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YOU can catch all the action for each round at St Ives Village Green, where the screenings will be held. Screenings will begin at 6 pm for each game with kick off at 8 pm. Food and non-alcoholic drinks will be available for purchase to enjoy while watching the Matildas (hopefully) bring it home!

THE SCREENINGS WILL INCLUDE:

Round 1 Thursday 20th July Australia v Ireland

Round 2 Thursday 27th July Australia v Nigeria

Round 3 Monday 31st July Australia v Canada

In addition to watching the game – local sporting clubs will run fun clinics and competitions prior to kick-off. This is sure to be a lively and engaging event! Mayor Jeff Pettett had this to say;

“This is the most exciting event for football lovers since the men’s World Cup last year”.

“We plan to screen the final on Sunday, 20th of August and other games may also be screened, assuming the Matildas reach the finals.”

This July, Ku-ring-gai Council will host live screenings of the Matilda’s FIFA rounds and the World Cup Final!

The screenings are FREE to attend - under an agreement reached with FIFA and in partnership with local sporting clubs.

For more information, head to: krg.nsw.gov.au/Things-to-do/Whats-on/Womens-World-Cup-livesite

KKYLIE & JANE from Essence of Home, under their social impact brand Design for Hope have joined forces with Jemma from Shed Eleven to help bring a much-needed touch of love to one of the shelters operated by Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Women’s Shelter.

“We are thrilled to be part of this fabulous project. Our wish is that the women and children who come to stay at the Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Women’s Shelter find peace, worthiness, and a renewed sense of possibilities in their lives.”

- Jane, Essence of Home

This is not the first time these local ladies have worked together. Last year Shed Eleven donated some gorgeous bespoke pieces (all upcycled of course) for Erin’s Place, a women’s and children’s shelter Design for Hope were renovating.

Inspired by the Erin’s Place project Jemma has pulled together this new project, ‘House to Home’.

“The combination of a strong belief in the power of a beautiful environment, the knowledge that the community want to get involved, and my passion for upcycling items destined for potential landfill, put me in a unique position to assist the shelter in their House to Home project.”

– Jemma, Shed Eleven

While the shelter currently provides a clean and safe environment, Design for Hope and Shed Eleven are determined to create a feeling of comfort, tranquillity, and support for its residents during their time of crisis.

The aim of this project is to infuse the shelter with beautiful furniture and décor in soft calming colours and create an environment where women and their children can feel nurtured on their road to recovery. And all while reducing landfill.

Many hands make light work and as with any significant project there are lots of welcomed volunteers:

Design for Hope are consulting on the colour scheme and the use of Trauma Informed Design. Their expertise will contribute to creating balance throughout the house and giving it a calm, welcoming feel to promote recovery from trauma and help to rebuild the residents’ confidence and self-worth.

Shed Eleven will upcycle good quality, donated furniture, artwork and décor for the shelter. Jemma is tackling the pressing issue of furniture waste (did you know that approximately 30,000 tonnes of furniture ends up in Australian landfills each year?)

Jemma ran a workshop for some Ku-ring-gai Council staff members where they helped upcycle donated plant pots and art canvases.

St Ives Rotary Club are generously funding the upcycling costs, highlighting their commitment to supporting initiatives that positively impact the local community.

The response from the broader community has been truly heartwarming as well. With offers of donations of funds, time and many items for repurposing.

And of course, the Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Women’s Shelter team who are helping these women in crisis to create a better, happier future.

To find out more about either business: essenceofhome.com.au/designforhope shedeleven.com.au

FOSTER CARERS are ORDINARY PEOPLE DOING EXTRAORDINARY THINGS in your local community and we urgently need more of them.

Have you ever had a cup of tea with a foster carer? What does it even mean to provide foster care? Did you know that in Australia there are over *45, 000 kids in out-of-home care.

Fostering does not have to be full-time. Emergency Carers look after children and young people removed from unsafed situations for short period while a foster carer is being arranged. Being taken from home and family in these circumstances is traumatic for children and they are often distressed, frightened, and confused when they come to emergency foster care. Emergency Foster Carers usually need to be available to take a child at any time though you can let us know when there are times you are not going to be available.

At Key Assets Australia, we provide our foster carers with ongoing training, 24/7 support, a dedicated social worker, and an allowance. We hold regular events and connect foster carers with each other for extra support. Are you thinking of becoming a foster carer?

Anyone can apply to become a foster carer. We celebrate diversity and welcome enquiries from people who are single or in a relationship, homeowners or renting. Your culture, religion or sexual orientation doesn’t affect your eligibility for foster care. We believe the diversity of our carers is vital when finding the best possible family for a foster child.

If you feel you have the love, space, and energy to provide a safe and happy home, then we would love to talk to you about the options of emergency care, respite care, short-term, or long-term care. Scan me!

Get in touch with one of our friendly team members today on 1800 932 273 or visit canifoster.com.au

“NEED A LIFT” is the Ku-ring-gai council’s newest initiative to bring some positivity back into the frame of its young residents. Locals between the ages of 12 – 24 are invited to snap pictures of the people, places, or things that “lift” their mood and brighten their days with a small caption explaining why.

There are plenty of positive things to focus your lens on! Maybe you’ll snap some gorgeous shots of the sunrise or even a picture of your dog enjoying a snooze in the sun. You and your friends might even pose for a picture together – just remember to point the camera at something that lifts your mood!

All entries will be put before a panel of young judges, and a selection of the entries will go on display at various NSW Health and Council facilities across northern Sydney with the tagline “Need a lift”. These exhibits will run throughout October and coincide with Mental Health Month. It is designed to encourage local residents towards better attitudes, outlooks and overall more positive mental health.

But it’s not just a space in the exhibit that’s on offer –there are multiple Westfield vouchers to be won! The overall winner will win a $350 voucher, with the runner-up winning a voucher worth $250.

That’s not all – there will also be three age categories where each winner will be awarded a $150 voucher. The age categories are as follows:

- 12-15 years

- 16-18 years

- 19-24 years

The local residents can also have their say with the People’s Choice Award – everyone can vote via https:// pollunit.com/polls/2023needalift between 1 October and 31 October – the winner is set to receive a $250 Westfield Voucher.

The competition is supported by a range of Sydney councils and public health organisations, including the Northern Sydney Local Health District SchoolLink Program, Child and Youth Mental Health Service, headspace Brookvale, headspace Chatswood, Ku-ring-gai Council, City of Ryde, North Sydney Council, Lane Cove Council, Mosman Council, Northern Beaches Council, Avalon Youth Hub, Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Community Drug Action Team.

To submit your entry, head to pollunit.com/polls/2023needalift and read the Terms and Conditions. The competition is open now and closes on September 4th. Get snapping!

OVER the past few months there has been a massive amount of negative media speculation predicting a slump or total crash of the real estate market. However, the reality is that whilst the market slowed for a short time it has maintained its foundation and has rebounded strongly. The low levels of property for sale on the market has meant gains each month this year.

There is always strong buyer demand in St Ives, with the wealth of acclaimed local schools, our wonderful Shopping Village, parks, great transport links and of course the close-knit community. Here at Ray White we’re seeing high numbers of buyers at inspections which is translating to high numbers of registered bidders at auctions. The result of which has created a competitive environment ensuring vendors receive the highest possible price.

Sales of houses and in particular new builds are leading the price gains in St Ives. Since the beginning of the year, 88 houses have sold at the average price of $3,170,083. (59 prices were disclosed at the time of publishing.) The highest price achieved was $7,850,000.*

Compared to the same period last year when 99 houses were sold with an average price of $3,001,758. The highest price of $6,200,000 was achieved by our team at Ray White St Ives for the sale of 2 Lancaster Ave, St Ives.*

In addition, since the beginning of the year, 69 units have been sold with the average price of $1,108,246 and the highest being $3,600,000. Compared to the same period last year, when 65 units were sold, with the average price of $1,331,552 and the highest being $4,000,000.*

SO WHAT CAN YOU EXPECT TO SEE IN THE COMING MONTHS?

The property market will typically slow down over winter as school holidays have an impact, yet this year with the scarcity of available properties for sale, buyers will definitely be out and about. New listings across Sydney are down 17% compared to the same period last year and for some suburbs of the Upper North Shore it’s up to 30-40%. Buyers are becoming increasingly frustrated by the lack of options, yet in this situation sellers can certainly benefit. The lack of stock is resulting in intense competition for each property, evidenced by the highest average number of registered bidders at Ray White auctions across Sydney of 7.5, with an auction clearance rate of 85% (the highest we’ve seen since 2021), versus the low of 2.2 average registered bidders nationally in November 2022.

We will continue to see further price growth with the recovery of Sydney’s property market being led by the premium segment. Data from CoreLogic reveals that the most expensive houses in the top quarter of the market are experiencing the fastest recovery. In the past three months, values in this segment have surged by 5.6%, outpacing the 2.6% increase in more affordable segments. Strong demand and limited supply have contributed to this upward trajectory.

Despite various challenges, including the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, multiple interest rate hikes, low consumer confidence, negative media coverage, and stricter lending regulations, the property market has demonstrated remarkable resilience and is now in a positive phase. Contrary to those predictions of significant price declines, the market has shown strength. Given the current supply-demand dynamics, it is likely that the upward trend will continue until supply catches up with demand.

This all presents an opportune time to sell. As the highest selling real estate agency in St Ives and across the Upper North Shore, we meet more buyers than anyone else, providing a significant advantage in selling your property.

If you are considering selling, I would be delighted to discuss how I can help you secure the highest price in the current market.

EECO-CONSCIOUS Dutch greenwares brand Elho began as a small family business in 1964 and has been focusing on sustainability ever since, with all products designed and manufactured in Holland. Additionally, Elho create their beautiful designer pots by using over 8 million kilos of waste each year!

Not only do Elho’s amazing products work to save the planet, but they’re also built to last a lifetime - designed with long-lasting colours, UV protection, lightweight and frost-resistant materials – they are the perfect addition to any home. What’s more, all of their products are made using renewable energy via wind power.

In March of this year, scientists reported that there were more than 170 trillion plastic particles floating in our oceans, with the rate of plastic waste entering aquatic environments set to more than double by 2040 unless plastic production is slowed. Now, making use of recyclable materials and reclaimed waste particles is more important than ever.

We can hardly go online or watch television today without seeing images of polluted oceans; thankfully, Elho is trying to change that by bringing sustainability into the garden and home! Their newest range, the Ocean Collection Designer Pots, is made - as all Elho pots are - with 100% recycled materials. This collection helps keep our oceans and waterways clean as each pot is made using recycled maritime plastic granules. This includes plastic from items such as fishing ropes, nets, and dragnets.

This inventive process of using different, recycled plastics allows for every pot to be unique, with different colour tones and natural marble effects reflecting the colours of the ocean such as “Pacific Green” and “Atlantic Blue”. This makes them perfect for mixing and matching around your home and garden. Not to mention they come in a variety of shapes and sizes to fit your needs.

Elho is a world-leading innovator in garden pots with selections for all spaces and styles – indoor or outdoor, hanging or floor, balcony pots or raised veggie beds – Elho has all your gardening needs in one sustainable and stylish brand! They also have you covered with an extensive range of gardening accessories, including self-watering inserts and greensense aqua cares – designed to help your plants receive the right amount of water.

Elho pots, accessories and their new Ocean Collection can be purchased online and are stocked at most Bunnings and Flower Power stores throughout Sydney – to find your closest store selling Elho pots or to order yours today, head to: elho.com/au