Bendigo TAFE students volunteer to paint Fork In The Road community hub

What a truly amazing gesture.

This group of Bendigo TAFE students read about our plans to establish a community hub to help disadvantaged, vulnerable, lonely and homeless people build work and life skills so they promptly volunteered to paint the entire space.

The Painting and Decorating Certificate II students spent a week cleaning, repairing, preparing and painting walls, cupboard and tiles under the guidance of teacher Shane Kennedy.

“What a great way to help out the community and give these students some real life training,” Shane said.

“None of these students had painted before so what they have achieved in a short time is impressive and a credit to them all for sticking it out.

“If they don’t end up in the painting industry, I think it has inspired them to participate in other training.

“Vikki, Luke, Sebastian, Zac and Otto played a big part in the project and just wanted to help out people less fortunate.

“Thanks for the project and I know there are five students that are proud of their achievements.”

All Time High regional roadshow to support professionals working with drug users

Bendigo Community Health Services and Burnet Institute is embarking on an All Time High regional roadshow to support professionals working with people using any type of drug.

The roadshow will involve a series of workshops covering topics such as evolving drug patterns, injecting behaviour among forensic cohort and Hep C transmission in communities that inject drugs.

Castlemaine, Maryborough, Echuca, Swan Hill and Mildura will host roadshow stops.

The roadshow is an expansion of the successful Bendigo All Time High forums run by Bendigo Community Health Services last year.

The State Government's Ice Action Plan will fund the roadshow with Minister for Mental Health Martin Foley announcing the grant during a visit to Bendigo last year.

BOOK YOUR PLACE: See the full list of venues and dates and links to book your place below

The workshops are designed to deliver the latest information to professionals to help build knowledge and skills so they can provide the best support to people under their care.

Burnet Institute will provide presenters for the roadshow, including:

Michael Curtis

Michael is working as a research assistant for the PATH Cohort Study and MIX Cohort Study. His research interests include injecting drug use, homelessness, mental health, young people and post-prison outcomes.

Bendigo PrEP demand grows as BCHS men's health and sexual health clinic staff cater for need

Demand for the ground-breaking HIV prevention medication PrEP in Bendigo is growing.

Our sexual health clinic staff are seeing more consumers seeking the medication in recent weeks. 

Men's health nurse practitoner Peter Strange is credentialled to prescribe PrEP. 

PrEP was listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme in April making the drug more affordable and accessible to Victorians.

Evidence shows that when taken daily PrEP can reduce the risk of HIV transmission by up to 99 per cent.

Together with condoms, frequent and regular sexual health screening and effective treatments for people living with HIV, Victorians have more resources than ever to prevent HIV.

Peter said people could visit the men's health or sexual health clinics to receive the PrEP medication.

"People who visit us for PrEP can expect more than just getting the medication - support and quality care should be much more than that," Peter says.

"It's really important to provide a comprehensive assessment which includes information, advice and options around PrEP and things such as testing for STIs to ensures people remain healthy and have peace of mind.