Healthy Cities Illawarra is a community-based, non-profit organisation that is part of a worldwide movement initiated by the World Health Organisation. We are committed to continued improvement of the health, environment and quality of life of the Illawarra community

This newsletter also available online here

Healthy Cities Illawarra E-News – September 2005 Edition

(Please circulate to your networks)

In this edition:

 1. Childs Play - are playgrounds too safe?

2. Mens Project Shapes Up

3. Taipei Invites Healthy Cities Illawarra

4. Univative - Challenges Healthy Cities Illawarra

5. Dental Dollars

6. Breakfast Programs Steam Ahead

1. Child's Play - are playgrounds too safe?

Over many years, Healthy Cities has implemented and/or supported numerous initiatives to reduce the numbers of injuries occurring to children in both school and public playgrounds. These activities have included running workshops and advising schools, childcare services and council staff on the design of safe but creative play spaces, as well a long process of lobbying for the introduction of an Australian Safety Standard for play equipment, finally achieved in 2004.

Injury rates in playgrounds have dropped significantly, with changes such as lowered platform heights, “soft –fall” undersurfacing and removal of all “unsafe” equipment credited with this great result. We now have parks that are either empty, or full of very pretty, very expensive, ultra-safe play equipment.

But have playgrounds now become boring for children?Why are children choosing the X-Box over the neighbourhood park?Are over – protective parents restricting kids opportunities for free play in local neighbourhoods?What are the long term implications for our children’s social and physical health? What can be done to save the “outdoor child”??

These and many more questions regarding the social and health benefits of community playgrounds are up for discussion, so email Kath on safety@healthycitiesill.org.au if you have any opinions or ideas on this issue.

TOP

2. Men's Project Shapes Up

HCI and South Eastern Sydney & Illawarra Area Health Services (SESIAHS) Multicultural Health Service are now underway with their project to bring together men over 40 who are unemployed, retrenched or otherwise unoccupied to meet and develop skills in cultural or art work such as wrought iron, woodcarving mosaic. It is hoped that the results of their work can then be contributed back into local communities as public art. The group will be meeting at a ‘shed’ at the back of the Wollongong Centre for Employment and Training (WCET) and we have advertised for a cultural development worker to coordinate the hands on aspects of the groups work.

TOP

3. Taipei Invites Healthy Cities Illawarra

President, Vice President and Secretary of HCI have been invited and funded by the Taipei City Government to participate in the 2nd Annual International Healthy Cities Conference. The conference will bring together Healthy Cities leaders from throughout the Asian region and will focus on topics such as community safety, cultural sustainability, environmental protection and healthy lifestyles.

TOP

4.  Univative - Challenges Healthy Cities Illawarra

HCI recently hosted two team of students from the University of Wollongong who worked on a project task set by us under the Univative initative. Univative provides interested students an opportunity to work together with others from different faculties on a ‘real life’ project. The project brief involved planning a project for the Illawarra similar to David Suzuki’s Nature Challenge but one adapted for Illawarra and Australian conditions. David Suzuki’s Nature Challenge asks people who join to change their behaviour in three out of a possible ten ways to improve the health of our environment. The numbers of participants in the Canadian based Nature Challenge is already approaching one million including the Prime Minister of Canada and, according to Dr Suzuki, is already making a significant difference to the Canadian environment. The two groups of students presented excellent reports that covered not only ten more suitable behaviour changes for participants to undertake but how best to publicise the Challenge to ensure maximum uptake in the Illawarra.

TOP

5. Dental Dollars

As a result of a survey sent to Aged Care Facilities (ACF) the issue of dental care was clearly important. A meeting was convened of key stakeholders and a plan developed to provide ACF’s with basic dental equipment which would allow staff to do basic dental health and hygiene checks as well as provide the visiting dental service staff with adequate conditions to treat residents. Grant applications were sent to local clubs and by the end of the financial year $7000 had been committed for the purchase of second hand dental chairs and lighting.

TOP

6. Breakfast Programs Steam Ahead

Thanks to a one-off grant from the NSW Government’s ‘Families First’ program ten breakfast programs in the region will be able to continue for the next year. The programs, which are delivered by workers and volunteers at Neighbourhood centres or local schools, provide at least 800 meals per week. As well as the nutritional benefits the children receive social support and are able to connect with local health and community services.

To unsubscribe from this newsletter, email admin@healthycitiesill.org.au