On Day 5, Thursday 22 May, the group will travel through Euabalong West and on to Parkes. Day 6, Friday 23 May, the vehicles will be departing Parkes and heading through Bogan Gate.

The iconic Variety NSW Bash is back for its 33rd year, aiming to raise $1 million to support children who are sick, experienc­ing disadvantage or living with a disability.

From Sunday 18 May to Saturday 24 May, 78 colourful cars and 255 participants will embark on the exhilarating seven-day road trip, congregating at Mount Panorama and ending in Newcastle.

The Variety NSW Bash is a one-of-a-kind motoring adventure that unites car lovers from all walks of life in a colourful celebra­tion of community and cause. Spanning just over 3,000km, the event is packed with fun, friendship, and purpose — with $41,647 in grants to be awarded to rural schools and communities along the route.

Participants are encouraged to decorate and theme their vehicles; from Men in Black, Scooby Doo, SpongeBob SquarePants, Pokémon to Minions, all while raising criti­cal funds for Variety–the Children’s Charity NSW/ACT.

Stops along the way include Bathurst, Young, West Wyalong, Weethalle, Coleam­bally, Hay, Pooncarie, Broken Hill, Ivanhoe, Griffith, Euabalong West, Parkes, Bogan Gate, Yeoval, Mudgee and finishing with a Family Fun Day in Newcastle.

“We’re thrilled to bring the Variety NSW Bash back for another year,” said Tony Warner, CEO of Variety NSW/ACT.

“It’s more than just a road trip, it’s a pow­erful fundraising event that directly sup­ports kids who are sick, disadvantaged or living with disability right across NSW.”

This year, school beneficiaries include Weethalle Public School, Kalinda School, Coleambally Central School, Pooncarie Public School, Ivanhoe Central School, Euabalong West Public School, Yeoval Central School. Each school will receive between $3,000 and $5,000 for education­al resources and sporting equipment such as projectors, workbooks, sensory play equipment, EDU classroom drone kit, and even a Variety Sunshine Coach!For more information or to donate, visit: https://fundraise.varietynswact.org.au/event/nswbash25

Parents, carers and grandparents of young children are invited to attend one of two free online workshops being held next week to provide important safety information about child car seats.

The workshops are being conducted by Parkes, Forbes and La­chlan Shire Councils in partnership with Transport for NSW. The workshops will be held online via Microsoft Teams, on Tuesday 13 May at 10am and again at 7pm, and will run for about an hour.

The Councils’ Road Safety and Injury Prevention Officer, Mela­nie Suitor, said the correct selection, installation and adjustment of child car seats is vital to ensure children’s safety when travelling in vehicles.

“The workshop will cover the National Child Restraint Laws, types of child car seats available, correct installation and adjust­ment, when to move to the next car seat, accessories, tips for sec­ondhand car seats and much more.

“It will be a great refresher for grandparents, as child car seats and the rules have changed a lot since they had their children, but also for parents and carers as they are navigating their way through their child or children’s growth.

“Local checking day events show that around 80% of the child car seats we checked were incorrectly installed. Transport for NSW research shows that children who are not restrained correct­ly are seven times more likely to sustain life-threatening injuries in a crash than those who are properly secured. It’s so important to ensure your precious cargo is safe,” said Ms Suitor.

To book your place, use this link: https://bit.ly/WorkshopRegoMay25 or call on (02) 6861 2364.

2025 Waste 2 Art community exhibition and competition, celebrating creative ways to reuse waste materials.

Parkes Shire Council is pleased to an­nounce its involvement in the 2025 Waste 2 Art community exhibition and competition.

Waste 2 Art is open to all residents of the NetWaste region and showcases creative works made from reused waste materials.

The aim is to challenge peoples’ percep­tions about ‘rubbish’ and to celebrate the reuse and recycling of waste through arts and crafts.

Waste 2 Art provides an innovative ap­proach to waste education, invites individu­als, schools, and community groups to take up the challenge and create a new life for materials that would otherwise have been thrown away or considered useless. Over the years many materials have been used including soft plastics, tin cans, bottle tops, plastic bags, scrap metal and clothing, the options are endless. Instead of heading to landfill, these waste materials can be turned into fantastic works of art.

In the lead-up to the competition, Parkes Shire Library is running a Community Work­shop on Saturday 10 May, facilitated by Waste 2 Art artist Helen Standen. With a focus on the Year of Toys, participants will use items like Minecraft Cubeez and other supermarket collectibles to create their art­works. If you already have a project idea, this workshop is a great opportunity to gain creative input and expert guidance. Tickets are available via Humanitix: https://events.humanitix.com/waste-2-art-toy-workshop-with-helen

Each year a specific waste item will be featured, 2025 is The Year of Toys. That doesn’t mean that you have to use this ma­terial in your artwork, but we want to raise awareness each year of one particular prob­lem waste stream.

Entry forms are available online – https://bit.ly/2025Waste2ArtEntryForm. Visit the Parkes Shire Council website or the Marra­marra Makerspace Studio Facebook page for key dates. Or contact Sharon Degeling at Parkes Library and Cultural Centre on 6861 2309.