The Western Echo September 2023

THE POSITIVE IMPACT of Cricket

All Abilities Cricket Program for Children and Young Adults with Intellectual Disabilities

The Valley District Cricket Club’s (VDCC) All Abilities Program is coming into its 5th year. With the goal of providing opportunities for children and young adults with an intellectual disability to learn and play cricket, it continues to grow each year. The program was developed by Karen (Kaz) Willis and Clinton Kempnich “George”, who has over 30+ years in special needs teaching. The idea came out of a conversation Kaz had with a mum at a cricket game who told Kaz about how much her younger child wanted to try cricket, but due to his autism there were no opportunities available for him. As Kaz has a son on the spectrum herself, and involved with VDCC as a family, it really hit home to Kaz that she was right – there really wasn't anything out there for these children.

While many leaps have been taken towards inclusive sports, there is still a long way to go. Latest ABS figures show that only 1 in 5 children with a disability participate in sport and get to experience the physical, emotional, and social benefits that sports can offer. Barriers such as inaccessible facilities, limited specialised coaching, and a lack of inclusive programs often hinder their participation. This not only deprives them of the joys of physical activity but can also extend to a sense of exclusion and isolation.

Kaz’s whole family absolutely love cricket - her husband and two teenage boys all play at Valleys. While Kaz doesn't play, she has coordinated the Club’s Cricket Blast programs and volunteered in the Club’s junior’s space for over 10 years. Her youngest son was diagnosed with autism in primary school and while he was high functioning in many areas, he struggled with socialisation and emotion regulation. This sometimes meant that he didn't want to participate in team sports because the environment didn't have what he needed to be able to enjoy the experience. He felt “different”, and this tended to make his social anxiety worse. But over the years of playing cricket at Valleys he found his “place”.

He has had great mentors and other players who have supported him and understood that he processes things differently. At the end of the day, he has great cricketing skills and is now playing 6th grade men’s Premier cricket. He is also one of the coaches now for the All Abilities program and he absolutely loves it!

Of all the benefits that this program brings to the participants, the one that really stands out is that the participants love being part of a team environment.

“Many of the parents have expressed to me that when their child puts on their Valleys training shirt they are so excited, because for many of them it's the first time they have been in a team or belonged to a club”, said Kaz.

Kaz continued, “The next best thing is the relationships the participants build with the coaches. Usually on week 1 of the program they are tentative in their interactions, but by week 4 they literally jump out of the car and run to see their coach. It’s just so heart-warming to see them enjoying themselves and trying so hard to improve their skills”.

The Club Chairman, Grant Mitchell has said on many occasions, that the All Abilities Program is the best thing that Valleys District Cricket Club has ever done – and it really is. For the participants, for the parents, for the coaches – and for Kaz.

The program is not just about playing cricket; it's about embracing abilities, nurturing potential, and fostering inclusivity.

Any questions about the program can be sent to Kaz at allabilities@valleycricket.org.au, or visit their website at www. valleycricket.org.au/allabilities. You can also register via the QR code below.

Follow the program on Facebook (VDCC All Abilities Cricket Program) or Instagram @All_Abilities_Cricket

Cover image: Karen Willis, Cr Steve Toomey, and cricket participants Harrison and Callum at Valley District Cricket Club.

Photo credits: Colin Bushell Photography

From theEditor

Dear Readers,

Welcome to the September edition! We can’t believe how the year is rushing by and we’re now printing our 5th edition since taking over the publication in April.

We are proud and happy that the interest from readers, and copies disappearing from our stands, has really gained momentum - our August edition went like hot cakes! If you miss getting your hands on a hard copy, please remember you can easily read it online and download a copy from our website.

Please enjoy our special “Health Hub” feature this month –published in partnership with Katie Maclean from Echo News. Please visit our website to enter: www.westernecho.com.au

Facebook.com/TheWesternEcho Instagram.com/thewesternecho

All the best, Mel & Kym

Melanie: 0409 440 501 | editor@westernecho.com.au or melanie@planetmarketing.com.au

Kym: 0402 450 568 | spotart@spotart.com.au

Brisbane Art In Bark Assoc.

Are you looking for something new to do?

Come and join us, learn how to do a bark picture. Art in Bark have classes at Brisbane City Hall 50+ in basement. Adelaide Street side of Hall. Mondays 9.30am to 12.00 pm for Workshop. Fee $10 for lesson and $5 for kit.

The Kit we supply includes bark, board, glue etc. for the first lesson.

If you can’t get to Brisbane City we have a Workshop for all ages at:-

Nundah Apostolic Church Hall on Saturdays, 43 Robinson Road, Nundah.

We would love to see you. Please phone us first so we can book you in.

We have been very busy displaying our bark work at the EKKA and Pine Rivers Show in August. Please come and have a look at our bark work at Brisbane City Hall for their 50th Celebration, from 4-14 September.

For more Info: Barbara 3271 2130; Joy 0407 178 064; or Hazel 0408 157 117.

Notice to Readers

For those residents who wish to collect a free copy, we have news stands / copies available at some key locations including:

Home Cafe Ashgrove

Ashgrove Library

Gerbino’s Bakery Ashgrove

Jonty Bush MP Office Waterworks Rd

Cr. Steve Toomey Gap Ward Office

Cr. Clare Jenkinson Paddington Ward Office

Red Hill Post Office

The Gap Post Office

The Gap Village near Vinnies cafe

Brumby’s The Gap

The Friendly Grocer The Gap

BP The Gap

Ashgrove Golf Club

Paten Park Native Nursery

Planet Marketing The Gap

West Ashgrove Shopping Centre between bakery/chemist

View online: www.westernecho.com.au

We wish to advise that distribution of the Western Echo can not be legally made to letterboxes displaying ‘Australia Post Only’ ‘Authorised Mail Only’ or ‘No Junk Mail’.

COPYRIGHT: All advertisements appearing in The Western Echo are subject to copyright and may not be reproduced except with the written consent of the owner of the copyright. No guarantee is given to the positioning of the advertisements and the publisher takes no responsibility for errors or omissions or the accuracy of articles published. The Western Echo is delivered, by private letterbox distribution, to homes in: Ashgrove, Ashgrove West, St. Johns Wood, Dorrington, The Gap, and selected areas of Bardon, Red Hill, Enoggera, Keperra and Mitchelton.

Reminder for Advertisers / Contributors please:

Deadline for October 2023 Edition: All due by Friday, 15 September

Cr Steven Toomey Councillor for The Gap Ward

Flying-Fox Roost Management

There has been a permanent flying-fox roost in Enoggera Creek along Riaweena Street for many years, but recently the population of the migrating Grey Headed flying-foxes has increased. Grey Headed flying-foxes move between Melbourne and Bundaberg following food sources. With all the heavy rain experienced last year, our region is experiencing an increased food supply for these vulnerable animals. While I understand the population growth of flying-foxes has drawn more attention to themselves than in the past couple of years with a call to move them on, the solution is not as easy as asking them to move house. The only permanent method to remove a flying-foxes colony is it removal of their habitat! This means cutting down the trees they roost adjacent to and in Enoggera Creek. Clearing trees would create another problem disrupting the local ecology, reducing local biodiversity above and below the water line, and pushing the flying-foxes further into residents back yards.

Another option is dispersal tactics such as water cannons, smoke, flashing lights, horns, and gunfire sounds. To be effective, dispersal needs to start from around 2-3 am as the flying foxes start to return to their roost. Both of these options I'm sure residents would not support, and I certainly could not.

Council has found the best action to take that doesn't keep residents up at night and flying-foxes safe is to improve buffers between private property and the colony. For Enoggera Creek, this means the flying-foxes don't lose their habitat and continue to help improve the biodiversity of Enoggera Creek and help prevent the colony from dispersing onto private property.

Whilst I appreciate that this does not alleviate all the impacts associated with living with wildlife, it will ensure there is no potential for the animals to overhang your backyard. I have also put in a request for the paths to be cleaned following their migration south.

Flying Fox Facts

Flying-foxes are social animals that live in colonies and roost together in family units.

A colony can spread over 60,000 native seeds across 50 square kilometres in a night.

Flying-foxes are nomadic mammals moving up and down the east coast of Australia.

The grey-headed flying-fox is listed as vulnerable to extinction.

Both the Queensland and Federal Governments have laws in place to protect flying-foxes.

Photography by Colin Bushell

COL’S CHAT Locals through my Lens

Co-founders, Caylie Jeffery and Kerry Forsythe, along with Paddington Festival organiser Julie Duff display an effervescent enthusiasm for all things Paddington. “Our goal is to share memories. Much of the 1930s and 40s was recorded, but the later eras are not properly represented. We want to forge a connection with the community where we are seen as keepers of the past, but advocates for the future.”

Volunteering their time to the project, and working out of Latrobe Terrace, the team are gathering hundreds of images and stories, and building a significant database. “We intend to make the stories a permanent record on our website, and maybe even a book. The uptake has been enormous, and we are thrilled to be considered with such a sense of trust and honesty. We’re doing it with the intention of helping Paddington wherever we can.”

Paddington Then & Now

Paddington – one of Brisbane’s most historically significant suburbs - is awash with memories and ripe for the creation of new ones. Though starting out with a focus on the past, Paddington Then & Now has morphed into an organic group that’s not just bringing history to life in the area, but celebrating all that is young and bright about its community.

The recent Now & Then Festival was also a huge success. Organised alongside Paddington Terraces 4064, the event attracted huge numbers. “This is the first time a Paddington Festival has been organised by this team, and the first time that it has had the distinct goal of redefining Paddington’s identify. We are so proud of its success and look forward to doing it again in 2024”.

To add your own Paddington story, visit paddingtonthenandnow. com.au, or Paddington Terraces 4064 on Facebook.

Author & Photographer: Colin Bushell | Colin Bushell Photography

state government update

What's happening this month locally and within State Parliament

Celebrating our local history

you're invited

We celebrated two great historical celebrations this month Well done to everyone involved in the 150 year celebration of The Gap Uniting Church and Cemetary. Not many know there is a historic cemetery located on Waterworks Road, it’s worth a visit and I'm sure you will recognise a few names.

Congratulations also to everyone involved in the Paddington Now d Then festival! What an incredible day, with local historical talks, w crawls and artist demonstrations. I can't possibly list everyone involved in these events, but special mention to Jeff and Ann Hilder, Rev Rod Fisher, Caylie Jeffrey and Kerry Forsythe who really led the charge If you'd like to connect with our local historical groups please let me know

mcdonald's development

I’ve been made aware of a Development Application (DA) for Waterworks Road, which is the current 7/11 service station T which has been made to Brisbane City Council will remove tw neighbouring commercial buildings and result in a large McDo restaurant and drive through.

While progress usually excites me, the loss of a key commerc site on a fast food chain doesn't I stand with local businesses and residents who have raised concerns with me about this D and the impact it will have on our community

This DA is currently with Brisbane City Council for approval. If you would like to have your say on this, you can make a submission referencing A006331069 I have also started a petition that I will present at the QR Code below If you'd like to discuss this with me please reach out to my office

Jonty bush MP Working hard for us

The Gap Pioneer and History Club

Qld Synod of The Uniting Church, The Rev. Andrew Gunton, State Member for Cooper, Jonty Bush M.P., Steven Toomey, Local Councillor for The Gap Ward, Richard James, Acting Principal of T.G.S.H.S. with an apology from Elizabeth Watson-Brown M.P., Federal Member for Ryan.

A major upgrade to the monumental structures and the general cemetery landscape was physically undertaken by the Cemetery Registrar Jeff Hilder, Peter Rolls and Roger Beer.

Programming was researched, planned, and executed by the Cemetery Registrar Jeff Hilder and his wife Ann (nee Fanning) who drew heavily on their executive association and experience as historians with The Gap Pioneer and History Group Inc. who celebrate their 20th Anniversary in 2023.

The cemetery has 165 burials and 497 interments in the Columbarium Walls and the first task for Jeff and Ann when compiling a guest list was to identify and attempt to locate living family members which turned into a six month ‘obsession’.

An Historic 150 Year Milestone in The Gap

The year 2023 marks the 150th Anniversary (1873 – 2023) of The Gap’s two oldest, continuous community organizations, The Gap Primitive Methodist/Methodist/Uniting Church and The Gap Pioneer Cemetery situated at 1050 Waterworks Road.

On Saturday 5th August 2023 almost 250 invited guests attended the very comprehensive celebrations for The Gap Pioneer Cemetery. Special invited guests included the Moderator of the

The program in the cemetery was planned to involve fourteen families in the placement of flowers and a further thirteen families in the ribbon cutting and unveiling of historic Interpretive Panels. A special cake-cutting and afternoon tea followed. A display of over 550 historical images created by The Gap Pioneer and History Group Secretary, Ann Hilder was viewed.

A 150th Anniversary publication by The Gap Pioneer Group, written and produced by Ann and Jeff Hilder which included the church and the cemetery, was launched and available at $25.00 per copy. Watch for more specific event details next month.

Please contact: Jeff Hilder, email- jeffhilder@outlook.com

Newmarket BocceClub News

Unfortunately for Redlands, Newmarket club achieved 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 5th with Redlands in the middle with 3rd place. Congratulations to everyone for a great competition.

I have always said that sponsorship is an asset to any club as it showcases the sponsor and assists the club in many ways.

On Sunday 23rd July, we had the Charlie Parrella Cup. A long-time member of our club.

There were 32 players from Newmarket and Redlands Bocce clubs. Eight teams of 4 players each team. What a great day of camaraderie and fun, but at the end of the day there must be a winner, even though we are all winners.

The lunch was superb with Silva providing the first course and of course our resident super chef Gina with her helpers did the rest. Fantastic.

Add a raffle and cheer and you have the making of a great day. Our sponsor Charlie brought along his grandson Michael and enjoyed the moment. Some pics to tell the story attached.

So come on down and have a peek and maybe play some bocce. Please contact: Mario 0403 257 325; Tony 0418 731 423; or Bill 0431 458 481.

Enoggera & Districts Historical Society

The Enoggera & District Historical Society invites you to attend a talk

Given by Dr Michael Marendy, a Queensland textile conservator. His topic:“The Grand Poster Ball of September 1900 the fashions, the makers and the models.”

The ball was held to raise funds for the Lady Lamington Hospital a facility treating “diseases peculiar to women”

Entry by Gold Coin with refreshments.

Beginning at 2pm -

Sunday 24th of September

at the Enoggera Memorial Hall, 35 Trundle St, Enoggera

For further information please contact the President

Kym: kym.hyson61@gmail.com

Lady Lamington centre front row in Nurse uniform.

Ashgrove The Gap Lions Club

In September we will continue to conduct BBQ’s for Trek2Health as part of their program to assist First Responders and Veterans. We also provided a successful BBQ for Save Our Waterways Now which was held in the Banks Street Reserve in Newmarket. At our Partners & Friends Dinner Meeting in July we welcomed Inspector Corey Allen from the Queensland Police Service as our Guest Speaker presenting about the Police being involved in our community and the benefits associated with that.

We have just received Christmas Cakes & Puddings which are available for sale in our community. 1.5Kg cake for $20, 1kg Cake and 900gm Pudding for $16, or 80gm Mini Cake for $2. Please call 0400 210 357 or visit the link on our website or Facebook page.

Upcoming Events

Our club will be conducting a BBQ lunch for the British Railway Modellers of Australia at the Tramway Museum in Ferny Grove on 24th September. Ashgrove The Gap Lions Club will be having a Plant Sale in Ashgrove Avenue at Ashgrove on Saturday 30th September 2023 as a fundraising event.

Save The Date

On 22 October we will be supporting Cure Brain Cancer Foundation in their annual walk. On 28 October our club will assist Serenata Singers with their annual concert and The Gap Uniting Church, all members of public are welcome to attend. Melbourne Cup tickets will be on sale at The Gap Shopping Village and Ashgrove Marketplace on 28th & 29th October and 3rd to 6th November. On 3rd and 4th November we will be assisting The Gap Uniting Church with “Celebrating The Gap”.

If you would like to find out more about the above events, joining Lions, or become a Friend of Lions please email Allan Turner at lionatg19@gmail.com or call 0400 210 357.

Webiste: www.ashgrovethegaplions.org.au

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ AshgroveTheGapLionsClub

Purple pea bush

During a bushwalk around Brisbane in spring, you will invariably come across a spectacular bushy shrub covered in purple pea flowers. The purple pea bush (Hovea acutifolia) is one of twenty species of Hovea, all of which are endemic to Australia. Its natural range is the wet eucalypt forests and rainforest margins from southeast Queensland to the central coast of New South Wales. This species is named after its pointed leaf, which is narrowly elliptical to 7 cm long and evenly tapered at both the base and apex. The upper surface is smooth and green whilst the lower surface is covered in soft, short, rusty hairs.

The purple pea bush is a medium-sized shrub that grows to about 3 metres high and 1.5 metres wide with a unique, almost vase, shape. The stems are covered in soft brown hairs. Although they are relatively short-lived (about 5 to 7 years), they are a fastgrowing plant. It is in spring that the plant really shines. The typical pea flowers, each consisting of four petals, emerge on stalks from the leaf axils. The flowers are succeeded by green pods, which are edible when young, that turn brown on ripening. These pods pop open to disperse the seed which self-germinate in undisturbed areas, ensuring continuous, alluring displays. This plant requires relatively little attention. It can grow in a variety of well-drained soils that are slightly acidic to slightly alkaline, and prefers filtered sun or partial shade. Although it is drought resistant, the purple pea bush benefits from good mulching to conserve water. This species is tolerant of light frosts and salt. It makes an interesting background in a Mediterranean or cottage garden, is a great feature plant in a small garden, as a potted specimen or it could be used to create a screen. A light annual pruning after flowering helps to maintain shape whilst encouraging plant growth and flowering. The plant can be fertilised with a low-phosphate product.

This is a wildlife habitat plant. Bees, including native species, see purple better than other colours, so the purple pea bush is highly desirable for them. Other insect, such as butterflies, wasps and spiders are also attracted to the flowers. These in turn attract insect-eating birds. This bushy shrub, whilst a refuge against predators, provides shelter from the weather for small birds. It can also be grown safely in gardens with young children and inquisitive pets.

The Gap RSLSub Branch

Vietnam Veterans Day 2023

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the cessation of Australia’s involvement in the Vietnam War. To commemorate this event The Gap RSL sub-branch held a service at their home at Nullagundi, off School Rd. It was a lovely morning, albeit with some brief showers, and captured the importance of service – thankyou to Michele Keighley for an excellent address. We would also like to thank the Rev Rod Fisher from The Gap Uniting Church and Jonty Bush MP for commemorating this significant event with us. As always, we’re so grateful to the hard work of our members who organise these events – particularly Cathy for her efforts in leading the event and Karen for her ongoing welfare support.

We’re open at Nullagundi every Tuesday from 9-11am for a coffee and a catch-up and we’re also looking at holding some weekend social activities for those who can’t make the Tuesday drop-in. We encourage all of our local veterans, serving members and their families to get in touch.

Website: www.rslqld.org/about-us/the-gap-sub-branch

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheGapRSL

Arana View Club News

Luncheon meeting for Arana VIEW Club will be held at 10.30am for 11.00am on the first Wednesday of the month at Arana Leagues Club, Dawson Parade, Keperra. A two-course lunch for $30.00 including tea and coffee will be provided. There will be lucky door prize and raffles.

Our Make Bake and Grow was very successful, and our Cent Auction will be coming up in October.

We have a guest speaker each month with some very interesting topics. Last month we had Noela Geeves who gave us a very informative talk on Bees. Also, Lyall Aldridge, QA1 Zone Councillor. In September we have our Spring Fashion Parade – fashions by U and I Designs Plenty of raffle prizes to be won, all friends welcome. October our guest speaker will be Phil Adam History of Brisbane Gardens.

Our last outing was a Cross River Rail Tour, Government House Garden Tour and Walk with VIEW.

In September we have a Brisbane Museum at Southbank highlights tour.

For bookings phone Carol 3355 5349 by 11.00 am Thursday before the meeting if you are attending.

VIEW welcomes new members and visitors to our meeting and other social activities organised each month so members have a chance to make new friends.

All funds raised are donated to The Smith Family and its Learning for Life programs which provide education scholarships and personal support for those students.

VIEW is proud to be The Smith Family’s single biggest sponsor of disadvantaged Australian students: www. thesmithfamily.com.au/view

Your local spring health and wellbeing guide!

Is Collagen Worth the Hype?

By Rosie Atkinson APD, The Bee’s Knees Nutrition

As an Accredited Practising Dietitian and Nutritionist, I am often asked about the health benefits of collagen supplementation. Here are the facts about collagen so you can decide whether it’s right for you.

Collagen is the most abundant protein in the human body. It can be thought of as the glue that holds us together because it is the main component of connective tissues such as skin, bone, tendons, ligaments, and cartilage. It is made in our bodies when the protein we eat is broken down into amino acids.

As we get older, collagen production decreases and results in reduced elasticity in our skin, evidenced by fine lines and wrinkles, as well as changes to the way our bodies move, such as reduced flexibility and range of motion in our joints.

UV exposure and stress can also slow down the production of collagen in our bodies. Unfortunately, the first five years of menopause can see a 30 per cent decline in skin collagen and it continues to decline by around 2 per cent each subsequent year.

Collagen is found in the connective tissue of animals, therefore dietary sources are foods like red meat, chicken, and seafood. However, our bodies also require vitamin C, zinc and copper to make collagen, so eating foods such as citrus, dairy, legumes, wholegrains, avocado, eggs and leafy greens are beneficial to boost your collagen production. This means a having balanced diet including all the major food groups is a great way to support your body to make collagen. There’s a growing body of research into collagen supplementation which shows it can be beneficial for improving joint functionality and reducing joint pain(1). Other studies have shown hydrolysed collagen supplementation can have favourable results compared to a placebo in terms of skin hydration, elasticity, and hydration after 3 months (Ref 2 below).

Common collagen supplements are from bovine and marine sources. Vegetarian collagen supplements may contain ingredients that support your body’s own production of collagen. The most important thing to keep in mind is that there’s no point taking collagen or other supplements if you aren’t eating a healthy balanced diet to begin with. In summary, the good news is, there’s no harm in collagen supplementation if it fits within your budget. However, it can take up to 12 weeks before you notice any changes, so don’t expect overnight results.

References: (1) Khatri et al (2021), (2) de Miranda et al (2021)

Rosie Atkinson APD sees clients in person and online and is currently taking new clients. She is passionate about helping people understand nutrition for everyday health and develop a healthy relationship with food. Visit www.thebeeskneesnutrition.com to make an appointment for personalised nutrition advice.

The Whole Person Approach to Health Care

With so many options available in the healthcare space it can be confusing knowing what to do and where to go to get honest genuine care. Revive has been established in Ashgrove since 2001 and we are proud of the reputation we have for fixing problems and addressing the root cause of issues to prevent a recurrence of symptoms in the long run. At Revive, we have an experienced passionate team of health professionals with skills across many areas of Physiotherapy (general, sports and women’s health), Exercise Physiology, Clinical Pilates, and Massage. The Revive approach to health care is to consider the whole person – people aren’t just a knee or a low back or a leaky bladder – they are lots of things and there are usually lots of

things going on to cause the symptoms that people present with. Our treatment plans take into consideration not just the presenting issue but what else is contributing to the injury/pain/issue that brings someone to an appointment. These things are complex and require active listening from caring health professionals. We then collaborate with our patients to set up a treatment pathway that is individualised and specifically aimed at reaching the goals of the patient –whether that’s to run pain-free, play in the netball grand final, to be able to lift the grandkids or to laugh without leaking! Some of the many things we can help with include: arthritis management, low back pain management, neck and shoulder pain relief, headache and jaw pain relief, sports injury management (including high level rehab and return to sport programs), Women’s health physio (including pre and post-natal care and classes, pelvic floor care and pessary fitting), help with managing diabetes, oncology rehab, weight management issues and heart health. Our friendly admin team can assist people who are unsure of what pathway of care is best for them. The first step is to make that initial appointment and we will guide people from there. We run monthly specials and offers and these can be accessed on our website or by subscribing to our newsletter.

www.revivestudio.com.au

Level 1, Highpoint Plaza, 240 Waterworks Rd., Ashgrove

P: 3366 0500

E : ashgrove@revivestudio.com.au

How can Acupuncture help you?

Acupuncture is a versatile therapy that can provide assistance with various conditions, ranging from physical ailments to mental health concerns. Olwen Bishop is an AHPRA registered acupuncturist and founder of Zen Acupuncture. One of the primary benefits of acupuncture is its effectiveness in managing chronic pain and musculoskeletal injuries. By stimulating specific points on the body, acupuncture can help alleviate pain, reduce inflammation, and promote natural healing processes.

Acupuncture has proven beneficial for mental well-being. It can help alleviate symptoms of anxiety, stress, and other mental health conditions. Acupuncture treatments promote relaxation, reduce tension, and restore balance within the body, thereby fostering a sense of calm and emotional stability.

Olwen also focuses on addressing women's health concerns, particularly menopause and menstrual regulation. Acupuncture can help manage menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes, mood swings, and sleep disturbances. For menstrual irregularities, acupuncture can help regulate hormonal balance and promote a healthy menstrual cycle. With Olwen's expertise and personalized approach, acupuncture becomes a powerful tool in addressing a variety of conditions.

Get Your Skin Ready For Spring

Spring is the time shake off that coat of dry, itchy, flaky winter skin and aim for a healthy all over spring glow. At ebb & flow Day Spa we have a variety of treatments and products to help you achieve a beautiful, glowing refreshing start to spring. A slight change to your skin routine is needed for this transition so here’s a few tips to help you along on your skin’s journey:-

1. Exfoliate to reset your skin and rid it of excess dead skin cells. As the weather becomes hot and humid it is important to remove unwanted skins cells which can cause blocked pores resulting in lumps, bumps and acne issue. We use Environ Cool Peel to treat facial skin, quickly exfoliate, smooth and promote collagen production to reboot your sleeping winter skin.

2. Antioxidants found in all fruit and vegetables play a very important part in fighting free radical damage to our cells. They help maintain a healthy glow and function to our skin and are part of the Environ’s Step Up System of moisturisers containing Vitamin A for retexturizing, Vitamin C for collagen production and brightening and Vitamin E for plumping and hydrating.

3. Switch up your cleanser. It could be time to change your cleanser as these months bring extra outdoor activity. If you’re using a heavy cream or milky cleanser, you may prefer a low foaming gel or micellar water to remove unwanted sweat and pollution from your skin in the hotter months.

4. Step Up your Spf application. Using a UVA/UVB broad spectrum sunscreen daily is the most anti-aging thing you can do. Hydrate! Drink plenty of water 6- 8 glasses a day to help with a spring reset by flushing unwanted toxins from your body, keeping your skin clear and radiant.

5. Nourish! Add a nourishing mask to your skincare routine once or even twice a week as a booster treatment to feed your skin. Not just your face but also your body needs nourishing. Try a vitamin oil or antioxidant body moisturizer. Pop in and see us for a Spring Refresh to kick start you on your skin and wellness journey!

ebb and flow Day Spa | www.ebbandflow.com.au

742 Waterworks Rd, The Gap Call: 0401 509 506

The friendly team at Ebb and Flow are ready to help you get your skin ready fro Spring

Body Image – The Body Project

I’m sure everyone's seen something about Barbie by now. Whether you think the film’s a masterpiece or offensive, it’s hard to argue with the history the toy brand is moving itself away from; one detrimental to how we view our bodies.

It’s well established that childhood exposure to dolls reflecting thin body ideals can damage girls’ body image. Interestingly, this also affects boys, with evidence suggesting young boys and girls equally value muscularity in action figures as the preferred male body image.

Over time, the ideal body image, reflected in toys, fluctuates with society’s expectations and the fashion industry, from Malibu Barbie to today’s more inclusive options. Whether this image is healthy or not matters less than the willingness of companies to exploit it commercially. Fitspo, for example, promoting low-fat high-muscle tropes through TikTok and Instagram, ‘inspiring’ people to buy leggings and feel negative towards their bodies.

Body image (thoughts, feelings and beliefs about your body) can be positive or negative, things you like or dislike. There’s no problem emphasising the positive or changing the negative – style, exercise and diet can all be healthy. However, body image can affect self-esteem, sometimes so much that beliefs about ourselves, like dissatisfaction with a body part, become so persistent they seem to be all we think about – ‘I don’t look good in this, must be because of my shape’, ‘people are looking at me, must be my acne’. Young people, especially teens, are particularly susceptible to this way of thinking.

It is more observation than pathology to think this way. Even as adults, being mindful of insecurity-targeting ads – on billboards, our phones, dolls… – which keep us thinking about how we WANT to be, rather than how we ARE, is difficult. For children, it’s even harder not to make comparisons to your own body.

Research tells us that body image concerns affect people as young as 11, and that over a short time someone experiencing this will respond, potentially developing harmful behaviours and self-criticism based on negative beliefs about themselves and how they should look. Thus, teens are at peak risk of developing harmful ways of thinking about and behaving towards their bodies.

This trajectory (self-beliefs to vulnerability, to developing harmful behaviours) can be addressed. Because young people are all so equally affected, they are perfectly placed to solve this problem. Getting them together and giving them the opportunity to reflect on how the media, ads and their peers are affecting them, and guiding them to support each other is an evidence-backed method of preventing body image concerns developing further.

For more information on body image, head to the Young Minds blog (https://youngmindsnetwork.com.au/bodyimage-an-explanation-of-risks-underlying-factors-andpreventative-management/ ) and get in touch to discuss available options.

Young Minds Network – Psychology and Allied Health Web: www.youngmindsnetwork.com.au

Tel: 07 3857 0074

Located at: The Gap, Stafford, North Lakes and Redcliffe

Loving yourself is the greatest revolution.

What is Clinical Hypnotherapy?

Hypnotherapy is an effective therapy working at the subconscious level to effect positive sustainable change. We have a conscious mind, our logical and reasoning brain, our goal setter, and a powerful subconscious mind, the goal getter, taking care of our needs and is primed to protect us. We are all different and our behaviour is shaped by our beliefs and life experiences which can sometimes limit our potential.

Diane Kirkham Hypnotherapy enables people to rapidly transform their lives. With tailored programs combining hypnosis and neuro-linguistic programming (NL), safely guiding the client into a deep focused state where change can happen. It is about taking action to get to the root cause of the “issue” and to achieve the outcome you want.

Hypnotherapy gives you peace of mind to reconnect with your inner resolve whilst promoting relaxation and positive well-being to achieve your goals and live the life you want. Make your next decision your best decision, the first of many to transform your life.

Diane Kirkham Hypnotherapy

www.dianekirkham.com | 0408 009 073 www.facebook.com/DianeKirkhamHypnotherapy

Navigating Life's Emotional Storms The Power of Counselling for Grief and Loss

Life can throw us some major curveballs, and when those inevitable moments of grief and loss hit, it can feel like the world has come crashing down. In these challenging times, the nurturing guidance of a compassionate and dedicated counsellor can make all the difference.

Donna Gonsalves is a PACFA registered Certified Practicing Counsellor and founder of Doves Counselling based in The Gap. Donna offers support and understanding to those finding themselves amid grief, loss and bereavement. Through counselling, you can gain the tools needed to navigate the emotional storm. The process to healing requires personalised strategies tailored to your needs. Counselling can empower you to cultivate resilience, cope with grief's ebbs and flows, and rediscover a sense of hope amidst the darkness.

It's essential to acknowledge that seeking counselling for grief, loss, and bereavement is an act of strength and selfcompassion.

Contact Donna at Doves Counselling today to book your FREE 20-minute consultation. In-person and Online telehealth sessions available.

Transform Your Smile and Health with Dental Wellness

At Dental Wellness, we're celebrating 25 years of serving over 10,000 patients in the Queensland wellness community by creating safer, healthier, more beautiful smiles. For several years, we've used advanced technology like 3D imaging to accurately uncover hidden dental infections that may be hindering your health and keeping you from smiling confidently.

Our skilled dentists safely remove old mercury fillings and properly extract problematic root canal treated teeth to eliminate nasty infections and reduce inflammation throughout your body. We go beyond just fixing dental issues to help you achieve full oral health and wellness using our unique Oral Fitness Plan.

This includes:

• Switching to strong ceramic and composite white fillings so you can kiss goodbye to mercury and metal in your mouth

• Getting your oral bacteria balanced and gums healed to banish bad breath

• Optimising your nasal airway for easier breathing, less anxiety, and better sleep

• Smiling bigger and more often to release feel-good chemicals that beat stress

Best of all, we use 100% metal-free solutions like clear aligners for straighter teeth and biocompatible zirconia implants to fill gaps left by missing teeth. Zirconia ceramic is corrosion-resistant and won't interfere with electromagnetic fields like metal restorations can. Zirconia implants integrate beautifully with your natural teeth for a smile you can finally be proud of.

Don't wait any longer for the healthy, vibrant smile you deserve. We can help fix dental problems, improve your overall wellbeing, and help you smile confidently using biocompatible, metal-free solutions. Scan the QR code below to take our new Zirconia Quiz and see if you could benefit from these innovative ceramic implants. Or call today to schedule your initial consultation. It's time to love your smile again!

ph: 35111399

Facebook: Dental Wellness

Instagram: @dentalwellnessbrisbane

Adult ADHD - Achieve Your Potential

Did you know?

• References to ADHD appear in medical textbooks dating back to 1775

• There are over 100,000 scientific journal articles that provide insight into ADHD

• Around 1 in every 20 Australians is affected by ADHD

Yet, this common mental health condition is widely misunderstood. Attention deficit / hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) starts during child development and frequently persists into adulthood. It runs in families and there are two subtypes and a combined presentation.

If you have the inattentive subtype, it will manifest as limited attention span, careless errors, distractibility, and forgetfulness. You struggle to sustain attention, lose focus, and easily get side-tracked.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, hyperactive children are often seen to be disruptive in class and easily draw the attention of teachers. However, the inattentive subtype is far less likely to be recognized by parents, teachers, and medical professionals.

Talk to your General Practitioner about whether you might have ADHD. Request a referral to a Psychiatrist for an Adult ADHD assessment.

AssocProfManaanKarRayisavisitingConsultantPsychiatrist at Keperra Medical Centre. He trained in Adult Psychiatry in Oxford and was the Director for Mental Health Services in Cambridge, UK for a decade before moving to Brisbane.

Protect The Skin You're In

Queensland is a state with one of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world, it's imperative that we prioritize prevention and early detection to safeguard our skin and well-being.

Slip, Slop, Slap, Seek, Slide: Slip on protective clothing, slop on sunscreen with a high SPF, slap on a wide-brimmed hat, seek shade during peak hours, and slide on sunglasses.

Early Detection: A Lifesaving Practice

Know Your Skin: Regularly check your skin for any new or changing spots, moles, or lesions.

SCAN Your Skin: Utilize the SCAN method - Sore, Changing, Abnormal, New. Any sore that doesn't heal, changing moles, abnormal growths, or new spots (especially if you are over 40yrs ) should be assessed by a healthcare professional.

Professional Skin Checks: Annual skin checks by a doctor trained in Skin Cancer Medicine are a proactive step in detecting skin cancer.

Promote Self-Care: Encourage family and friends to prioritize skin health. Perform self-examinations and share any concerns for timely intervention.

Remember, prevention and early detection are lifesaving habits that ensure our well-being for years to come.

Dr Taz Zamani graduated medicine from the University of Queensland and is a fellow of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP). Dr Zamani visits Keperra MedicalCentretwiceweeklyandappointmentsareavailable without a referral.

Neck Pain Relief

only be started once the pain has settled enough.

In your initial assessment, you will be asked a series of questions that help the physio decide if the neck may indeed be associated with your head pain. It is also important to consider the jaw, as tension in this can be linked with headaches/neck pain. We also recommend an up-to-date eye test as visual strain can also be frequently linked to altered neck posture or simply to eye strain and then headache.

The key is to continue with a good strength and stability program to ensure the neck has fully recovered after injury. This is the key to helping to prevent recurrence of neck pain in the future.

To find out more, or book an appointment with one of the highly experienced physio at Physiologix, call 07 3511 1112 or go to physiologix.com.au

Neck pain is unfortunately something we treat a huge amount of at Physiologix, upstairs at The Gap Health and Racquet Club. The focus of the Physiologix Physios is good education, self-management strategies, and exercises. With this most people can learn to manage their neck well reducing their symptoms and occurrence of symptoms considerably. Good neck pain relief can then be achieved.

Common symptoms of neck pain include:

• Pain that's often worsened by holding the head in one place for long periods, such as when driving or working at a computer

• Muscle tightness and spasms, felt in and around the neck muscles

• Decreased ability to move the head, such as problems turning

• Headache

In less common situations vision can be distorted and people might feel like they are on a boat – this differs from vertigo where you feel like the whole room is spinning.

Pain is usually localised to the neck but can refer down the arms, into the upper back or up into the head creating a headache.

For best treatment, a full initial assessment is needed to correctly diagnose why you are having neck pain and therefor what will be best for your unique situation.

Every injury and every situation is different, and every person is different: what might not work for one person may be the best thing for another. Using needling, the Watson method, soft tissue work, mobilisation, you name it, we usually have a therapist who is trained in it!

A huge component of the physio’s role in helping you is to also look at ways you can continue to improve your neck pain at home and throughout your day at work. Modifying postures and positions might be needed. Regular movement rather than static postures are important. Exercises for mobility and strength are often required, but these might

This special feature is brought to you in partnership by Echo News and The Western Echo.

The Brisbane Tramway Museum

FUN AND GAMES AT THE MUSEUM

Museums are often thought of as sombre places – not this one!

On 24 September we will commemorate the disastrous fire at Paddington Depot (where Paddington Central Shopping Centre now stands) where, in 1962, we lost 65 trams.

A highlight of the day will be our ANNUAL TRAM

PULLI NG CONTEST!!

Teams from local gyms compete against each other and the clock to see which team can pull our horse-drawn tram over 50 metres of track in the shortest time. Last year’s winners – CROSSFIT 4055 – have the time down to about 15 seconds. Maybe one team this year will beat that. This event is sponsored by local Councillor Steven Toomey and he provides the trophy each year. Thank you, Steve.

Apart from lots of tram rides on our 7 operating trams, vintage BCC buses will provide joyrides around Ferny Grove, there will be sausages sizzling all afternoon, coffee wagon, doughnuts and special kids drinks available.

Please see the museum website: www. brisbanetramwaymuseum.org.au for up to date information, or ring 3351 1776.

AshgroveHistorical Society

Visitors are encouraged and very welcome at the Ashgrove Historical Society meetings held at the Ashgrove Library on the first Saturday of the month 10am-noon. Topics and guest speakers for the year can be found on the Society’s website under ‘Meetings’. The topic for the meeting on 7 October will be How a department store family's fortune was lost presented by author, Melissa Fagan.

For those who know Brisbane, McWhirters, was once a celebrated department store in Fortitude Valley. Melissa’s grandparents were Stirling and Joan McWhirter. At the close

The Gap ProbusClub News

Our speaker this month was the ever-popular 4BC presenter and author Greg Cary, a long-time resident of The Gap and a brilliant, thoughtful raconteur. We shared not only behind-thescenes stories but some of his thoughts on life and how it works. No wonder so many members queued up to buy his memoir at the end!

Outside the club meetings we had a number of excursions enjoyed by different small sets of members. The Brisbane Open House weekend drew members to some of Brisbane’s most famous, yet inaccessible buildings, open for once to public view.

If you are interested finding out more without commitment, we would be delighted to talk with you, and invite you to our meetings (first Thursday of every month, 2pm, at the Baptist Church, corner of Waterworks and Settlement Roads).

Just call Rhoda on 0409 484 219.

of World War Two, thanks to multiple inheritances, Stirling was McWhirters’ largest individual shareholder. By decade’s end his inheritance was gone. Come and hear about this family’s chequered history which Melissa revealed in her book, What Will Be Worn, published in 2018.

A shared morning tea will follow the presentation which will provide the opportunity to chat with the guest speaker and other people interested in local history.

If you would like to become an AHS member or purchase membership as a gift for someone, fees are $10 single per annum (1 July - 30 June), or $15 couple/family. Membership includes the quarterly newsletter and discount on our publications.

Please contact the secretary, Julie, via email: ahs.secretary@bigpond.com and she will let you know the EFT details or join at a meeting. Funds raised from memberships, raffles and sale of our publications supports the research, preservation and recording of Ashgrove’s history.

Rotary Club of Ashgrove The Gap

We were delighted this month to welcome a new member, Lew Verney. Our gain is Goondiwindi’s loss as Lew has moved from there to here. New members are always welcome, but to “acquire” a fully-experienced Rotarian who has borne office with distinction is a treat indeed. Welcome Lew!

Lew was inducted at our Information Night, when we spread the word of Rotary’s aims and successes, notably the elimination of Polio and the support for local schools.

We were also delighted to welcome Ms Jonty Bush MLA, member for Cooper, as an honorary member of the club. Jonty has always been most supportive of our efforts, even running the streets with the Santa Sleigh.

This year’s annual GRIPPS was held in August – the Gap Regional Instrumental Primary Performers’ School. Music teachers at ten local primary schools, both public and private, audition year six students learning to play an instrument. This year 125 kids enjoyed four days of masterclass tuition, and then gave a concert

in the J. A. Robertson Hall of the High School in The Gap. For an older school age group, the Rotary Club is proud to be a sponsor of the Gap High School LAUNCH event. Providing some financial support and some adult helpers, we will be aiding the September 1st Open Day. LAUNCH is a student-led endeavour, focussing on after-school student projects, mostly with an eye on benefit to society, arising from STEAM studies. That’s Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths, and again it’s astonishing how accomplished these Year 11 and 12 students are, and how ambitious their projects. So we are keeping fairly busy in the club, and that’s the way we like it.

We encourage people to visit our meetings, even if it is only from vague curiosity. We don’t charge and we don’t bite. You can contact our club by calling or texting Tim Boyd at 0411 141 304. Come and visit a meeting some time – no charge, no obligation.

Second and fourth Wednesdays of the month (except this month September!) from 6:30 to 8:00 pm at the Ashgrove golf Club.

Monthly workshops - see our Facebook page for details

Next workshop: 16th September

Bookings open (QR to book)

Booking also via: https://www.trybooking.com/CKUHS

Facebook: RepairCafeTheGap

Instagram: repaircafethegap

Email: thegaprepaircafe@gmail.com

The GapGardenClub

The Gap Garden Club 60th Birthday

In July 1963, the first meeting of The Gap Garden Club was held at St. Mark's Anglican Church Hall and was attended by 23 women. On 25 July 2023, we celebrated our 60th Birthday in the same venue with close to 100 members and guests attending. We were pleased to welcome Councillor for The Gap Ward, Steven Toomey, and QCGC President, Phil Adam, who presented a certificate celebrating our 60 years to President, Noela Geeves. Floral posies were presented by the President to our life members and past presidents who were present in recognition of their contribution to the club. One of the highlights of the day was a video link to first day Member Betty Ryan, now living in Sydney. Betty was the club's first secretary and is a life member. Our guest speaker, Dale Arvidsson, gave a very informative presentation about the history of our botanic gardens and a subtropical winter at the gardens, with some beautiful plant matter to show us. Club memorabilia was on display during the day, along with a photo loop on screen of our members and activities over the last 60 years, as well as the history of the club.

The beautiful Birthday Cake showing our emblem, Banksia Integrifolia, was cut by our Patron, Helen Page, and President Noela Geeves. A lovely lunch provided by our members was enjoyed at the end of our meeting, and the containers of flowers supplied from our members' gardens made our venue look like a garden! A wonderful occasion to celebrate 60 memorable years.

Website: https:// thegapgardenclub.org.au/

AshgroveForum

With the Forum State Conference being held on 8-9 September where state interclub speaking competitions are conducted, Ashgrove Forum held a session on Impromptu Speaking at the August meeting. A relatively new member, Helen Spencer, (shown on left) is the Ashgrove Forum Club impromptu speech section representative, so a short tutorial on impromptu speaking was held before all members were called upon to make a 2-minute impromptu speech.

Like all good speeches, an impromptu speech must have an introduction, body and conclusion. Forum recommends that impromptu speakers follow business communicator Jill Dwyer’s PREP formula below:

P Point - the Point is…

R Reason - the Reason I say this is…

E Example - an Example to demonstrate that point is…

P Point - restate the main point

All members were then given a topic sight unseen and asked to deliver their 2-minute impromptu speech.

For information on Forum Communicators public speaking association, please visit the website www.beconfident.org.au

Ashgrove Forum meets in the Ashgrove Library Meeting Room at 6.30pm, on the 3rd Wednesday of each month. The next meeting is on 20th September. Visitors are always welcome to attend and observe without obligation.

For more information, contact Secretary Pat on 0458 696 267.

Mitchelton & Districts Garden Club

Spring has sprung! That means it is time to fertilise.

Most garden plants will be putting on new growth in the coming months which means their need for nutrients and water will increase dramatically. As growth begins to step up, fertilise and mulch the garden generally. Be sure to use a low-phosphorus fertiliser for sensitive natives such as grevilleas and banksias and keep water up to actively growing plants.

The Mitchelton and Districts Garden Club meeting on 3 August kicked off with a warm welcome from the club's president, Trish Parkinson. Green thumbs and plant enthusiasts were treated to an enlightening session on the art of brewing herbal teas. The morning featured guest speaker, Rose Graham, a renowned herbalist from the Queensland Herb Society Inc., who shared her wealth of knowledge about the benefits and flavours of herbal teas.

Rose, with her years of experience in herbalism and a passion for all things botanical, captivated the audience with her informative and engaging presentation. Two brews shared on the day were: rosemary, cinnamon and lemon myrtle; and parsley, mint and ginger – both so enlivening and delicious!

ABOVE: Rose Graham (right) of the Qld Herb Society Inc., with Club President Trish Parkinson.

Our September meeting will be focussed on Plant and Tree Health with John Daly as our guest speaker. He will be sharing his invaluable knowledge and advice on how best to prevent or treat disease, while promoting the robust health of our gardens, especially timely leading into the warmer weather.

Go get ‘em, gardeners!

Our next meeting at The Enoggera Memorial Hall

(entrance via Trundle St) will be on Thursday 5 September at 9:30am for a 10:00am start. Entry is $3.00 and morning tea is provided. Visitors are most welcome.

Feel free to contact us via email at mitcheltongc@gmail.com or find us on Facebook www.facebook.com/mitcheltongardenclub

Brisbane North Cake Decorators

Brisbane North Cake Decorators is a branch of the Queensland Cake Decorators Association Inc. and we meet monthly on the third Saturday of the month (except December) at the Arana Hills Community Centre, 291 Dawson Parade, Arana Hills at 1.00pm. Our aim is to encourage the love of cake decorating in all its aspects and we love to share our knowledge with everyone.

Every year we donate decorated cupcake-sized fruit cakes to our local meals on wheels at Mitchelton (now known as Caring Cuisine) for delivery to their clients. In previous years we have donated up to 300 of these cakes. So, our August meeting was busy preparing the toppers to be placed on the cakes closer to Christmas. We always have a delicious afternoon tea as well provided by members.

If you are interested in cake decorating but not able to find the time to attend meetings, our Cake Show in September is offering some courses by wellknown decorators for a reasonable fee. There are figurine, royal icing and buttercream courses available, and all are posted on our Facebook page. One of our members is teaching the new trend in buttercream cakes called the cartoon style. The show is on 8th-10th September at the Upper Coomera Community Hall. We love to see new members and can be contacted on our Facebook page, Brisbane North Cake Decorators Association QCDA or via email brisbanenorthcakedecorators@gmail.com

Ithaca ProbusClub News

Seeking new members at Ithaca Probus Club

Whilst numbers were still down at the August general meeting it was encouraging to know that several of our members were recovering from a range of accidents and illnesses. We hope to see them back soon. Meanwhile we welcomed four guests who are interested in possibly joining the club.

Last month we heard again from our own club member Geoff Crane who has previously spoken on a range of different topics. This time it was a photo tour of a mystery city which kept everyone guessing right to the end. A very interesting talk, well-illustrated by many photos taken on a visit there some years ago. Also, another of our members told us of the saga of trying to prove his identity to a bank now that he only had expired licences and passport. Several other members were able to relate personally to that experience. In September we will be hearing from a local historian on an interesting building in western Queensland.

The Cards Group is flourishing in its larger room at the Ashgrove Library enabling it to accommodate more players each month. Our monthly walks continue to attract small numbers which will

pick up in the warmer months.

We are a literary lot, strongly supporting the book exchange table, and the poetry group provides both social and mental stimulus at its monthly meetings. The August lunch at The Gap Tavern was enjoyed by about half of our members.

All of our activities are detailed on our web site. Just type ‘Ithaca Probus Club’ into your browser to find us. New members are always most welcome at Ithaca Probus Club. We meet at 9.30am on the 2nd Thursday each month except December and January at the Red Hill Bowls and Community Club in Fulcher Road, Red Hill, or come on any of our outings.

If you would like to give us a try, please phone either of our Club Membership Officers Sue Vivian on 0413 544 202 or Janelle Rhodes on 0412 628 646.

Website: https://www.probussouthpacific.org/ microsites/ithaca

The Gap Creative Inc.

By the time this month’s ‘Echo’ goes to print, our second Open Studios weekend will have come to an end. Of course it has no doubt been a huge success thanks to the diversity of creative minds within The Gap Creative membership but events such as these do not just ‘happen’. Behind the scenes there was a core group who gave up hours of their time to ensure that the weekend ran smoothly. Particular thanks must go to Leona Reif for leading the team, Giovanna Scott for her skilful design of promotional material and the enviable energy of our social media guru, Sally Hogan who made sure the event was shared far and wide!

One of the aims of The Gap Creative is to create connections with businesses within the broader community. We are particularly grateful to Katherine Kemp from Ruby Red Jewellery and Kym Bierenbroodspot from Spot Art for their sponsorship of this year’s Open Studios and for their continuing support.

In another exciting partnership, members will be working with The Gap Village to create a new mural. We are seeking community input to help our muralists decide on a concept, this may be the natural environment, the history of The Gap or something completely unexpected!! Over the next month community input will be gathered in various ways and our mural artists will develop

designs for final approval. See the included photo of members Peta Harvey and Kathy Sullivan with the mural they painted at Trek2Health headquarters.

Although our recent events have been focussed on visual arts, we welcome all forms of creativity. We currently have cooks, writers and musicians amongst our members.

If you would like to join our ever growing organisation or just want to see our members’ latest work, head to our website – www.thegapcreative.com.au

AshgroveRangers

State Cross Country Titles

The Club hosted the State Cross Country Titles at Toogoolawah Golf Club on 29 July 2023. Cross Country is crucial in the development of the necessary mobility, speed, stamina and courage required to make it to the top across all forms of distance running and this event certainly ticked those boxes. Club medal winners were:

Gold

• Under 10 Boys 1kElliott Stannard

• Under 14 Boys 3kTate Van Camp

• Para 3k – Tom Burrows (gold medal winner for the third year in a row).

Silver

• 6 years Girls 1kKitty Stannard

to record 3:13.50 to be 6th in the Over 45s.

Training

The Club runs training sessions during the week at various locations including The Gap, Arana Hills and the University of Queensland. Sessions are led by coaches that are formally qualified and accredited by Athletics Australia. For more information on training days and locations, please see our website www.ashgroverangers.org under the heading “Training”. You can also head there to find more details about our free family-friendly event “The Flying Four” which will next take place on Sunday 10 September at 8am at the Ashgrove Sports Ground (field closest to St Johns Wood Bridge).

Bronze

• 6 years Girls 1k - Sophie Hurley

• 60 plus Years Women 6k - Lynda Bateson

What amazing results for our athletes! The effort and energy from our helpers was also huge – a big thank you to all of our wonderful volunteers. Finally we would like to also acknowledge the efforts of Queensland Athletics, the officials, other clubs and all parents and athletes in helping make this a great event.

Sunshine Coast marathon

A number of our Club members participated in the Sunshine Coast Marathon Festival on 13 August 2023. Our athletes dug deep to bring home some brilliant performances. Highest placed of our runners was Lynda Bateson with 30:48 for 2nd in the Over 60s 5k. Daniel Casey showed true class for 5th place in the Under 18 5k in 18:16.

Melissa Harper was 16th in the Over 50s 5k in 32:14. John Purcell was 16th in the Over 50s 5k in 29:27, while Ken Hastie ran well with a time of 44:20 for 9th in the Over 50s 10k.

Andrei Wightman was very good with 1:32.19 for 14th in the Over 50s Half Marathon, and John White paced the full marathon

Amnesty International is campaigning to ensure the human rights of all First Nations people in Australia are recognised and realised, and as such, it supports voting yes to the First Nation’s Voice to Parliament referendum. What will this mean for Australia? The Voice aims to give Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples the opportunity to inform decisions made about their lives enshrined in the Australian Constitution. This means that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples will have the opportunity to give expert advice to government on how to create better futures for their families, communities and lands. An example of how this might occur could be in the area of the overrepresentation of First Nations children in prison and youth detention centres. We know that current youth justice policies haven’t been successful in addressing this overrepresentation, while on the other hand success has been seen in Indigenous-led policies such as community-led justice reinvestment programs. Delivering a ‘yes’ vote to the Voice to Parliament means that First National leaders would have a significant opportunity to advise the government on these kinds of issues: issues that would have an impact on the daily lives of First Nations Peoples, and contribute to a more inclusive nation.

The Helen Black Amnesty International group meets between 9-11am on the second Monday morning of the month in The Gap and would love to hear from anyone interested in joining the group. Please contact Di on 3300 1861. The Ashgrove Amnesty International group meets on the first and third Thursday evenings of the month and can be contacted by calling Sally on 3366 2046 or 0476 006 990.

Red Hill Bowls Sports & Community Club

The Brisbane District Bowls Association Champion of Champion Pairs was conducted at Everton Park Bowls Club recently between Red Hill Bowls, Sports & Community Club and Hamilton Bowls Club with Greg Rolls & Steve Hayden (Red Hill) playing Brendan Wilson and Jesse Turnbull (Hamilton) with our club winning the final 27-13.

The Champion of Champion Singles was played at Windsor Bowls Club recently between our club and Ferny Grove Bowls Club with Ben Walsh playing off against Alex Elwell with Ben Walsh from Red Hill Bowls, Sports & Community Club winning the Final 2512. Great News for our club this year to win the BDBA Champion of Champions Fours, Pairs and Singles events.

Ben Walsh and Steve Hayden from our club were recently selected in the State over 40’s Test Series between Queensland and New State Series which is a great credit to highly rated bowlers from our club.

Recently Kevin Sharp played Allan Turner in the “B” Singles at Red Hill Bowls Club with Kevin winning 25 to 11.

Red Hill Bowls, Sports & Community Club recently purchased new shirts for their bowlers and we had the pleasure of hosting the Broncos Leagues Club as one of our sponsors which included General Manager Joe Kelly, our Chairman Mark Anderson and Broncos player Corey Oates. Many thanks to our other sponsors Tamara Lee

Real Estate, Imagine Holidays, Bizzells Garage and Northgate Barbershop.

Our club is participating in the current District Pennant Season for Men with a record 4 Divisions playing against a number of other clubs on Saturday afternoons , as well the Ladies from Red Hill have combined with West Toowong to become the Western Reds playing their mid-week Pennants.

We welcome all community members to our club to utilize our facilities either socially or to play bowls which can be done during daylight hours by making a booking with the club and on the 1st Sunday of the month we play Turkey Triples commencing ay 9.30am where all bowlers and non-bowlers are welcome to come along and enjoy a fun morning including lunch and prizes.

For further details contact secretary@redhillbowls.org.au or ring 0412 765 805.

**STOP PRESS** The extensive renovations on our Dog Friendly Cafe are nearing completion and it will not be long before we welcome everyone back to our café.

PaddingtonThen and Now

Paddington Then & Now recently presented a wonderful Speakers’ Afternoon at the Briswest Centre during the Paddington Festival. Speakers included, respected Yuggera man, Steven Coghill, who performed an emotive Welcome

to Country. Our new Councillor for Paddington Ward, Clare Jenkinson, introduced herself to the community and thanks for her predecessor, Peter Matic, who had come to support the Festival.

Other speakers and presenters included the local Boys’ Brigade Captain, Eric Pitt; Marianne Taylor, aka, the House Detective; and local historian, Dr Thom Blake, spoke of The Poor of Paddington.

Caylie Jeffery shared the history of her home on Latrobe Terrace, which was the original Aboriginal Tribal Council headquarters, and is now the headquarters of the Paddington Then & Now History Hub.

The line up continued with Anne Bedgood, whose family ran Bedgood's Bakery in Isaac St; third generation local agent, Andrew Degn; Peter Coman, Paddington old-boy, launched the latest version of his book, The Paddo Boys; professional historian, Dr Hilda Maclean, gave us a fascinating look at the history of Christ Church in Milton; Kieran McCarthy spoke about the Centenary of the Ithaca War Memorial; and our State MP for Cooper, Jonty Bush, finished the day by reminding us that, “we can be the creators, the librarians, the curators and the orators of our stories, but we should never be the gatekeepers of the history of this place.”

Thank you to everyone who made the Paddington Now & Then Festival so special!

Kerry and Caylie, Paddington Then & Now

The Gap She Shed always welcomes new members. We are a community group for women to gather in friendship, to support one another, learn and share.

The Gap She Shed has had a very busy couple of months. In July we held our first Sausage Sizzle at Bunnings Keperra, and it was a huge success. The St Peter Chanel Fete gave us an opportunity to showcase our group in August. Our first car boot sale was very popular so will be the first of more to come.

www.thegapsheshed.wixsite.com.

Spring Fashion Show

Where: The Gap Football Club

When: Sunday 10th September 2pm-5pm

Tickets: $30 each (Tables of 8 or 10 can be purchased)

Link to purchase:

https://www.trybooking.com/CKIGT

Enquiries: hello@thegapsheshed.au

Principal'sPoints... Principal'sPoints...

Payne Road State School

EcoMarines. Becky was able to personally congratulate the four EcoMarines Ambassadors from PRSS for their recent win of the BCC Waterways Social Media Tile & Caption competition. The PRSS Sustainability Offier, Lotus, then discussed how healthy swaps of everyday items from disposable to reusable could help save our planet. Payne Road State School are fortunate to have Lotus, and all of her amazing knowledge, thanks to our P&C.

During the day, children learned the skills of repurposing clothes to create a lunch carry bag, thanks to the generosity of Erin, Coral and Lotus from Boomerang Bags (The Gap and Surrounds). What a great way to save old shirts from becoming landfill!

cleaner future pan out over the rest of the year.

Nicky Brazzale, Principal

........................................

St Peter Chanel

Some wonderful things have been happening at St Peter Chanel School in Term 3.

come up with.

How can we be prepared to solve problems facing our environment? Payne Road State School recently ran an Environmental Leaders’ Workshop to look at this very question. Student leaders from 11 schools from across the Mt Coot-Tha cluster focussed on different ways that they could start solving some of these problems in their own lives and at their schools. We were fortunate to be joined by Jonty Bush MP, our local member to open the day’s events and challenge the students to find sustainable solutions for the future.

Working in school teams, students considered the health of the local creek with guidance from Chloe Gundersen, a wildlife ranger. They further explored the health of our waterways with Becky from The Tangalooma

Another activity was sorting out rubbish from an ordinary school rubbish bin. Although we thought we were already doing a great job of sorting out our rubbish at PRSS, we found one whole bucket of compostable food scraps, mixed up with 2 buckets of paper waste which could have been recycled. Really, there was only 1 bucket of rubbish that should have been there at all! This was an eye-opening activity for all of the students. There are many great plans that local schools have come up with to address the issue of rubbish and recycling in their own schools. A popular suggestion was having nude food days where students bring food in reusable containers and take any rubbish home with them. We look forward to hearing about how the students’ plans for a

Did you come to our Family, Food and Fun Festival? It was wonderful to be able to host our extended community in an event that was an absolute success. Over 1,500 people skipped through the gates on a glorious day to celebrate everything about ‘community’. Thank you to all our parents, friends, grandparents, staff, children and new friends who hadn’t visited before, for supporting our little school. It was fabulous!

In our classrooms, lunchtimes are becoming very exciting with the introduction of our 3D Printing Club. Students will learn how to create their own avatar, using design, maths and computer skills. Using Tinkercad they will complete an inventory to help them consider physical traits they can include and the size and volume of their design. We can’t wait to see what they

Our Senior Primary Years students have been working on their STEM projects which focus on creating change and problem-solving realworld issues. Ideas range from assisting with anxiety in children, to cleaning the ocean. In their supportive learning environments they are being empowered to become conscientious members of society and make positive changes in our world.

At St Peter Chanel, students are given many opportunities to extend classroom learning with active participation and reflection on social justice initiatives. One such initiative is our Pyjama Day. Coordinated by three of our Year 5 students, the whole school is encouraged to wear their pyjamas and bring a gold coin donation to support the Cancer Foundation Queensland. Students can also purchase Zooper Doopers with all funds going towards a worthy cause. We encourage

Principal'sPoints... Principal'sPoints...

these leadership skills in all our students and know their involvement in such events help to make a difference. If you are considering schooling options for your children, from Prep to Year 6 for 2024 and beyond, we would love to welcome you for a tour. Come and experience for yourself everything on offer at St Peter Chanel School, The Gap – www.spcthegap.qld. edu.au and be welcomed into our collaborative, inclusive and nurturing community.

The Gap State School

I am proud to inform that our talented Senior Choir was selected for the state final of the Creative Generations Choral Fanfare, held in August. We have a very inclusive choral program where every child in Years 1 to 6 is welcome to join one of our five choirs. The Gap State School values choral work, with an enthusiastic parent support group, a talented conductor, excellent accompanists and a strong classroom music program building the important foundations. Singing in our choirs provides a sense of belonging and community as well as promoting a feeling of wellbeing and that is so important for our children. We are thrilled that our Senior Choir has been selected as a state finalist. We feel great pride, not just in the hardworking students, but in our staff as they work tirelessly to provide the joy and all the great benefits that come from singing in a choir.

At the recent Australian Society for Music Education (ASME) National Conference, Music Teacher, Debbie O'Shea was awarded one of two Music Educating for Life Awards from Queensland. These national awards recognised music educators from across Australia who are making a significant difference in the music education opportunities of students across the nation. The ASME Qld committee selected Debbie for her outstanding work as a music educator and music advocate in Queensland. The Gap State School is incredibly fortunate to have such an amazing and passionate music educator working with our students every day.

earth. This was the beginning of a fantastic week of activities including, move it mob style dancing, colouring in and culminating in a visit on Friday from a First Nations author, illustrator and performer, Gregg Dreise. Warm regards,

Joanne Nicholls, Principal

The Gap State High School

Success in the arts

Congratulations to The Gap State High School students who participated in the Australian Percussion Eisteddfod last month.

the A Grade Division. This is a fantastic result for our students and their teacher, Jeff Jarrott. The standard was incredibly high, and we feel privileged to be counted among such fabulous young musicians.

Earlier this term, The Gap State School celebrated NAIDOC week, offering opportunities for our students to continue learning about First Nations cultures and histories. We started off the celebrations with the whole school gathering on the oval and moving into the shape of the Aboriginal flag with coloured pieces of paper being held over the children’s heads. A drone took some still photos which will be printed as a reminder of our NAIDOC activities in 2023.

It was very special for us to gather together on country celebrating one of the oldest, continuous living cultures on

website: http://www.westernecho.com.au

Our Senior ensemble, Asymmetry, placed third in

Individually, Stephen Jarrott placed first in the A Grade Drumkit section, Michael Khoo placed first in the C Grade Drumkit section, and Jayden Fulwood was highly commended. This was a hotly contested section with a huge number of entrants, so it is a significant achievement for both boys to have been placed so high in the rankings!