Contact us for more information about

our services and programs, 2B Cuthbert

Road, Reservoir 3073

Ph: 9462 4611

Email: reception@reservoirnh.org.au

Web: reservoirnh.org.au

RESERVOIR NEIGHBOURHOOD

HOUSE COMMUNITY NEWS

November 2013

2nd Edition

It’s that time of year to have the last

Community morning tea!

Come along Thursday December 19th

10.30 am Come and have a cuppa!

Page 2

Our new GROW & EAT TOGETHER Program Needs You!

Would you like to help design and participate in an exciting new East Reservoir Community Garden program? Funded by the Department of Human Services and Darebin City Council, the GROW & EAT TO-GETHER program will run from November 2013 until June 2014.

This is your chance to connect with your local community, learn about different food cul-tures and gain food growing and preparation skills.

Activities include: 4 workshops:

1. Children’s seasonal planting and harvesting and lunch 2. Preserving workshop and lunch 3.Garden maintenance / seedling propagation and lunch 4. Multicultural cooking class and dinner (includes a market trip) - Excursions to inspirational local food growing / community food centres such as CERES and

Sprout Community Garden.

- Events with local schools and the Reservoir Neighbourhood House which celebrate home food growing and different food cultures.

Would you like to be involved? We would love to hear your ideas and thoughts about this program and how to make it a success. There are also opportunities to be involved in roles helping to organise workshops, collect data or mentoring other participants. To register your interest and complete the Grow & Eat Together participation form contact Lee Tozzi on 8470 8392 or lee.tozzi@darebin.vic.gov.au

DIVRS

Darebin Information Volunteer & Resource Service (DIVRS) Ph: 9480 8200 DIVRS are at the Reservoir Neighbourhood House: 2B Cuthbert Rd, Reservoir. Tuesday mornings: No appointment necessary. Then at 285-287 High St, Preston 3072 Please ring for appointment (on day requiring assistance). Open: Mon 12pm - 4pm, Wed 12:00 - 4:00pm & Fri 10am - 3pm Type of assistance: Information, Support, and Interpreting Service, Emergency Relief

EDUCATION AND TRAINING

Page 3

The Reservoir Neighbourhood House would like to announce the

Board of Management positions have been filled.

(see page 14 for pictures and biographies)

Congratulations to the Board and we wish you every contin-

ued success for the future!

Chair: Vice Chair Secretary

Treasurer Members

Consultant:

Steve Plant Jacqueline Giuliani Gail Conlon Jeremiah Temple Rawinia Carroll, Jian Xiao, Lauren Ellis,

Angie Davidson-Slater (Coordinator)

Patrick Moriarty

Page 4

KARINGAL TRAINING

Are you someone looking for

work? Or do you know someone

looking for work?

Want to get work?

Join our easy going, flexible Work Ed

Program run by

Karingal Training at the Reservoir

Neighbourhood House.

And as an added bonus, get to use the

Reservoir Leisure Centre gym/pool/sauna for

$20 per month - month by month basis while

you study!

- conditions apply.

For more information on enrolment criteria

contact:

Phone: 9311 0777 or (1300 582 687)

David Zerafa: davidz@karingal.org.au

Course starts: 27th January,

Mon, Wed, Fri, 9.30am-3.30pm * Course dates/days are subject to change

* Free for Victorian Training Guarantee eligible

participants

Visit www.karingaltraining.org.au/about-us/fees

to View Karingal Trainings Fee Structure

Reservoir Neighbourhood House Street Art Project

Hi guys most of you will know me. For those who don’t I’m Chris I work at Reservoir Neighbourhood House as part of the office team. This is my first newsletter article with many more to come! Over the past 12 weeks (well 14 due to the great Melbourne

weather) we have been doing a Street art project with students from PRACE—Preston Reservoir Adult Community Education funded by Darebin City Council. It was amazing to be a part of this project and we were extremely happy to make it happen. It started with students using pieces of A3 paper and thinking of ideas to then meeting with com-munity members to consult on designs, plans and colours. From this meeting the students formed ideas that ended up being the final design. The students worked closely with two fantastic artists Bryan and Claire who we would like to thank for being involved in the project. The wall piece can be viewed from the garden of the Neighbourhood House as well as from the Reservoir Leisure Centre community pool. Please feel free to come and enjoy the work any time we are ope ! Thank you to everybody who took part in the project. It couldn’t have happened without your input. A special thank you to the students for your hard work and dedication. What a pleasure

it has been to work with each and every one of you. Thanks to Darebin council and PRACE for making

this possible.

Page 5

Page 6

Staying healthy in the heat

As summer approaches Council would like to remind all residents to stay safe during heatwaves. A heat-wave is a period of unusual and

Uncomfortably hot weather that can affect anybody; however there are some groups in the community who are more susceptible to heat stress. This includes older adults, people who are on particular medica-tions, isolated residents, pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, babies and young children.

To stay healthy during the heat the most important things to remember are:

• keep cool

• drink plenty of water

• avoid strenuous activities

• try to stay out of the heat, and if you must go outside wear sunscreen, a hat and light, loose clothing

• and look after yourself, your family and others who may be affected by extreme heat. If you or someone in your family feels unwell contact your GP or phone NURSE-ON-CALL on 1300 60 60 24. For life-threatening emergencies call 000. For more information visit http://www.health.vic.gov.au/environment/heatwaves.htm

Northern Parent Support Group

A regular support group for parents of pre and primary school

aged children with Asperger Syndrome

MEETS: On the 4th Tuesday evening of every month

TIME: 7.00—9.00 pm

VENUE: Reservoir Neighbourhood House

2B Cuthbert Road, Reservoir

(corner Cuthbert Road & Strathmerton

Street)

To support parents and carers living in the northern metropoli-

tan region with a focus on meeting others in similar situations

and gaining information, social support and advice.

Tea & Coffee Provided.

RSVP or for more information:

Contact Lisa Petersen on 0430-724-910 OR

email northern@assnvic.org.au

The Neighbourhood House will be closed to the

community on the 20th of

December 2013 and re-opened on

the 20th of January 2014. We hope you all have a happy and safe

time over this break and look for-ward to seeing you all in the new year!

Page 7

ESL Cooking with our lovely Anna

Local reservoir community members were a part

of an 8 week course held at the Neighbourhood

House.

Anna an avid lover of food from garden to plate

came to the house wanting to share her love

and knowledge of food with

local community members … confi-

dence in the kitchen. Having English as a

second language a little bit of confi-

dence can go a long way.

What the kitchen looks like?

What do you like to cook?

Who knows their way

around the kitchen?

Safe Food Handling

Reservoir Winter Games

Hi guys! My names Ramzia, some people might know me from the seniors games day that myself and some other students or-

ganised for the Reservoir Neighbourhood House. First off I would like to say a big thank you to everyone that was

involved with the day. So thank you to each of you. It was a great day we all had fun, we had board games some

great food and a raffle. Some of the games included: Monopoly, Snakes and Ladders,

Ludo and some other great classics. We had such a great time

with this event that hopefully next year we can run a similar

event with you all again!

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Women’s Day Off 2013 My name is Sarah and I am a student from NMIT studying community services. A group of students including myself helped the Reservoir Neighbourhood House organise the Wom-en’s Day Off event. It was held on Saturday 17th August 2013 at Reservoir Neighbourhood House. The women were able to enjoy some crafts, relax in the pamper room, listen to some music and have some lunch. As well as heard some very informative health talks. At the end of the day we had a raffle, in which the prizes consisted of beauty products, home wares, gym member-ships and movie tickets. It was great to see the women enjoying themselves and taking some time out to relax and get pampered. The event was a great success and I felt very fortunate to be a part of it.

It was such a laugh!

Page 9

Say ‘Hello’ to your local OT - Occupational Therapist

Female, born in Australia and over 70 years old?

In my role as a Falls Prevention Coordinator, I was interested in hospital admissions data related to falls across the three

main hospitals our residents may be using. Reading the summary I received was very interesting, here are some of the

main points:

Over the three year period 2009 -2012 there were 9,435 fall-related injury hospital admissions in Victoria of adults aged

70 years and over, at The Austin Hospital, St Vincent’s Hospital and the Northern Hospital.

Females accounted for 6316 admissions.

As age increased so too did the number of admissions.

Fracture was the most common type of injury.

Falls due to slipping, tripping or stumbling were the most common cause.

Patients born in Australia were most commonly admitted (5018)

We also know that:

33% of people over 65 experience a fall.

Falls are not part of normal ageing.

Falls in or around the home account for approximately 60%.

Thus begs the question: What can one do to reduce chances of having a fall or prevent future falls.

Most people know that improving balance though specific exercises as well as strength in legs, keeping on top of vision,

having medical checks and wearing well fitting supportive shoes help reduce falls risks. Conversations about medication

and side effects, knowing as much as possible about how your health conditions ‘work’ and using an appropriate walking

aid or seeking advice about one if needed are important strategies.

One strategy that is not as widely known or talked about is an appointment with an Occupational Therapist (OT) in your

home.

Why occupational therapy?

This service visits you at home, which we know where 60% of falls occur and that slips, trips and stumbles are the most

common causes of falls.

How does an occupational therapist work?

The therapist will spend some time finding out about your current routines and activities you take part in your daily life.

Hear about what you are managing well, which things require a bit more time and some things that may be tricky.

The OT may discuss aspects of your surrounds or your habits which may be changeable or adjustable to help keep you fall

-free. A list of suggestions or a discussion about these may be offered by the therapist for your consideration.

Other examples of improving independence levels include installing handrails at steps/bathroom/ toilet, using nightlights,

being mat free or doing daily tasks smarter.

Advice given to you will be specific to your situation and your health needs and may differ to advice given to a neighbour.

Where can I see an OT?

Your local service, Darebin Community Health is a not-for-profit organizations and employs Occupational Therapists,

contact 84701111 for enquiries. Low costs apply for this service as set by the Government.

You may also speak with your GP for a referral to an alternative public or private service provider.

For information contact Nesrin Deniz – NEPCP Falls Prevention Coordinator (Darebin, Banyule, Nillumbik) on

9450 2633 or email nesrin.deniz@bchs.org.au .

Falls admission data courtesy of: VICTORIAN INJURY SURVEILLANCE UNIT (VISU), MONASH UNIVERSI-

TY.

Female, born in Australia and over 70 years old?

Image courtesy of Google images

Page 10

Rawinia Carroll Board member since 2012 Special responsibilities: Member of the policy sub-committee. Qualifications and experience: Community Governance studies, Certificate in

Early Childhood development and Lead Coordinator in Fundraising/Events at Reservoir Neighbourhood House.

Other local involvement: Rawinia is a strong advocate for access to services and support for families in East Reservoir. Rawinia has been instrumental in the development of the Reservoir Neighbourhood House and takes the lead in plan-ning activities and community events focusing on family. Rawinia’s interests are in improving local community life and building the foundations for the neighbour-hood house to be a sustainable organisation for the next generation to continue to access throughout their life.

Gail Conlon Board member since 2012

Special responsibilities: Secretary Board Of Management Reservoir Neigh-bourhood House. Qualifications and experience: Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Social Work, and Diploma Project Management. Other local involvement: Gail has worked in Community Service for close to 10 years as a Social Worker. Gail’s interests include health and fitness, project management and community development.

Jacqueline Giuliani Board Member since 2012 Special responsibilities: Legal and corporate governance Qualifications and experience: Jacqueline is a legal practitioner currently employed as a Senior Legal Counsel for a lending institution. Jacqueline has a Bachelor of Law/Bachelor of Finance (LLB/BFin) and a Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice. Other local involvement: From 2002 to 2011, Jacqueline played an instru-mental role as either Secretary or Vice President of the Friends of Farm Viganò Inc Management Committee in the preservation, restoration and $6.45 million development of one of Melbourne's most extraordinary heritage sites, Farm Vigano in South Morang. Jacqueline is committed to creating an accessible, safe, welcoming and caring local community where activities, events and inter-

actions facilitating community development are encouraged.

Board of the Reservoir Neighbourhood House

Page 11

Jeremiah Temple Board Member since 2012 Qualifications & experience: He has a Graduate Certificate in Business (Supply Chain Management) and a Bachelor in Humanitarian Studies from the Charles Dar-win University in Darwin. Jeremiah is passionate about Community Development and an advocate on issues affecting migrants and refugees. Other local involvement: Jeremiah Oluwole Temple was born in Sierra Leone and Migrated to Australia in 2005. Jeremiah is Vice-President of the Sierra Leone Aus-tralia Community of Victoria and Treasurer of African Think Tank.

Jian Xiao Board member since 2013 Qualifications & experience: Jian has a Bachelor in Economics from Renmin Uni-versity in Beijing. She is very passionate around the issue of integration into society for older migrants. Her bilingual skills and own experience has assisted many older migrations from China getting more involved in various community events. Other local involvement: Jian is an active member of the local community since she arrived as a migrant in 2011. She participated in the third East Reservoir Re-newal survey as an interviewer, is currently a volunteer at the Darebin Intercultural Centre and is also the Assistant Secretary of “Chinese from the North”.

Angie Davidson-Slater Coordinator Special responsibilities: Coordinator of Reservoir Neighbourhood House & Member of the policy sub-committee Qualifications and experience: Bachelor of Arts, Community Development (currently completing), Adv. Dip in Community Sector Management, Dip Commu-nity Welfare and Certificate IV Governance (currently completing). Other local involvement: Angie has worked in the community development area for approx. 10 years and has been involved in the implementation of many suc-cessful community projects over this time. Angie’s interests are in building com-munity strength and working with students to improve their knowledge and experi-ences in the community field.

Steven Plant Board member since 2012 Special responsibilities: Employment and Education Portfolio Qualifications and experience: Bachelor of Science, Graduate Diploma of Ed-ucation and 2/3 completed Graduate Diploma in Entrepreneurial Studies. Ste-ven has 25 years of experience working in the Community Sector with a focus on education and employment. His work has been at both the Management and Project Development level. Since 2002, Steven has been employed as a Part-nership Broker. Other local involvement: Most of Steven’s work has occurred across a num-ber of Northern government areas including, Darebin, Broadmeadows, Banyule and Nillumbik and has included, TAFE, Adult Education Secondary Teaching, Employment Programs and Community Development

Page 12 RESERVOIR NEIGHBOURHOOD

News from Darebin Community Health

Darebin Community Health is now offering Physiotherapy and Podiatry appointments at the Reservoir Leisure Centre. Podiatry services are available on a Thursday and include: Diabe-tes foot checks, foot care and footwear advice, children's podiatry, nail surgery, insoles and arch supports and wound management. Physiotherapy services are available on a Monday. Physiotherapist treatment may include: developing exercise programs to improve mobility and strengthen muscles, working on joints and muscle to reduce pain and stiffness and assistance with the use of aids, crutches, walking sticks and wheelchairs.

Please telephone our East Reservoir Site on 8470 1111 to make an appointment for either of these services.

Our new medical wing was launched on 9th November and will provide additional space for

medical staff, students and clinicians to work with people with chronic health conditions.

DCH staff will again be attending the Reservoir End of Year Event

scheduled for Friday 6th December – come and see us and say hello!

Northland Youth Centre

This is a drop-in lounge for young people aged 12-25 years on Wednesday to Friday afternoons. This free service is staffed by local youth workers and can provide information on programs and ac-tivities. Offers Youth Information and referrals Counselling and Support Internet access Employment, training and work experience Music events and gigs Recreation and holiday programs School and community programs Further Information Ph: 8470 8491 Located at the Northland Shopping Centre