Gambling harm a focus of new play Emergency
grants given
A CAUTIONARY tale of the harmful effects of gambling has been penned by an Edithvale playwright. Kieran Carroll has devised the play Enough is Enough. The story follows four gambling addicts whose lives start to unravel. The play is set around a bayside hotel with pokies, which does not shut until 5am. Gambling drives one towards criminal activity, another to counselling, another to illness, and another to grief. A bar worker observes the gamblers and watches their lives fall apart. Members of the local community have helped put the play together by contributing their own stories. The performance concludes with a message from Alliance for Gambling Reform chief advocate Tim Costello AO. He will discuss the devastating impact of gambling, and potential reforms. Gamblers in the Kingston local government area lose tens of millions of dollars playing pokies every year. Enough is Enough will debut at Chelsea Activity Hub in Chelsea on Sunday 18 July at 2:30pm, and Shirley Burke Theatre, Parkdale, Thursday 22 July at 7:30pm. Book free tickets at kingstonarts.com.au/PERFORMANCE/Enough-is-Enough-Gambling-Harm-in-our Community Performances are subject to COVID-19 restrictions. Visit kingstonarts. com.au for updates.
A TOTAL of $50,000 in grant funding has been paid to local emergency relief service providers to help them cope with rising demand from the recent lockdowns. Kingston Council has allocated the funding to numerous local groups. Pantry 5000, Bayside Community Care Emergency Food Relief, Matt’s Place, Kingston City Church Emergency Resources, Make a Difference Dingley Village, Mentone Community Assistance and Information Bureau, Chelsea Community Support Service, Churches of Christ Auspice Community Care, Bayside Community information and support services, and Chelsea Longbeach Anglican Church have been chosen to receive funding. Each organisation will receive a one-off payment of $5000. Kingston mayor Steve Staikos said “the snap lockdowns have created additional demand on local welfare agencies which provide food relief to community members experiencing disadvantage. “We have provided an emergency relief payment of $5,000 each to ten local charities, which will enable them to do their important work providing critical food relief – utilities bills payments, and other emergency supplies – to vulnerable community members,” he said. “Even when lockdowns are in place, we continue to provide a number of critical services to community members in need: from food deliveries through our Meals on Wheels program, to home care services for residents over 65 and those living with a disability. We also offer a number of opportunities to connect and engage, through online workshops run from AccessCare, Kingston Libraries and Youth Services. And for those who enjoy sending and receiving letters, we have a local letter writing project that aims to address loneliness and isolation in our community.”
EDITHVALE playwright Kieran Carroll. Picture: Supplied
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Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News
23 June 2021
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