26 June 2020 # Issue 13

Local Students Hands On for Mental Health

The Town invited local primary school students to hand paint two of the Town's trees earlier this month, to help spread the message 'It's OK to not be OK', as part of The Blue Tree Project.

Six Floreat Park Primary School Student Councillors, along with The Blue Tree Project CEO and founder, Kendall Whyte, covered one of the trees in blue hand prints near the Town's Administration Centre on Oceanic Drive.

A group of 17 City Beach Primary School students placed the finishing touches on the tree at Jubilee Park, City Beach, after learning about the important mental health message associated with The Blue Tree Project.

Cambridge Mayor Keri Shannon, City Beach Primary School Principal Mari Dart, and Floreat Park Primary School Principal Jane Rowlands, joined the students in support.

The Town also painted a third prominent tree blue at the Wembley Golf Course on The Boulevard.

The aim of the project is to help spark difficult conversations and encourage people to speak up when battling mental health concerns or feeling blue.

If you or anyone you know is experiencing mental health concerns, seek professional help by contacting Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636 or Lifeline on 13 11 14.

The Blue Tree Project

Library Community gets tech-connected

Cambridge Library launched its Community Connection Program this week, offering members over the age of 50 the opportunity to loan digital devices, accompanied by guidance and support.

The Cambridge Community Connection Program assists library members in staying digitally connected, by loaning iPads, tablets and laptops with prepaid data for use at home.

The aim of the Program is to encourage Seniors to get online and avoid feeling isolated from friends and family, particularly during times such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Program includes tuition from Library staff to help break down barriers to using technology.

The digital devices were purchased with grant funding received from the Australian Government's 'Be Connected' program and courtesy of Good Things Foundation.

Contact Cambridge Library to join the program or find out more

Rotary Cambridge Drive to Fight Hunger

Donate to the Rotary Club of Cambridge's Food Drive for the Foodbank Winter Appeal at their Drive Through Drop Off event this weekend.

Sort through your excess food supplies and deliver them to Perry Lakes Scout Hall, Alderbury Reserve, Floreat between 8.30am and 12.30pm on Saturday 27 June.

All non-perishable items not past expiry date will be accepted including canned goods, flour, tea/coffee, pasta/rice, cereal, washing products, nappies and toilet paper.

Items will go to Australia's largest food relief organisation, Foodbank, and distributed to those in need.

Find out more

It's time to switch-off!

The Winter Sprinkler Switch-off began 1 June.

This means your sprinklers should now be off.

Last winter we saved around 5 billion litres of water by switching off - let's work together to do it again.

The switch-off is in place from 1 June to 31 August every year.

Find out more

Plastic Free July

Be part of the solution to plastic pollution and choose to refuse single-use plastic. Join the Plastic Free July challenge today!

Avoid single-use plastic products and contribute to cleaner streets, oceans and beautiful communities in Cambridge.

You can make a long-lasting difference in your home, school, workplace, business and community by finding alternatives to plastic in your everyday life.

Find out more

COVID-19 Business Economic Impact Survey

The Town encourages local businesses to complete a short, confidential survey sharing how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted their business.

The results will provide valuable information to assist the Town in planning for future business and community recovery from the pandemic.

The survey will take approximately 10 minutes to complete.

Submissions close 9.00am, Thursday 2 July.

Take the survey

Last chance to enter the 2020 Garden Awards

Nominations close 1 July for the 2020 Cambridge Sustainable Verge Garden Awards.

The Verge Garden Awards are to recognise residents who upgrade and maintain their verges with waterwise landscaping.

Verges can be designed to:
•   include local native species which provide food and habitat for local native animals OR
•   incorporate low water demand plants which improve the local streetscape

Residents are encouraged to either self-nominate or nominate another property within the Town.

Nominations include a 25 words or less submission and photograph of the nominated verge garden.

Nominations close 1 July 2020.

Find out more and nominate