Mindfulness is good for your health, happiness and wellbeing. Through mindfulness we can enhance our experience of the present. Research shows mindfulness can even have a positive effect on our brain function.

Mindfulness has been adapted for use in the treatment of depression, especially preventing relapse and assisting with mood regulation.

There are thousands of guided examples online and apps built just for this.

Just breathe

We can use our breath as an ‘anchor’ for our emotions. Try this for a few minutes each day:

• find a quiet space
• spend a few minutes noticing your breathing
• feel your breath entering and leaving your nostrils
• feel the rise and fall of your belly as you breathe.

Free Mindfulness App

Smiling Mind is a unique tool developed by psychologists and educators to help bring balance to your life.

They suggest using the app for 10 minutes a day.

This Course is designed to support you to respond to an initial disclosure of family violence in a safe and supportive way within the workplace.

Discounts apply for concession card holders and staff working in the following organisations, please email us to find out more:

• Victorian Women’s Health Services
• Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations

Weekend Camp for Kids and Teens with Disability

Join People Outdoors for a Weekend Camp (2 nights) at UC Camping - Norval Lodge, in Halls Gap on February 25th.

This camp is for campers aged 6-17yrs (kids and teens). This camp will depart from their Ballarat location.

Some of the activities you might participate in on this camp are - giant swing, low ropes course, canoeing and more.

If you'd like to join this camp, contact the office on 03 9863 6824 or express interest for more information and a quote.

New to People Outdoors? Please complete their  referral form so they can begin the intake process (note, completion of the intake process is required prior to attending any camp).

Click here for more information

Lineup Announced for Sunday at the River Event in Avoca - This Sunday

Pyrenees Shire Council has secured an exciting line-up for an outdoor event in Avoca on Sunday 20 February.

Powerhouse vocal blues and soul duo, the McNamarr Project will feature along with Orange Whip, an eight-piece funk band from Ararat. World-renowned performer Geoffrey Williams will take the stage, and, hailing from Ballarat, The Winter Berries will kick things off, setting the mood with sweet, soulful tunes.

This all ages, fun afternoon out will include a mobile parkour set up with Walk the Walls Parkour, where people can practice their spins, jumps, turn and tumbles with trained parkour instructors.

Click here for more information

Diversity Webinar Series

The online Diversity Webinar series aims to engage staff working within the aged care sector in Australia with skills and knowledge to work effectively with diverse older people, their families, carers and advocates. It involves a range of topics relevant to culturally safe and inclusive practice, and is designed in response to topics requested from staff working in the aged care sector in Australia.

Click here for more information

Victorians set for new freedoms as restrictions set to lift

VicHealth are looking for projects that will provide more opportunities for Victoria’s children and young people through food, art and play. 

Together, JumpStart! will create hundreds of community-led initiatives for Victoria’s children and young people (aged 0-25, including families). 

But what does this look like? Tell us how your organisation can support young people to:  

• learn about their own food culture and identity and share this with others  
• get physically active in welcoming and inclusive places  
• connect through arts, cultural and play-based activities.  

We know you have the solutions, and we want to hear them! We’ll back you. 

JumpStart! Is more than just a funding opportunity. We’re offering a whole heap of support, because we’re in this together. We’ll back your ideas through building your skills. We’ll connect you with like-minded leaders, share insights across communities and be sure you have the resources to make your project the best it can possibly be.  

Organisations like yours can make it happen. Funding from $3,000 to $50,000 is available from a share of $2 million for round one. 

Recycling Victoria Communities Fund Round 2

The Recycling Victoria Communities Fund supports local community groups, social enterprises and other not-for-profit businesses working to reduce waste and improve recycling.

The Fund objective is to assist Victorian Communities to transition to a circular economy by providing funds to solicit creative solutions for issues and gaps in the current waste management system.

The project needs to deliver one or more of the following objectives:

• reduce waste generation

• reduce non-organic material going to landfill by re-purposing through local community initiatives

• reduce organic material going to landfill by re-purposing through local community initiatives

Applications must be submitted by 11:59pm, 31 March 2022. Late applications will only be accepted under exceptional circumstances.

Click here for more information