Blog

Wonderful recognition for Kaye Graves from Victorian Multicultural Commission

: Friday 24 November 2017; Written by Rod

BCHS representatives Zahir Azimi, Kaye Graves and Kim Sykes with Bendigo Islamic Association's Conchita Ollivier.

Wonderful recognition for our Cultural Diversity and Relationships manager Kaye Graves who was presented with the Victorian Multicultural Commission #diversityheroes Community Innovation Award at Government House in Melbourne last night.

The award recognised projects that apply innovative solutions for the benefit of a community and which improve understanding of a culture with a wider audience.

A series of understanding islam information sessions in Bendigo was judged the best nomination for the award.

The judge's note read:

"Kaye Graves, who manages the cultural diversity team at Bendigo Community Health Services, was integral in combating the anti-islam sentiment that erupted in response to a 2015 proposal to build a mosque in the regional city in partnership with a group called Believe in Bendigo.

"BCHS held six 'understanding islam' sessions throughout 2016 and 2017. As well as fostering greater intercultural understanding among everyday community members, the sessions provided health workers and other service providers with useful insights which have improved the way they support Muslim families.

: Thursday 23 November 2017; Written by Rod

Neil Macdonald from Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia Bendigo support group and BCHS men's health male nurse practitioner Peter Strange.

Several Bendigo organisations have rallied together to deliver vital support for a specialist men's health clinic in our new Central site in Bendigo.

The new site sits in The Mill arcade building at 165-171 Hargreaves Street.

As well as the men's health clinic, the new site features more clinic rooms for GPs and regional Victoria's first women's sexual and reproductive health hub, podiatry, diabetes, counselling, alcohol and other drugs services and our Settlement Services which looks after the welfare of the refugee community.

The new Central site will soon be home to a Pronto rapid HIV testing clinic.

VIDEO: Take a guided tour of the new site with our staff member Natalia

The Y Service Club of Bendigo raised money for the men's health clinic through their annual December sale of fresh Christmas trees from the YMCA Stadium in Mundy Street, Bendigo.

Andrew Hampton from William Farmers Funerals at Eaglehawk made a kind donation to the clinic.

Keith Sutherland and organisers behind the Blokes Biggest Ever Lunch in Bendigo donated a portion of proceeds from last year's event to the clinic.

The annual Run For Dad organised by Athletics Bendigo in support of BCHS and the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia donated half of the money raised to the men's health clinic.

Neil Macdonald and the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia Bendigo support group made a kind and welcome donation to the clinic too.

We thank all these wonderful organisations for supporting our endeavours to get a specialist men's health clinic up and running in our new Central site.

Getting men to think seriously about their health and take action is a key priority for the new men's health clinic.

Are you worried about your health or concerned about your partner, family member or friend?

Our men’s health clinic is the perfect place to start.

: Wednesday 22 November 2017; Written by Rod

Huge thanks to Member for Bendigo West Maree Edwards who officially opened our new bigger and better Central site in The Mill arcade today.

The site at 165-171 Hargreaves Street allows us to expand our services to support more people in the community, particularly the vulnerable and disadvantaged.

Central will soon be home to regional Victoria's first women's reproductive and sexual health hub.

VIDEO: Take a guided tour of the new site with our staff member Natalia

The site also features a men's health clinic, more clinic rooms, specialist counselling rooms and tenant space for the City of Greater Bendigo's child and maternal health services, WesNet and Motor Neurone Disease Victoria.

With ARC Justice just across the arcade their is plenty of potential for partnerships that will benefit the community.

The two organisations are already working together on the successful Health Justice Partnership which sees a lawyer based at the BCHS Kangaroo Flat site two days a week to offer advice and support to consumers facing legal issues.

Maree Edwards officially opened the new sites in front of a good crowd including City of Greater Bendigo councillors James Williams, Yvonne Wrigglesworth and Rod Fyffe.

: Monday 13 November 2017; Written by Rod

Bendigo Community Health Services CEO Kim Sykes will take centre stage at 4pm on Wednesday (November 15) for the second annual Community Sector Showcase.

Kim will outline the year that was for BCHS and talk about exciting plans for the next 12 months.

Topics will include the progress of our new focus and strategic directions, plans for our new bigger and better Central site now open in Hargreaves Street and a new community hub.

The presentation is part of the second annual Community Sector Showcase at Ulumbarra Theatre.

The Community Sector Showcase program for the main stage of Ulumbarra Theatre on Wednesday is:

3.45pm: Main stage program begins.

3.48pm: Welcome to Country.

3.53pm: Official welcome from City of Greater Bendigo Mayor Margaret O'Rourke.

4pm: Bendigo Community Health Services, CEO Kim Sykes, presentation.

4.15pm: CatholicCare Sandhurst presentation.

: Wednesday 8 November 2017; Written by Rod

Bendigo Community Health Services has recognised the indigenous community with a new sculpture by Bendigo artist Ben West at our kidzspace centre in Kangaroo Flat.

The sculpture represents Bunjil the eagle which has great historical in indigenous culture.

Ben spent 12 hours using a MIG welder to carefully sculpt a collection of machinery parts and cooking utensils into the magnificent eagle, nest and base.

Among the parts collected for the project include a clutch cover from a work ute, cams out of Nissan Navarra for the legs, a caribiner clip from a fall arrest harness for the head, oil pickup out of a loader for the neck, bearings for the eyes and a vegetable steamer for feathers.

More than 100 bread knives purchased from a Bendigo Op-shop for $4 were used to create the wings and tail.

The eagle sculpture was donated to kidzspace by a generous Bendigo resident to acknowledge the importance of culture and community in the lives of children.

We thank the donor for their kindness and Ben for his fantastic creative work.

Meningococcal W: Free vaccine available in Bendigo

: Friday 13 October 2017; Written by Rod

There are just two sessions left for young Bendigo people aged 15 to 19 to get a free Meningococcal W vaccine.

The free vaccine will be available at headspace Bendigo on Monday from noon to 4.30pm and November 20 from noon to 4.30pm.

You don't need to make an appointment, just turn up!

More than 30 young people took the opportunity to get the free vaccine during sessions at headspace Bendigo on September 18 and October 5 - should you follow?

The free vaccine has been made available to protect against a recent rise in Meningococcal W cases.

: Friday 13 October 2017; Written by Rod

Bendigo Community Health Services will host another community drug information workshop in the All Time High series on November 22.

Doctor Monica Barratt from the University of New South Wales will be guest speaker at the workshop with a focus on how technology is being used for the drug market, the arrival of new psychoactive substances and real-time drug monitoring systems.

The All Time High workshop will hosted by our alcohol and other drugs services team and held in the La Trobe Visual Arts Centre in View Street from 1.30pm to 3.30pm on November 22.

The workshop is designed to deliver the latest information to support health professionals, emergency services workers and community members who work with drug users.

Doctor Barratt will discuss emerging issues including:

The rise of the darkweb in the changing face of how people purchase drugs in Australia.
The arrival of new psychoactive substances and the laws that govern them.
The effectiveness of real-time drug monitoring systems for users that operate in other parts of the world and how they could work to remove the most harmful substances from Australian drug markets.

Dr Barratt is a social scientist at the Drug Policy Modelling Program in the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre at the University of New South Wales.

Dr Barratt has spent 15 years researching the social and public health implications of digital technology for people who use illicit and psychoactive drugs.

She is an expert in the area of drug policy reform and ‘pill testing’ and other testing procedures that deliver information about the content and purity of drugs to users.

Seating for the workshop is limited. To reserve your place click here

: Thursday 12 October 2017; Written by Rod

The State Government has funded Bendigo Community Health Services to provide extra counselling services for people affected by the Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey.

BCHS is one of 23 community health services identified by the State Government as having the experience and ability to provide extra counselling services to members of the LGBTIQ community.

The Victorian AIDS Council will administer the extra funding for the extra services which will continue until November 7.

Any LGTBIQ person needing support as a result of the Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey is eligible for this free service.

Anyone wanting to access this confidential service through Bendigo Community Health Services should call the generalist counselling intake worker on 5430 0500.

VAC also has professional counsellors to help the community deal with the stress that this debate has created. Sessions can be in person or via telephone and are free of charge.

Call a VAC counsellor today between 10am and 4pm on (03) 9865 6700 and ask for the Duty Worker.

Bendigo Community Health Services general counselling services to cater for all members of the community.

For more information visit www.bchs.com.au or to receive support please call the generalist counselling intake worker on 5430 0500.

headspace Bendigo at 78-80 Pall Mall also provides mental health services for young people aged 12 to 25.

Celebrating 10 years of showing people a new way of Life!

: Wednesday 11 October 2017; Written by Rod

Community health nurses Heather Hinton and Kate Bradshaw deliver the Life! program.

Bendigo Community Health Services is celebrating 10 years of the diabetes and cardiovascular disease prevention program Life!

Staff at Bendigo Community Health Services have delivered more than 40 Life! group courses since 2012.

The Life! program is co-ordinated by Diabetes Victoria and supported by the State Government.

Our community health nurses use the Life! Program to support people in making positive and healthy lifestyle changes through a series of group course sessions and one-on-one support.

Life! uses the AUSDRISK tool to identify the risk of Type 2 diabetes.

Do you know your diabetes risk? To take the Ausdrisk click here

Our experience is that people who use the Life! program see positive physical and mental health outcomes with increased motivation and a better understanding of healthy living.

Lloyd Watson-Jones turned to the Life! program after a routine check up found his glucose level was unusually high.

“I was borderline diabetic,” Lloyd remembers.

“My doctor said losing weight was essential but also the Life! diabetes and cardiovascular disease program at Bendigo Community Health Services would be very helpful.

“The only way to improve my health was to take action, so I joined the five-week Life! group sessions with positive results.

“The course is about making healthier lifestyle choices regarding food, nutrition and exercise.”

: Friday 6 October 2017; Written by Rod

We could tell you how good the Life! program is but we will leave that to Lloyd Watson-Jones. He's living proof it works ...

A routine check up in December 2014 revealed my glucose level was unusually high.

I was borderline diabetic.

My doctor said losing weight was essential but also the Life! diabetes and cardiovascular disease program at Bendigo Community Health Services would be very helpful.

The only way to improve my health was to take action, so I joined the five-week Life! group sessions with positive results.

The course is about making healthier lifestyle choices regarding food, nutrition and exercise.

The group received expert coaching about setting personal goals to improve wellness by understanding what types of food help our body to function well.

We were coached on how to read packaged food labels and the importance of food portions.

I put into practice the knowledge gained from dietician, nutritionist and group facilitator Heather hinton and started a daily exercise regime of walking,skipping and jogging for 90 minutes.

While I enjoyed the physical exercise, it was challenging making conscious decisions about what I eat, when I eat and portion size of main meals.

However, with the support of family and group members, I maintained my goals and at the last session I was rewarded by being eight kilograms lighter and my waist five centimetres less.

I am overhwelmed by the outcomes of the Life! course.

I whole-heartedly recommend Life! to anyone desiring improved health and lifestyle.

The sessions are conducted by a caring, professional team of diabetic educators and the Life! group members soon become supportive of each other.

You'll not only lose a few kilos but gain a healthier lifestyle.

Go for it!

Subcategories

General
Community

For all events, information stands, men’s health week, women’s health week and the like
Discovering BCHS - meet our staff

Find out more about our amazing staff
kidzspace - a new era for BCHS

Our kidzspace project
Volunteers

BCHS recognises and thanks our volunteers
Partnerships

BCHS recognises and thanks our partners
From our CEO

News from our CEO
Celebrations

Celebrating BCHS's milestones
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.