Youth

Fishing on the banks of the Gunbower Creek with just the sound of the birds chirping and not a care in the world ... That was just one of the activities on offer for the attendees of the 3-day Challenge Cohuna Camp on the weekend ... Attendees were children and/or siblings of children receiving treatment for cancer.

Lestatt Hammond-Hurst from Glenreagh will represent NSW in the baking category at the WorldSkills Australia 2023 National Championships in Melbourne ... “In preparation for the competition, I’ve been working hard on my consistency, and making sure everything I take out of the oven looks perfect and has the same texture and colour."

Pam Dillon. Twenty-one Tennant Creek Girl Guides enjoyed a great day on the waters of Lake Mary Anne last weekend. Girls ranging in ages from 5 to 14 years paddled around the lake and at times found paddling rather difficult with the windy conditions.

On Wednesday 2 August, Maldon Neighbourhood Centre launched the Maldon Toy Library ... The new toy library will be open twice a week, with families able to borrow four toys at a time for a two-week period, with toys mostly catering to the 0 – 5-year-old age group.

With  three shows  already sold out, tickets to Spaghetti Circus' major new show 'Monumental' are literally flying out the door. Opening on Wednesday 16th  August for an exclusive 2-week run at Brunswick Picture House, 'Monumental' showcases the skills of Spaghetti’s talented Performance Troupe in a huge new production that has something for everyone!  

Thirteen children braved a foggy winter’s morning last week and walked from Corryong Pre-school to Mittamatite Lodge Residential Aged Care to meet with residents. They gave each resident a very cheery hello before settling in for morning tea, a spot of colouring-in and some good old-fashioned conversation.

Over the past two years, By Five and the RCH have joined forces with the Wimmera workforce to deliver ‘great care, everywhere’ to children. Together, they’ve supported over 200 children and families to access timely paediatric care without having to travel outside the region...

Blake Lee. Local sporting clubs provide an opportunity to bring people together, increase participation in sport, promote social connection and create a sense of belonging.   In recent weeks, the Birchip-Watchem football and netball clubs have been fostering this opportunity by hosting buddy programs to build and strengthen bonds between senior and junior players.

Remember the names, Esther Elder and Adria Cunningham. While each aspires to establish a theatre career, individually their goals and passions differ, and now, beneath the wings of JUTE Theatre Company, the two emerging theatre professionals are gaining valuable experience aboard the team of its latest production, Higher Faster Louder by Marilyn Marsh-Booth.

The North Central Local Learning and Employment Network (NCLLEN) has recently welcomed three new staff members who have joined the team to help create opportunities for children and young people to thrive in education, work and life through partnerships that ensure they get the support they need when they need it.

Nadia. Last term 17 students and six staff participated in a major excursion to Uluru and the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands in the Far North of South Australia ... The group was lucky to experience some rarely seen events; waterfalls on Uluru and it shrouded in cloud and mist.

Popular local apprentice butcher Claire Keleher is an entrant in the Australian Meat Industry Council’s Apprentice of the Year competition. Competing last week in Brisbane at State level, Claire showed her skills amongst the best in the business. Out of fourteen entrants only Claire and another entrant were school based, with many of the others being at the end of their apprenticeships.

Haileybury Rendall School (HRS) has announced plans to bring the first private online school to the Northern Territory. The arrival of Haileybury Pangea will make HRS the only school in the Top End to offer day, boarding and online schooling. Haileybury Pangea will welcome its first students from across the Northern Territory to their virtual classrooms in 2024.

With Year 12 students soon to begin their university applications, we thought we’d take a look at the success of one of Kerang’s former students, Glenn Thomas ... is a graphic designer in Melbourne, and he shared his graphic design journey with us, proving that kids from the country can chase and realise their dreams.

The George the Farmer story began in 2012 when founder Simone Kain was trawling the internet looking for farming books and apps for her farm-obsessed son George ... "I quickly discovered there wasn't a human farming character globally who was telling sequential stories about life on the land for children, let alone a modern Aussie farmer telling real, relatable yarns," she said.

An attendance of 350 of all ages was entertained by George the Farmer at the Birchip Public Hall ... “I think it’s very important, especially living in a rural location, that we give our young people equal opportunity and expose them to live productions,” organiser Carling McEvoy said. Whilst also providing  entertainment, George the Farmer concerts aim to educate children on where their food comes from and inspire the next generation of farmers.

Congratulations to Donald High School Student Hunter Wingfield, who has been selected to represent Team Victoria at the Australian Championships in Tweed Heads NSW from September 12 to 15.

Kristin Murdock . While the Adelaide Royal Show is not until September, the Naracoorte High School Agricultural Studies students are already preparing for the challenge ... At the start of this term, six keen Year 9 Agriculture students from NHS attended the SE Cattle Handlers Camp.

Denmark Senior High School students have woven rugs from discarded fabrics to be stitched together in a vast dot replica painting to fill mining craters in the Goldfields. Denmark woman Vivienne Robertson created the Reclaim the Void project in collaboration with Ngalia cultural custodian Kado Muir.

Narrandera Landcare and Murrumbidgee Landcare were blessed with perfect winter weather for their frog hotel making workshop during the school holidays. The workshop at the Community Food Garden was very well attended and the tree frogs around Narrandera will have no shortage of accommodation places in the immediate future.

The Show Horse Council of Australasia’s NSW/ACT Youth Development and Championship Showcase was a brilliant idea, executed perfectly. Held at the Hawkesbury Showgrounds and designed be a youth development program as well as a qualifying event for the Grand National Show, it offered something for every young rider.