BUSHkids Annual Report 2018-2019

CAHS Warwick

Friends of BUSHkids Warwick

Our Allied Health team welcomed new staff members during the year, with the welcome addition of an admin support worker and the relocation of a Speech Pathologist from Emerald. The team has gone from strength to strength in the services provided to Warwick and surrounding districts, with increased support to meet demands for targeted group programs in educational settings — such as PALS, Alert Program ® , Fun FRIENDS © and others. Services provided have been a combination of in-centre, outreach, school and home visits and telehealth services, with a multi-disciplinary approach to holistically support families’ needs. All our team members have been involved in community capacity-building activities, working with other agencies which also support children and families. These activities included Warwick’s telePsychologist presenting at the Southern Downs’ Regional Children’s Services Community Network meetings on attachment, and an evening series of presentations for early childhood educators focusing on sensory, play, communication and behaviour, facilitated by our Family Health Support Worker, Occupational Therapist and Speech Pathologist. Warwick’s AH team continues to embrace reciprocal relationships with the community, collectively working together to improve the social, emotional, learning and developmental outcomes of children. Our local Friends of BUSHkids committee and community agencies such as Rotary International continue to provide valuable support to the organisation. Partnership with Goolburri Aboriginal Health Advancement has allowed the team to support Indigenous families through regular playgroups hosted at BUSHkids, which focus on emerging literacy skills and empowering parents to support their child’s development. The well-established annual BUSHkids Golf Day and BUSHdance events receive massive support from the local community, with contributions going back into funding our services. The usual program of active involvement in community events includes NAIDOC Week celebrations, the annual Jumpers and Jazz Festival and Under-8’s Day .

Warwick Friends celebrated another successful year with continuing community events and fundraising activities. Thanks to the tremendous support of corporate sponsors and local businesses, our annual raffle had a great selection of prizes including four 14-day passes to Village Roadshow theme parks on the Gold Coast — Movie World , Sea World and Wet’n’Wild — an adult pass to Australia Zoo , one family pass each to the Cobb and Co Museum , Glengallan Homestead and Darling Downs Zoo , and a $50 voucher to Skirmish Gold Coast ! As always, ticket sales went incredibly well and provided opportunities to highlight BUSHkids services at Rose City Shoppingworld . Yet again this year our friends at Rotary Club of Warwick Sunrise kindly donated the ticket printing costs. Thank-you to all for this generous support of our work! FOBK Warwick members also have been visiting various local schools and P&F meetings with BUSHkids staff to promote services available and to generate interest in FoBk . BUSHdance moved to a new venue this year at the youth hub in Leslie Park, the venue and facilities kindly donated by Southern Downs Regional Council . The sounds of the Band-O-Coots got families up dancing and enjoying great music in the sunshine. Rotary Sunrise helped again with a sausage sizzle to feed the hungry crowd and Warwick staff dabbled in face-painting, with children delighting in the creations — even CEO Carlton joined in, wearing a tiger face! August saw another successful annual fundraising day at the Warwick Golf Club with the Golf Day dinner catered by the Condamine Sports Club . Both events provided further opportunities to promote the services that BUSHkids brings to the community. Guest speaker was SDRC Lord Mayor Cr Tracy Dobie who shared her love of poetry and the part it has played in her life, particularly during challenging experiences. Stewart Wade dynamically ran the auction with some competitive bidding for various donated goods. We appreciate the ongoing support of Warwick Daily News , People and Places Magazine and Rainbow FM for promoting FoBk activities and events — and a big thank-you to all our local businesses who always support the work of BUSHkids in our community. Although our FoBk numbers are few, our spirit is strong as we continue to promote the valuable work of BUSHkids in our region.

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