Community Focus – Killarney Memorial Aged Care

Killarney Memorial Aged Care (Killarney Memorial) is one of Australia’s few remaining regional community-owned, not-for-profit health, community, and aging centre. Killarney Memorial has been serving its community for over 70 years and respects and builds on the work of past generations who created our health services and aged care to help locals stay in their town.

With a team of around 110 staff supporting 60 residents, 69 community clients and over a thousand medical patients. Killarney Memorial is unwavering in its commitment to the residents of Killarney and surrounding areas such as Legume, Tannymorel, Mount Colliery, and Yangan.

Our primary aim at Killarney Memorial is simple: to provide quality services catered to the diverse needs of our community. We prioritise Health and Wellness services that enrich the lives of our residents, clients, and the entire community. By catering to unique needs, values, interests, and aspirations, we foster lasting relationships with our community while collaborating with other providers to ensure holistic wellbeing for all.

So, what can Killarney Memorial offer you and your loved ones?

·         Residential Aged Care: A safe, comfortable homely environment for our elders to make their home as a permanent resident or to rest and revive for a respite period at what one of our beloved past residents called ‘the resort with support’.

·         Medical Services: An in-house medical centre to address the general health needs of our community. We provide general practitioners, skin clinic, allied health services and phlebotomy for our patents.

·         Home Care: Support for individuals who require assistance in their homes, ensuring they maintain independence and quality of life.

·         NDIS and Disability Support: Tailored programs to assist people fulfil their goals and live the life they want.

·         Dementia Care and Carer Support: Specialised care for individuals with dementia and invaluable support for their carers.

·         Palliative Care: Our palliative care service in both the community and residential care exemplifies our commitment to ensuring that the twilight years of life are spent in comfort and warmth, surrounded by loved ones ‘at home’ rather than in hospital.

·         Community Programs: Engaging activities and workshops, including Killarney Community Men’s Shed, Meals on Wheels, Yoga and other programs aimed at building community ties and wellness.

Whether you’re interested in our health services, keen to participate in our community programs, or simply wish to learn more about how we can assist you or your family members, Killarney Memorial is here to help.

Community Focus – BUSHkids

The Royal Queensland Bush Children’s Health Scheme—known as BUSHkids—is a not-for-profit organisation which has been supporting the health and wellbeing of children and families in Queensland’s regional, rural and remote communities for over 85 years.

BUSHkids specialises in providing free preventative and early intervention allied healthcare, including speech pathology, occupational therapy and psychology. BUSHkids specifically helps children who are at risk of poor health, educational and social outcomes to reach their full potential in life. Our free therapy services can help children improve their speech, behaviour, resilience, their capability to complete daily activities, and their ability to interact with their family and other children at kindy, school and at play.

BUSHkids adopts a holistic—whole—approach to supporting children, which includes providing support to the child’s family and the community they live in. Individual therapy is complemented by a range of developmental and educational programs that promote overall family wellbeing and strengthen community capacity, including providing supported playgroups and positive parenting, early educator, school readiness, literacy and language development programs.

We have been providing services in Warwick for over 30 years and our centre on Wood Street provides support to kids and families across the Southern Downs and Granite Belt. The centre has a full-time speech pathologist, family health support worker and occupational therapist and these staff are supported by therapists and specialists in other centres across Queensland, both face-to-face and through telehealth, the provision of health care services remotely by using the latest technology such as videoconferencing.

TeleHealth really came into its own at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic when our therapists couldn’t meet with kids and families face-to-face. It has proved so successful we are currently expanding our TeleHealth capability. TeleHealth doesn’t replace the need for our therapists in our centres but complements and extends their work offering support and therapy that we can’t easily provide locally and making it easier for families in remote areas to receive the help they need without having to travel.

Now that the worst of COVID is hopefully behind us we are starting to run our family support programs again and we will be starting our support for the local kindies to help kids get ready for prep next year.

Top tip from BUSHkids – one of the best ways to get your child ready for prep is by reading books to them. Reading can develop language skills and early literacy awareness, which are essential components for learning to read. When reading books, talk about the pictures, talk about unfamiliar words, and keep book sharing fun!

For more information about BUSHkids and the services we provide go to our website, http://www.bushkids.org.au.

Speech Pathologist Hannah Dittman with Asta Breen.

BACKGROUND Information – BUSHkids organisational snapshot

      ORIGINS AND HISTORY

  • The “Queensland Bush Children’s Health Scheme” was founded on 6 December­ 1935 by a diverse group of civic-spirited people in Brisbane (including the Lord Mayor and many high-profile community and business representatives) at the instigation of Queensland’s Governor, Sir Leslie Orme Wilson, who was dismayed by the hardships experienced by families and children across the state as a result of prolonged drought and the Great Depression.
  • With the help of volunteers from a state-wide range of organisations – including the Queensland Country Women’s Association, Toc H and the Red Cross – the Scheme’s intention was to identify and assess Bush Children at risk of health, medical, nutritional and developmental issues and bring them to camps and Homes on the Coral Sea coast where they could be treated by clinical professionals – themselves volunteers – and hospital facilities not available in Outback Queensland.
  • This approach successfully supported and treated more than 30,000 children in its first 50 years, with the establishment of a number of purpose-built coastal Homes – from Townsville to Redcliffe – and a massive, state-wide volunteer logistical network which safely transported the kids, in groups of up to 30 at a time, to and from the Homes for six-week-long stays for recuperation, nourishment and treatment before returning them to their families and Outback communities.
  • Ground breaking internal research during the 1980s provided early warning of changing healthcare needs and so, in the following decade, the Scheme undertook the painful task of – literally – reinventing itself from the inside out, progressively closing the coastal Homes and establishing new services in the Outback Queensland communities themselves, ensuring that a continuum of care continued to be available – at no cost to families – without the disruption of temporary relocation.

    TODAY

  • BUSHkids specialises in providing free preventive and early intervention Allied Health care, both directly and in collaboration with government and other non-government organisations, for children and families who through availability or affordability are unable to access services locally.
  • BUSHkids targets children who are at risk of poor health, educational and social outcomes to help them reach their full potential in life. The free therapy services can help children improve their speech, behaviour, resilience, their capability to complete daily activities, and their ability to interact with their family and other children at home, kindy, school and at play.
  • Services are provided through five regional service centres in Bundaberg, Dalby, Emerald, Mount Isa, and Warwick, each staffed by a multidisciplinary team comprising Speech–Language Pathologists, Occupational Therapists, Psychologists and Family Health Support Workers.
  • In addition, BUSHkids supports rural communities from four smaller satellite sites in Inglewood, Stanthorpe, Agnes Water/Miriam Vale and Kingaroy, which are staffed by Early Intervention Facilitators supported by the nearest service centre and the Brisbane office.
  • Support and professional development to regional teams is provided both in person and via the organisation’s growing telehealth capability (that is, using telecommunication services such as video conferencing).
  • During 2017, BUSHkids further expanded services to become a National Disability Insurance Agency ‘Partner in the Community’ to provide NDIS Early Childhood Early Intervention (ECEI) (‘Early Start’) services to children aged 0-6 with a disability or developmental delay (children who are slower to develop physical, emotional, social or communication skills than other children of that age). The program is fully funded under the NDIS so, like all BUSHkids services, it is provided free of charge.
  • BUSHkids established its first dedicated NDIS Early Start team in Bundaberg during August 2017, and has since become the ECEI provider for the Rockhampton Region in Queensland North, offering NDIS services through its existing service centre in Emerald, opening two new dedicated ECEI Early Start service centres in Rockhampton and Gladstone and providing outreach through the Biloela Community Resource.

Community Focus – Warwick Gymnastics Club

The Warwick Gymnastic Club Inc has been in operation for over 55 years, commencing as a boys trampolining club in Queens Park and progressively evolving to the gymnastics environment we operate under today, although we do still have an Olympic Trampoline from those early years.

 

The Club has suffered numerous setbacks in the past few years, commencing with bushfire damage, then 8 or 10 flood events and most recently a robbery where our iPads and safe contents were stolen.  Our members are very resilient though, rallying from strength to strength after each successive event and making sure the community remains the focus of the operation.

 

This year has seen a bit of downturn in membership, primarily believed to be a result of COVID impacts and to a lesser extent our flooding woes.  During 2021 we had over 380 members making us the biggest single community sports club in Warwick.  2022 has seen that number drop to around 250 participants but we are confident that numbers will return as the year progresses.

 

We employ 12 staff, mostly qualified coaches as well as our receptionist and cleaner/groundsman.  The Club is a Not-For-Profit organisation and as such operates under a Committee and Constitutional arrangement.  Our parents and friends volunteer endless hours to make sure the Club operates smoothly and our members get the enjoyment and benefits of the sporting and fitness offerings we have.

The Club’s most popular classes are the afternoon school aged Artistic Gymnastics offerings, which for girls is the Floor, Beam, Uneven Bars and Vault, whilst boys train Floor, Rings, Parallel Bars, Pommel, High Bar and Vault.  However, the community is largely unaware of our classes that cater for every other age and capability.  These are:

  • Tiny Tumblers – a class for confident walkers and toddlers not yet at school.  The classes focus on gross and fine motor skills and lots of climbing, jumping and fun.
  • TeenGym – a class after school for teenagers who don’t particularly want to stick to the routines and competitive gymnastics styles.  A self-paced relaxed training group aimed and fun, fitness and specific skills.
  • GymFit15+ – a fitness class for everyone that is based on circuit and strength work with some low level gymnastics thrown in.
  • Fitter For Life – a fitness and balance class, generally aimed at 50+ retirees, however people with injuries, knee reconstructions, etc also find it very beneficial.  This class focuses on very low impact exercise and balance to either regain or prevent loss of balance as age progresses.  It is also a very social occasion for the participants with plenty of fun and frivolity while you exercise and generally a coffee or tea afterwards.

The Club is located at 29 Easey Street, Warwick and operates 6 days a week.  Classes vary from casual to booked membership and are generally school term based.  After school classes are not casual and participants need to be booked in for their sessions.  The Club offers free assessment and trials and can be contacted on 4661 7925 or admin@warwickgymnastics.com.au.

Make March Purple for Epilepsy

March is Epilepsy Awareness month, and we reached out to a family that has been impacted by this medical condition.

Kayla Haidley has shared the journey her family is going through with Hamish, to help raise awareness around Epilepsy and how it can affect people of all ages.

Below is the story so far for little Hamish.

Every 33 minutes someone’s life is turned upside down by Epilepsy and they couldn’t have said it any better. Because that is exactly what happened to our darling little boy Hamish 14 months ago at the age of 2 years old. Consequently, our little family’s lives were also toppled upside down alongside him.

In early January 2021, after a fun day out in Toowoomba with his big sister Bella, I was woken by Hamish making a loud single cry. My intuition told me to get up, out of bed and check on him. That’s when I found him having a Tonic-Clonic Seizure (full fitting like you would see in the movies).

 I quickly picked him up and placed him on the floor of his room and called 000 for an Ambulance. Hamish’s seizure lasted 10 minutes. The Paramedics arrived quickly and transported him to the Warwick Hospital where our week-long hospital stay began. After a few days Hamish got transferred to Toowoomba Base Paediatric Unit as he began to develop and show different seizure types. He was experiencing Atonic or Drop Seizures causing his whole body to uncontrollably go limp and Myoclonic Seizures where his body and limbs unknowingly twitch. The nature of these seizures meant Hamish was constantly injuring himself badly. The seizures were increasing daily requiring an MRI be conducted (which due to his age he had to be put under General Anaesthetic). Thankfully this test came back clear, however it was a Video EEG that showed seizure activity in Hamish’s brain and with that he was then given the diagnosis of Epilepsy. The Paediatric Doctors started him on medication straight away, little did we know then that this would just be the beginning of Hamish’s Epilepsy Journey.

It wasn’t until we got home from hospital that we realised just the true extent this medical condition can cause a person, not to mention a little 2-year-old. A spiral of ups and downs followed as Hamish was having up to 15 Atonic (drop) and numerous Myoclonic (twitching) Seizures every day. Sometimes these numbers would increase to almost “too many to count” depending on various seizure triggers. With this Hamish’s life was put essentially on hold, we saw the decline of our energetic adventurous little boy. He would easily become tired and lethargic (resulting in him having many naps during the day) struggle with his motor skills, appetite and even speech due to the seizures. The trauma his little body would suffer (mainly facial and head injuries from his Atonic seizures), such as putting teeth through his lips, bitting his tongue, chipping serval teeth, blood noses, displaced ribs, shoulders and countless cuts/bruises. This has resulted in several visits to the Warwick Hospital ED, a notable time was from a seizure in the bath and hitting is forehead right in the same spot he had hit continuously for days prior causing a big haematoma the size of tennis ball. The more severe occasions have required an ambulance as when Hamish gets sick his seizure threshold drops- causing his seizures to drastically increase, then back in early October Hamish had a big Atonic seizure resulting in him splitting his head open on a table. We felt helpless trying the best we could to learn as fast as we could to understand what he needed.

I quickly began researching all there was to know about Epilepsy through great organisations like Epilepsy Foundation Australia and Epilepsy Queensland. I also found information about how to care for Hamish and quickly identified triggers to his seizures within our home and daily life. Learning things like illnesses can cause his seizures to increase, the dangers of baths and swimming due to seizures also that his medication is based on a weight ratio and every time Hamish grows his medication needs increasing or else the seizures get worse again. Importantly a better understanding what Sudden Unexpected Death caused by Epilepsy (SUDEP) is. I also joined various Epilepsy Facebook groups that gave me a great platform to connect with other parents who have children with epilepsy.

As the months passed Hamish started developing regular Absence seizures on top of all his other seizures throughout the day. Hamish needed another Video EEG and from that was put on a second medication with the aim that the two Anti-Epileptic Drugs (AED) would work in gaining some control. There has been some light and the end of the very long tunnel though as his daily seizure count has dramatically dropped to 1—2 a day. Hamish’s Epilepsy is what they consider still “not controlled”, even after 14months of initially being diagnosed. Due to not gaining any seizure control despite being on two AED’s, in February 2022, Hamish finally got an appointment at the Neurology Clinic at the Queensland Children Hospital. During the appointment Hamish’s Neurologist and her team investigated if Hamish has a rare childhood epilepsy syndrome due to the nature of his seizures. To fully investigate this diagnosis Hamish was admitted to the QCH Epilepsy Monitoring Unit. During this admission he was put on a 24hour Video EEG for 5 days (in the hopes to capture any seizure activity) additionally he had a Lumbar Puncture with DNA and Genetic Blood Test. A follow up appointment is scheduled in a couple months to get the full report from the tests that were done. In the meantime, Hamish is having adjustments made to his medications.

It has now been 14 months and numerous tests; we still don’t have all the answers and we still don’t have a solid known cause or reason for why Hamish has Epilepsy. This highlights what it truly can be like living with Epilepsy. A lot of people don’t ever get a known cause as to why they have Epilepsy. There is no cure for Epilepsy and some seizure types aren’t controlled through medication (just like our Hamish). It’s very important to identify that Epilepsy is very vast and different person to person diagnosed. Many children and adults respond very well to medications and that is a truly wonderful achievement.

However, it’s also important to know that for a lot of children and adults, it really isn’t that simple. If you met our darling boy Hamish today, he would easily come across to be like an everyday busy, energetic, happy-go-lucky 3year old. While he really is all those things, he also lives with Epilepsy and battles seizures every single day! He is definitely a little warrior – a Epilepsy Warrior as they are called in the Epilepsy community. Through all this Hamish has shown strength I didn’t know was possible for such a little person. Not to mention his resilience to adapt and continue to not just survive but thrive. Now that Hamish’s seizures are happening less throughout the day, he is gaining his ‘old self’ again and his daily energy is increasing slowly, he is finally able to catch up on his missed milestones. 

I do often say that our situation is a blessed one in a way. As Hamish and our little family live in a community where we have amazing medical care and support. All our extended family and friends are only minutes away meaning Hamish (and our little family) receives so much love and support. Which I feel is just as important as gaining seizure control for little Hamish’s future and quality of life. Just last year in October I joined up to do the Walk for Epilepsy (another great fundraiser and awareness the whole of Australia participates in for Epilepsy) and along with Hamish’s big sister Bella, Aunties Danika and Madelaine and a very dear friend of mine, Sam.

These amazing women joined me in the “HHH Crew” and collectively raised over $3,700 and walked over 469km all for Epilepsy Queensland who use the funds for research and to support the epilepsy community. We have such an amazing village around us that have shown Hamish and our little family so much love and support through this topsy-turvy time, we will be forever grateful to those amazing souls.

It’s so important that Epilepsy awareness is raised and journeys like Hamish’s are shared, to show exactly what it’s like having to live with a diagnosis like Epilepsy. It’s staggering just when you look at the statistics – how many people (of all ages and cultures) live with and are affected by this medical condition. It’s also important that Epilepsy Foundations receive donations and funding so that they have the continuous ability to work towards better research and support systems for those who are living with Epilepsy, for their futures and future generations of epilepsy warriors.  So please even if it’s just sharing Hamish’s story, starting a conversation, donating/giving as little or much as you can, it all matters! Because its true what they say, every little bit counts!

If you are ever unfortunate enough to witness one of Hamish’s seizures or as we call them “not a very good day” you will then see just how hard he has fought and fights every single day. And coming from a mother’s eyes watching one of my babies now growing and living his life with Epilepsy, it is a mixture of tears and heartbreak; but also pride and amazement of just the resilience, strength, fight and courage Hamish has. And for that Hamish will always be our Little Hero.

-We don’t know how strong we are, until being strong is the only choice we have-

-Always be kind, you never know the silent battles others are fighting-

Community Focus – Warwick Horticultural Society

October is a big month for the Warwick Horticultural Society – they hold their Floral Window Competition, the Annual Spring Flower Show and their Spring Garden Competition!

Entries are still open for the Floral Window Competition, closing on 28 October and for the Flower Show, closing on 20 October. For more information contact the Secretary.

The Society meets the last Wednesday of each month at 8pm in the CWA Rooms, Grafton St, Warwick. You can learn more about the Horticultural Society on their facebook page.

SPRING GARDEN COMPETITION WINNERS

Results of a very successful Garden Competition conducted by the Warwick Horticultural Society in its 113th year.

Thirty-five gardens were entered in this year’s competition from north, south, east, west and centre of the region represented in all eighteen classes.

Signs on the gate indicate gardens are open to visit, otherwise please do not enter and view from the footpath.

Acreage Garden: Warwick Horticultural Society Cup:

1. K. and L. Babington

2. Bruce and Sue Hoffman

3. Gary and Dale Gwynne

Large Home Garden:

1. Pieter and Mandy Stekette

2. Lynn Close

3. Keith and Kaye Mundey

Small Home Garden: (Frank Sedgwick Trophy):

1. Barry Hildred

2. John and Gina Hing

3. Allan Wieland

Cottage Garden: Tucker Bros’ Cup:

1. Maree Savage

2. Allan Wieland

3. John and Gina Hing

Home Rose Garden any size

Warwick Horticultural Society Trophy:

1. K. and L. Babington

2. Greg and Barb Cross

2. Daphne Cross, equal second

Rose Garden other than home garden Trophy:

1. Warwick Historical Society, 79 Dragon Street, Warwick.

Australian Native Garden:

1. St. Mary’s Kindergarten, 175 Palmerin Street, Warwick.

Best All-Round Garden – W. D. and H. O. Wills Cup:

John and Gina Hing.

Best Flower Garden – T. A. Webster Estate Trophy:

Barry Hildred

John and Gina Hing, runner-up.

Best Kept Garden – Leslie Kadow Memorial Trophy:

Gary and Dale Gwynne.

Festival Home Garden – Regional Council Trophy:

1. Barry Hildred

2. John and Gina Hing

3. K. and L. Babington

Festival Garden other than a Home Garden – Warwick Horticultural Society Trophy:

1. Warwick Golf Club, Hawker Road, Warwick.

2. Club Warwick, RSL, 65 Albion Street, Warwick.

3. Warwick East State School, 45 Fitzroy Street, Warwick.

Home Unit Garden:

1. Daphne Cross

Junior Garden – Melva Kadow Memorial Trophy:

1. St. Marty’s Kindergarten School, 175 Palmerin Street, Warwick.

2. Warwick East State School Garden Club, 45 Fitzroy Street, Warwick.

Vegetable Garden – Arthur Yates Cup:

1. K. and L. Babington

2. Cynthia Sorensen

3. Barry Hildred

School Garden over 100 students – Ingram Cup:

1. Warwick East State School, 45 Fitzroy Street, Warwick.

Town School under 100 Students:

1. St. Mary’s Kindergarten, 175 Palmerin Street, Warwick.

Gardens/Commercial, Business and Industrial Premises:

1 Warwick Gardens Galore, 21 Albion Street, Warwick.

2. Warwick Golf Club, Hawker Road, Warwick.

3. Warwick Historical Society, 79 Dragon Street, Warwick.

Retirement Village/Medical/Hospitals/Nursing Homes Etc. Garden:

1. Oak Tree Retirement, 12 O’Leary Street, Warwick

Court Yard Garden:

1. Cynthia Sorensen

2. John and Gina Hing

Community Focus – Laughing Yoga

Lifeline Darling Downs has been inspiring Warwick locals to start laughing.   But this is no joke – it is all in the name of mindfulness and improved fitness! 

 Laughter yoga is a stress buster, mood enhancer, social connector – and a very efficient way of improving breathing and doing a light cardio without seeming to exercise. It’s adaptable and accessible for all abilities. 

 Laughter Yoga is not like regular “yoges”; it is all about connecting body, mind and spirit through playful movements, clapping and laughing with intention. 

 “Through 2020, Laughter Yoga has become a lifeline for many people’s mental wellbeing”, said HeatherJoy Campbell, Certified Laughter Yoga Teacher/Trainer with The HappyDemic.   

 You can give Laughter Yoga a try in person at one of Lifeline Darling Downs’s in person sessions  https://www.lifelinedarlingdowns.org.au/Event/laughter-yoga  or by calling 1300 991 443. 

You can also participate free online at http://laughteryoga-australia.org/skype-laughter-club/. 

R U OK? 2021

Are they really ok?

Do you know how the people in your world are going? With the year that has been, a conversation has never been more important, with the constant lock-downs and border closures.

The organisation focuses on providing the tools to not only start the conversation – but to see it through to the end.

They provide a range of resources for various industries and age groups that you can use everyday. Find those resources here.

With a mission to connect us to those around us and lend support to those who are struggling, R U OK? is aiming to create a world where we’re all connected and protected from suicide.

Community Focus- Warwick Park Run

Our event came about after one of our original Event Team members, Katharine Jones, mentioned that it would be great if Warwick had a parkrun. Our founding Event Director, Linda Coombes, had never even heard of parkrun at that stage. She googled parkrun and found that you could apply to have one in your town. With applications in place to the Southern Downs Regional Council and parkrun Australia, we gathered a team of 8 enthusiastic friends to work on getting parkrun in Warwick.

People have the perception that you have to be fit to participate in parkrun. Nothing could be further from the truth. We have participants from 4 years of age through to people in their 80s. We welcome runners and walkers of all fitness levels. You will never be last as we have a volunteer role of Tail Walker, who volunteers to be last home at parkrun. It is always easier to be out and active when you are with other people.

Parkrun is a free, weekly, timed run or walk held every Saturday around the world. Warwick parkrun is looking forward to celebrating their 8th Anniversary on Saturday 4th September.

Parkrun is free, but you do need to register at www.parkrun.com , print out and bring along your barcode. This barcode is scanned at the completion of your run/walk and you will be emailed your finish time.

Community Focus – Warwick Cowboys

The Warwick Friendly Society have been sponsoring the Cowboys for the past couple of years. Donna Watson, Club Secretary, shared the following update with Ahmad:

We as a club are always busy whether it is preparing the fields, gathering valuable volunteers or just working on our next project behind the scenes. With the 2021 season in full flight we don’t have much time to breathe. 
 
Recently we had a flood in which Warwick received very welcoming rainfalls. Thankfully we had a fantastic bunch of volunteers come down and sand bag our clubhouse & fortunately the water did not enter the building but did lap onto the front deck which made everyone a little nervous. 
 
We have 5 teams in the TRL this year. The inaugural ladies team has been very successful so far this season and are sitting on top of the ladder. The inclusion of the Border Rivers 2nd Division has kicked off and has welcomed lots of eager players. Our other grades are the Under 18s, Reserve grade and A grade teams who are all doing very well competitively too.
 
During Covid and the downtime the club worked with SDIEA and a program to help get young men trained in a Cert I in Construction and they erected a shaded area outside our existing canteen area. This brings great joy to our club to see these young men and women getting involved and learning new skills. 
 
Also we re-fitted new facilities for our Men and Ladies amenities plus added a disabled toilet and parents room. This will ensure that we cater for everyone’s needs.
 
YMCA have come on board with sponsorship and our players are keen to use their facilities to become stronger and fitter. 
 
We are planning for a hectic season and we have our Annual Ladies Day coming up on Saturday 10th July. Major sponsor for the day is Power Pac Electrical. 
 
We continue to work with the community and hire out our venue for the Pensioners Group and Country Music Group. Warwick State High School Clontarf Academy recently used our facilities and fields as they hosted a football carnival with other Clontarf groups from around the Darling Downs. Students camped in swags overnight on the floor of the clubhouse and they held a very succesful carnival. We are always happy to work with community groups and willing to help out where we can.

World Immunisation Week 2021

Vaccines have brought us closer, and will bring us closer again.

Using the theme ‘Vaccines bring us closer’, World Immunisation Week 2021 will urge greater engagement around immunisation globally to promote the importance of vaccination in bringing people together, and improving the health and well-being of everyone, everywhere throughout life.

For over 200 years, vaccines have protected us against diseases that threaten lives and prohibit our development. With their help, we can progress without the burden of diseases like smallpox and polio, which cost humanity hundreds of millions of lives

Whilst vaccines aren’t a silver bullet, they will help us progress on a path to a world where we can be together again.

Vaccines themselves continue to advance, bringing us closer to a world free from the likes of TB and cervical cancer, and ending suffering from childhood diseases like measles.

Investment and new research is enabling groundbreaking approaches to vaccine development, which are changing the science of immunization forever, bringing us closer still to a healthier future.

While the world focuses on critically important new vaccines to protect against COVID-19, there remains a need to ensure routine vaccinations are not missed. Many children have not been vaccinated during the global pandemic, leaving them at risk of serious diseases like measles and polio. Rapidly circulating misinformation around the topic of vaccination adds to this threat.

For a schedule of when children should be vaccinated – See the National Immunisation Program Schedule.

In this context, this year’s campaign will aim to build solidarity and trust in vaccination as a public good that saves lives and protects health.

To find out what vaccinations you have had in the past – See the Australian Immunisation Register.

A critical part of the solution to the pandemic, but not alone

Vaccines are a critical new tool in the battle against COVID-19. Working as quickly as they can, scientists from across the world are collaborating and innovating to bring us tests, treatments and vaccines that will collectively save lives and end this pandemic.

Safe and effective vaccines will be a game changer: but for the foreseeable future we must continue wearing masks, physically distancing and avoiding crowds.
 
Together, we can end the COVID-19 pandemic and achieve a healthier world for all.
For more information.

© 2022 Warwick Friendly Society