Blog

Karen Community Hub and Language School officially opened in Bendigo becomes another asset for proud multicultural city

: Tuesday 2 April 2019; Written by Rod

The official opening of the Karen Community Hub and Language School.

Bendigo Community Health Services is proud of the role we have played in establishing Bendigo's first Karen Community Hub and Language School.

The hub was officially launched by City of Greater Bendigo Mayor Margaret O'Rourke and Federal Member for Bendigo Lisa Chesters during a special ceremony on Sunday.

Our Cultural Diversity and Relationships manager Kaye Graves said the new hub was vital in helping the Karen community retain their culture, identity and faith while settling in a new country.

"It is even more important for those new arrivals we welcome to Bendigo who have been displaced and stateless in their own country of origin," Kaye said.

"The Karen Community Hub and Language School improves settlement opportunities, the wellbeing of the Karen community and prevents loss of identity through the promotion of the Karen traditions and preservation of cultural identity . This will happen through opportunities to learn traditional dance, weaving, language and storytelling."

Each Sunday the hub offers Karen language classes from 10am to noon, Karen dance classes from noon to 2pm and Karen weaving classes from noon to 3pm.

Bendigo Community Health Services was part of an advisory group formed to seek funding for the hub with a successful grant from the LUCRF Community Partnership Trust.

"My role was to develop skills and capacity for the Karen in important areas such as project and meeting management. BCHS gave $4000 to help with establishment," Kaye said.

"BCHS will work with the new hub to provide health education and build health and service literacy."

: Monday 1 April 2019; Written by Rod

Life education for teenagers with a focus on the realities of pregnancy, birth and parenting.

What is Core of Life?

Core of Life is a program designed to show the realities of pregnancy, birth and early parenting to adolescents aged 12 to 17.

The program provides realistic and factual understanding about the journey to becoming a parent.

Core of Life is being implemented in 240 high schools and community groups across Australia.

Each three-hour Core of Life session (time-frame flexible) is delivered by a trained midwife and health promotion worker.

Core of Life aims to:

Reduce teenage pregnancies.
Foster personal responsibility.
Enable informed choices and decision making.
Reduce the isolation, alienation and victimisation of teenage parents.

What topics do you cover with Core of Life?

Early changes to a woman’s body in pregnancy.
Challenges couples can experience.
Unplanned pregnancy versus planned pregnancy.
Healthy eating and risk taking behaviours.
Birth.
The stages of labour.
Breastfeeding.
Early parenting.
The role of the partner.

What are some of the teenage pregnancy risk factors?

Australia has a high number of teenage pregnancies.
Teen mothers are less likely to access early antenatal care.

Teenagers experience increased rates of:

Premature births.
Perinatal death.
Obstetric/medical complications

Core of Life ESL Students web

What feedback have you had about the Core of Life program?

Here’s some comments from people who have gone through the Core of Life program:

"I think this program should be run out across all schools, including mainstream." Education support

"Run very effectively with a mix of fun and seriousness. Very enjoyable sessions." Education support

"I loved watching and doing the role plays." Student

"I loved how they showed actual childbirth and explain things that don’t get spoken of." Student

"I enjoyed the role plays." Student

What is the cost of Core of Life?

The great news is Core of Life is free. We work with secondary schools and other community organisations to deliver the program.

Who should I contact about the Core of Life program?

If you would like more information or make a booking for the next program please contact our Core of Life co-ordinator Siobhan Sullivan by email on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call (03) 5448 1653 during business hours.

Fork In The Road community hub at Bendigo Community Health Services

: Wednesday 27 March 2019; Written by Rod

What is Fork In The Road?

A new community hub helping the disadvantaged, vulnerable, lonely and homeless in Bendigo.

Fork In The Road is designed to host programs and activities that provide valuable support to people but further develop their skills and confidence to take another path in their life journey.

Fork In The Road is only open for designated programs and services or when there is a desperate need.

It's not a funded program and relies on the generosity of both our major sponsor The Andrews Foundation and the Bendigo community to operate and keep supporting those in need..

What facilities does Fork In The Road have to help people?

Fork In The Road offers a ‘cafe-style’ setting for people to enjoy meals or hold activity sessions in air-conditioned comfort.

The main facilities include:

Functioning commercial electric oven
Three-bar cafe-standard coffee making machine
Sandwich serving bar and fridge unit
Commercial dishwasher
Large flatscreen wall-mounted television
Modern ‘cafe-style’ tables and chairs
Hot shower and small changing area
Washing machine and clothes dryer

Who do I contact to get more information on Fork In The Road?

We’d love to talk to you about Fork In The Road. Please call our Community Engagement and Communications team on (03) 5448 1600 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. anytime. Thank you.

What is Thursday Soup Kitchen?

We open the doors of Fork In The Road each Thursday between 4pm and 5pm to serve free meals for the disadvantaged, vulnerable, lonely and homeless.

Meals include chicken and salad, quiche and salad, bread and Zooper Doopers in summer. Hearty soup is on the menu in winter.

We are looking at expanding our Soup Kitchen days. Please check at www.bchs.com.au to see the latest.

Do you have partners for programs?

Yes, we do. We have a very successful partnership with the Department of Justice which sees a program preparing food packs for our Thursday Soup Kitchen.

This is having a very positive impact on both the people attending the Department of Justice program and our Thursday Soup Kitchen each week.

Please call our Community Engagement and Communications team on (03) 5448 1600 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to discuss your idea or initiative for Fork In The Road. Thank you.

Sponsors and supporters

Fork In The Road would not have been possible without the amazing support of these organisations and individuals. Thank you so much one and all ...

Major sponsor and supporter

The Andrews Foundation

Major supporters

Federal Member for Bendigo Lisa Chesters

Department of Justice - Bendigo

Hindsight Club - Bendigo

Rotary Club of Bendigo

Grace Blakemore - Sim’R Cafe

Bendigo Pottery

O’Keefe Plumbing and Gas

You Hai Lin (Youi) - SAS Construction

Vereker Stone

Bendigo TAFE - painting and decorating class

Clare Bear Creative

Reece Hendy - Nacho Station

Katie Johnson - BCHS board director

Denfield Blinds and Cleaning

Bendigo South East College SRC committee

Custom Coffees

Thursday Soup Kitchen

State Trustees - Bendigo staff

IGA Strath Village

JL King and Co

Strath Hill Hot Bake

Need help with Fork In The Road?

We’d love to talk with you about supporting Fork In The Road or Thursday Soup Kitchen. Email the Community Engagement and Communications team on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call (03) 54481600.

EARLIER POST: Community support needed for Fork In The Road

EARLIER POST: Bendigo TAFE students call up to paint Fork In The Road

EARLIER POST: Fork In The Road gets wonderful support from Winter Care Package

Fork In The Road opens with an amazing turnout of supporters, partners and well wishers

: Wednesday 27 March 2019; Written by Rod

BCHS chair Geoff Bowyer, Federal Member for Bendigo Lisa Chesters, BCHS life member Jeff Wallis and Member for Bendigo West Maree Edwards open Fork In The Road.

We were incredibly humbled by the amazing turnout for the opening of the Fork In The Road community hub at our Central site today.

The goodwill and generosity of the people in the room and the Bendigo community at large has allowed us to create Fork In The Road to support the disadvantaged, vulnerable, lonely and homeless in Bendigo.

Fork In The Road is home to our Thursday Soup Kitchen and activities/programs designed to engage with those in need, support them and build skills that provide opportunity to a different path in life.

A partnership with the Department of Justice is already having significant success around social cohesion for their clients and Thursday Soup Kitchen attendees.

To everyone who has supported us on our journey to create Fork In The Road we sincerely thank you - as an unfunded project this would never have come to life without your valuable contributions.

Thank you to Federal Member for Bendigo Lisa Chesters MP and Member for Bendigo West Maree Edwards MP for speaking at today's launch and we were chuffed our life member Jeff Wallis helped them cut the ribbon to Fork In The Road along with our board chair Geoff Bowyer.

Learn more about our Thursday Soup Kitchen here: https://www.bchs.com.au/community-soup-kitchen

PICTURES: Cookie 'give' away a day two highlight of #5ways to Wellbeing campaign

: Tuesday 26 March 2019; Written by Rod

Phew, it's been a huge day for our staff handing out more than 3000 cookies to very grateful businesses and schools across Bendigo as part of our annual #5ways to Wellbeing campaign.

The campaign is designed to use five days of activities to raise community awareness about the importance of mental health and wellbeing.

The #5ways theme today was 'Give' and it was fantastic to see workmates ordering cookies for their fellow staff to say thank you and businesses having morning teas to raise awareness of mental health and wellbeing.

Check out all the pictures from some of the businesses we visited today:

To learn about the next three days which include a family movie night, Smiling Mind business resilience workshop and Kidz Party at our Kidzspace hub in Kangaroo Flat click on this link: http://bit.ly/5waystoWellbeing

Thank you to everyone who has supported the #5ways to Wellbeing campaign.

It's such an important message.

Christchurch mosque shootings: Statement from Bendigo Community Health Services

: Monday 18 March 2019; Written by Rod

On behalf of the Bendigo Community Health Services Board of Directors and staff, I offer our heartfelt condolences to everyone impacted by the horrific and senseless killings that occurred in Christchurch on Friday.

Bendigo Community Health Services acknowledges the deep hurt, trauma and upset our community will be feeling in response to the mass shootings at the Christchurch mosques.

The sadness of this event impacts communities far and wide, reverberating across the globe.

To our multicultural community, we extend our sorrow, support and sincere sympathy in the wake of this event and we acknowledge the grief felt by the local Muslim community.

Bendigo welcomes people from different faiths and cultures who settle and make this region their home.

BCHS recognises that our community is much richer because of our multicultural and diverse backgrounds, and will continue to embrace and provide services that bring communities together, fostering appreciation of all our differences. “

“We understand death only after it has placed its hands on someone we love.”

Gerard Jose,

Chief executive officer,

Bendigo Community Health Services

International Women's Day provides great opportunity to recognise staff that make a difference in Bendigo community

: Friday 8 March 2019; Written by Rod

On International Women's Day we would like you to meet and recognise the work of some of our dedicated and professional staff who form a team that strives to help our community and make the lives of the people we care for that much better.

So, from our Discovering BCHS series we'd like to introduce:

Our longest serving staff member Paula May who has dedicated her life to helping disadvantaged families make positive changes: http://bit.ly/PaulaMayBCHS

One of the friendly faces of Bendigo Community Health Services Jacinta Fleming. Jacinta oversees our Client Services staff at Eaglehawk and has a great raport with the people who visit that site, particularly our most loyal consumers: http://bit.ly/JacintaFlemingBCHS

: Thursday 7 March 2019; Written by Rod

We are so proud of our Karen Youth Group for producing this fantastic ‘Welcome to Bendigo’ video.

The video is the result of the group’s desire to showcase Bendigo as a wonderful multicultural destination and make Karen people feel truly welcome by introducing them to the services, opportunities, sites and attractions that make living in this community so great.

The group discussed ideas for the video and wrote the script under the guidance of Bendigo Community Health Services case worker and youth group co-ordinator Nay Chee Aung who has long held an ambition to produce such a resource.

Youth group members starred in the video and then edited the final content with the support of volunteer Cameron Smith from Voice Box Films.

The video covers a wider range of topics including:

The history of Bendigo
Karen community involvement in the city
Religious groups
Karen celebrations
Sport
Cultural differences
Opportunities such as education and work, volunteering, safety and freedom of speech.

Watch the video (English translation below): http://bit.ly/KarenWelcomeToBendigo

The great news is we are finalising production on an Afghan Welcome to Bendigo video written and filmed by another of our youth groups.

Please share the video with anyone you think could benefit from the Karen welcome messages. If you would like a DVD copy of the video please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call (03) 5448 1600.

: Wednesday 27 February 2019; Written by Rod

We need 20 women from the Loddon Mallee region to help us raise community awareness about intrauterine devices.

It's all about letting the community know more about IUDs and improving access to this form of contraception for women.

We're getting some wonderful help from renowned expert Dr Paddy Moore from The Women’s Hospital who will travel to Bendigo to oversee free clinics that will help women get access to IUDs and build the capacity of local health practitioners to deliver the service to the community.

So we need volunteers to attend the Bendigo Community Health Services Women’s Sexual and Reproductive Health Hub at the Central site in Hargreaves Street for the free clinics in late March.

You will need only pay for the IUD device.

Our sexual health team is committed to raising community awareness about the benefits of intrauterine devices as a form of contraception and ensure this lifestyle choice becomes more accessible to all women.

Sexual health nurse Mary-Anne McCluskey explains an intrauterine device is inserted into the uterus to prevent pregnancy or help manage heavy and painful periods.

: Monday 25 February 2019; Written by Rod

It's going to be a stinker in Bendigo this week! When extreme heat conditions are forecast it's important people consider a heat health action plan ...

Last updated: February 25, 2019, at 9am.

The temperatures in Bendigo are going to sit in the high 30s for the next three days.

Heat exhaustion and heat stroke are serious conditions occurring when the body’s temperature rises and the internal organs start to shut down.

Symptoms of heat exhaustion range from muscle cramps, dizziness and nausea to vomiting and fainting.

The risk of heat stress is higher for young children as they sweat quicker than adults and are less likely to be able to tell you they are dehydrated.

There are simple things people can do to prevent their children from suffering dehydration, heat stress or worse.

Make sure they are drinking water rather than sport drinks or fruit juices and if you’re worried they might be dehydrated, ask them when they last went to the toilet. If it’s been a few hours then they’re not drinking enough. If it’s been over six hours then they are likely to be dehydrated.

Here is some general health information for extreme heat conditions.

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Men's Health Marathon

Bendigo Community Health Services runs the Men's Health Marathon in late August and early September each year - 11 days of activities designed to get men out, active and thinking seriously about their health.