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Financial assistance from the Gold Coast Primary Health Network (GCPHN) for residents affected by the destructive summer storms is not only helping to rebuild communities, it’s making them stronger.
The Reconnection for Resilience Community Grants Program provided 15 community grants of up to $5000 for local not-for-profit organisations, healthcare organisations, sporting clubs and primary care providers in the storm and flood hit areas.
“While the property rebuilds continue, so are the psychological health recoveries of those residents directly affected by the storms,” GCPHN CEO Matt Carrodus said.
“Through programs that foster on-going resilience, we are helping to empower people with the resources and support necessary to complete their recovery journeys,” he said.
Mr Carrodus said funded activities included programs aimed at improving mental health and wellbeing through support embedded in addressing social isolation, sport and exercise classes, art therapy, skills development initiatives, community BBQs and more.
Here we highlight one of the amazing organisations that is cleverly using their grants funding to build better local communities:
The formal definition of Wellbeing Wednesdays reads that they are an innovative weekly initiative designed to nurture social cohesion and enhance wellbeing within the Southern Gold Coast community.
But according to Palm Beach Neighbourhood Centre Flood and natural disaster support lead Suzanne Favaloro they’re simply life changing.
“Off the back of the Christmas night storm, we discovered that people who had been through other crisis’s had a real fear of going back out into the community and getting on with their normal lives,” Suzanne said.
“So, we thought about how we could address the problem and make the Neighbourhood Centre a safe place for people to come and share their stories.
“The activities we present on Wellbeing Wednesdays are the perfect way to do that,” she said.
Suzanne said Centre staff undertook a bit of R&D to plot the way forward.
“We had a self-care and recovery event last month and from that we learned what might be useful to present as activities for people who have been under great stress and trauma.
“We found that people simply wanted to relax and gather their thoughts, so the activities we designed are all around providing that calming environment and mindset,” she said.
Wellbeing Wednesdays now provide holistic support through meditation, yoga, tai chi, gardening, Pilates, creative workshops, social BBQ catch ups and more.
And there are the cold-water dips.
“They inspire people to get in the water when it’s cold, even if they only dip their toes, to get them thinking about challenging themselves to do things they might not have otherwise had the confidence to do,” Suzanne said.
“Wellbeing Wednesdays have become a real thing and as soon as we put the flags and signs up out the front, people start smiling because they know Wednesday has arrived.
“There’s a distinct sense of normality coming back in the neighbourhood and more and more people are coming in connect on a deep level with each other.
“They are exchanging phone numbers and arranging to do things together away from the Centre, which is exactly what we hoped might happen.
“And we are dedicated to following their journeys right through,” she said.
Palm Beach Neighbourhood Centre – Social, Education & Wellbeing Hub (palmbeachnc.org.au)
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