then we moved to the larger (shop)office on Tongarra Rd. We thought we were there for the duration as the program was due to wrap up in June 09 but as you know instead of celebrating our swansong we ended up celebrating a new lease of life for C4C but also the need for a new home. Finally we arrived at our current location in Lake Illawarra where we are very happy to have undercover parking and inside facilities!

"Barb's 50th Birthday-June 2009

It is a hallmark of this project that we are continually breaking new ground. We are so proud of all the great activities our Community Partners have delivered and all the new partnerships and networks that have grown out of C4C. In all this growth, Barb has been there documenting everything through first our website, then the newsletter and now this Blogspot. She has also been the Keeper of the Clippings and so far has filled 9 albums with press clippings and copies of all the other media produced by everyone at C4C!

Kidsfest Business Awards 2008

So Good Bye and Good Luck Barb, we hope you have happy travels with Mark in your new caravan and discover new horizons on the way! Enjoy the adventure, we will miss you.


Tessa and Judy

PS there will be a Farewell Afternoon Tea on Monday 16 August at 2pm at the Barnardos Office, Greene St Warrawong.
Friends welcome.