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Palliative Care in Parkes

July 13, 2017 By Maggi Barnard

Palliative care is often overlooked when discussing health management and delivery, but it is an essential service that can have a tremendous and far-reaching effect on well-being , not just for the patient, but for their families and carers as well. Quality palliative care isn’t just dependent on nurs- ing staff – many volunteers work alongside health professionals to provide crucial and compassionate end-of-life care.

The not-for-profit organisation Neighbourhood Central has been involved with pallia- tive care volunteers since about 2012, and works in conjunction with the Parkes Palliative Care team. The volunteers visit people at home or in the community, offering support and companionship for people in pallia- tive care, as well as their family and carers.

The Parkes Palliative Care Team receives about 110 referrals a year.

Parkes Palliative Care Clinical Nurse Specialist Bernadette Orange was one of the pioneers behind the service. She said that volunteers are a valuable part of the palliative care team.

Palliative care NSW recently completed a survey of nurses’ experiences of palliative care volunteers, called: A space of caring: NSW nurses’ experiences of Palliative Care Volunteers in inpatient settings.

The survey emphasised the importance of volunteers in providing care. Of the respondents, 89% agreed that volunteers display empathy and emotional awareness and contributed to better palliative care, and 70% said they would like more volunteers in their service.

Palliative care volunteers attached to Neighbourhood Central are hosting a conference at the Railway Hotel next Thursday. There will be presentations from key speakers, interactive discussions, networking opportunities, plus time to reflect on the role of volunteers in palliative care today.

“We are really proud of our volunteers, and for the support of Neighbourhood Central,” Bernadette said. “Not everyone in palliative care will experience pain, but the pain is made worse when a person is distressed about something in their life,” she said. “This conference is all about the important role that the volunteers have in easing that sort of pain and in supporting people in our community.”

For more information visit www.volun- teerhub.com.au or contact Tony Fisher on 0428 970 559.

The Station Restaurant Now Caters For The Early Risers

July 13, 2017 By Maggi Barnard

Great news from the The Station Restau- rant! Now opening even earlier for breakfast from 6.00am to 8.30am, Monday to Friday. Saturday, Sunday and Public Holidays from 7:30am to 9am. Offering both a la carte and continental breakfast options, The Station Restaurant is open to the public as well as its in house guests. Choose from the hearty Bacon & Egg Roll or if you are looking for something a bit different to start your day with, try the Station Melt – grilled chicken, avocado and sundried tomato all topped with cheese and grilled.

The Station Restaurant also welcomes takeaway customers the full breakfast menu as well as a great selection of Merlo coffee and hot chocolates created by the Station’s own barista Krista Hansen.

You will find the Station Restaurant on the Newell Highway, just past the Visitors Information Centre, on your way to Peak Hill/ Dubbo.

If you are on the move early and looking for a quality breakfast option, book a table or order a takeaway, phone the Station on 6862 8444 or SMS your order through to 0437 970 193. See you at the Station!

Veteran’s Outreach Program

July 13, 2017 By Maggi Barnard

An officer from the Veterans Outreach Pro- gram will visit Parkes on Tuesday 18th and Wednesday 19th July.

Any veteran, service or ex-service personnel who would like to seek individual assistance with any Service, Disability, War Widow and/or an MCRS Claim from any confrontation is welcomed to make an appointment.

All appointments are for a one hour pe- riod and will be held in the Parkes RSL Sub-Branch office at the Parkes Services and Citizens Club and persons are urged to make appointments with the Parkes RSL

Sub-Branch Secretary Paul Thomas on 0427 624 683.

A strictly limited number of evening appointments are available and this service is free to all ex-service personnel.

When announcing the visit, Mr Thomas stressed that this service is available to assist all veterans as well as service and ex-service personnel irrespective of when or where they served. The program also allows any matter of contention that may require the lodgement of a claim or applica- tion to the Department of Veteran Affairs.

Golden Jubilee For Parkes Boars

July 6, 2017 By Maggi Barnard

“It’s not all about winning; it’s about turning up, and trying your best. It’s about mates and friendship.”

This philosophy has seen the Parkes Boars Rugby Union Club endure through generations.

The Boars celebrated their 50th Anniversary with a gala dinner at the Parkes Ser- vices Club last weekend. Mayor Ken Keith officially welcomed the 185 strong crowd, which was made up of team mates young and old, as well as partners, families and supporters. Geoff Rice emceed the event, and called on former players to share their (sometimes dubious) memories of their glory days.

Special guests, former Wallaby Jon White and current Wallaby Tom Robertson helped celebrate the golden milestone. Both have a connection to the region, and an enviable career in rugby union.

Jon, who grew-up in Yeoval, agreed that country rugby punches above its weight. “There used to be pathways there for country boys,” he said, “but now country boys have to play in the cities to be seen by selectors. It really is a retrograde step.”

Tom was born in Wellington, and deferred his medical studies to focus on football. “People talk about overnight success,” he said, “but they don’t see the hours and hours of training that you put into it and all of the sacrifices that you make.”

The evening was a jovial celebration of the kind of mateship that the club has shared for the past 50 years, confirming that, for the Boars, it is more than just football.

By Raen Fraser

VIP’s Work For Greener Energy At Parkes Solar Farm

July 6, 2017 By Maggi Barnard

It was all hands on deck for last week’s solar panel installation ceremony. Mayor Ken Keith and Wiradjuri elder Robert Clegg donned hi-vis and hard hats to help install solar panels at the Parkes Solar Farm.

They were joined by a handful of other VIP’s, or Very Important Panel-installers; Ian Learmonth, CEO of the Clean Energy Finance Corporation, and senior executives from the Australian Renewably Energy Agency, French renewable energy firm Neoen, and construction company Bouygues were made honorary solar panel technicians for the ceremonial event.

Construction on the Parkes Solar Farm is already well-underway, with acres of piles and panels already erected. The solar farm is situated on 240 hectares of land to the west of Parkes, and is the largest of Neoen’s four Australian solar plants.

Ultimately it will be connected to the future solar farm substation, and will produce up to 80MW of renewable energy – or enough to power more than 20,000 homes.

Bouyges CEO Jean-Chrisophe Perraud said that he’s excited to be part of a project that will bring the green power our planet deserves. He credited the local and international crew with the project’s successful progress. “We have the right people on the ground and are tremendously engaged with the local people,” he said. “We’re us- ing an ambitious mix of local know-how and global skills.”

Snippets…

July 6, 2017 By Maggi Barnard

SES wants you to Stop Revive Survive: Don’t forget to take a break these holidays. Driver Reviver offer free tea, coffee and biscuits to help overcome driver fatigue. The Parkes Driver Reviver Station is run by the SES and other volunteers who staff the station in four-hour shifts, making up to 50 cups of tea or coffee for weary travellers. The free service is offered on public holidays and the beginning and end of school holidays.

The first Skywriters ‘Big Gig’ launches in Parkes this weekend: The Big Gig is on this weekend. Join writers, artists, and astronomers for an inspirational and in- formative weekend. Guest astronomers include Trevor Leaman, Donna Burton, Peter Starr, and Les Dalrymple. Literary themed panel discussions will be held at the Coventry Room from 1pm Saturday, and 9.30am Sunday with a dinner and discussion at The Dish Café at the Parkes Observatory on Saturday from 7pm.

The ‘Big Gig’ will also highlight Wiradjuri and Gomeroi (Gamilaraay) astronomy, with the opening of Wiradjuri Murriyang (Wiradjuri Skyworld), a weekend exhibition of Wiradjuri constellation art by Scott ‘Sauce’ Towney, for Trevor Leaman’s Wiradjuri Astronomy Project, and a feature documentary, Sky Stories of the Dreaming, by Ellie Gilbert.

Daytime events at this first ‘Big Gig’ are free for registered guests, or $5 for the public (registration is free). Dinner is $30 and must be paid in advance. Visit www. facebook.com/skywritersproject for more information, or visit www.bigskiescollaboration.wordpress.com/projects/skywriters/

Uniting Church monthly meals: Dozens of people enjoyed a warm meal on a cold night at the first of the Uniting Churches free monthly meal nights last Monday.

A dozen Uniting Church Volunteers worked in the kitchen, cooking up almost 50 meals for their local community. It was a friendly, family atmosphere, with tables full of people of all ages, from infants to the elderly.

The attendees enjoyed home cooked sweet and sour mince with rice and veg- etables, followed by apple crumble and ice cream. While the food was delicious, for many the company was the most enjoyable part of the meal. Steven Kirby and Cherie Capewell have only been in Parkes for five weeks, and said it was wonderful to be able to meet new people. “It’s good to bring people out of their shells,” Cherie said. “It’s made me feel warm again.”

Do You Want To Be Financially Successful?

July 6, 2017 By Maggi Barnard

Not quite sure how to make it happen? Are you between 25 and 45? Great! Then you’re the perfect age to put in place the strategies you need to have a fantastic financial future. Don’t wait until you’re in your fifties… It’s too late by then and you’ll be chasing your tail trying to play catch up.

You’re only ever going to be answerable to your future self, so do your future self a favour and get started NOW.

But where do you start? That’s usually the hardest part for most people, as there are so many options to choose from and it all gets very confusing… in many cases people find it easier to put their head in the sand and hope for the best. Hope is not a strategy!

So, here’s the good news – there is a pro- vider of independent, unbiased financial education just waiting to help: WEALTH TRAIN. It’s a lot easier than you think and training can be done in the comfort of your own home and at your own pace.

Head to our website – wealthtrain.com.au – to watch the first of our 14 training videos for free. And if you like what you see then Phoenix readers can get a 20% discount by using the coupon code NEWFINYEAR2017 in the checkout area.

Get on board and start your journey to financial freedom! Cheers, Daniel

Daniel McGregor is a founding partner of Wealth Train, an Australian Financial Services Licence Holder (474966) empowering Australians with financial education. Any advice given is general in nature and readers should seek their own professional advice before making any financial deci- sions.

The Station Restaurant Now Caters For The Early Risers

July 6, 2017 By Maggi Barnard

Great news! The Station Restaurant is now open even earlier; offering breakfast from 6am to 8:30 Monday to Friday, and from 7:30 to 9am Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays.

With a la carte and continental breakfast options, The Station Restaurant is open to the public as well as its in-house guests, and offers takeaway options for coffee or a meal-on-the-go. Options include the hearty Bacon & Egg Roll, and the Station Melt – grilled chicken, avocado and sundried to- mato all topped with cheese.

The Station Restaurant is located on the Newell Highway, just past the Visitors Infor- mation Centre. See you at the Station!

Trundle Kicks $500,000 Goal

June 29, 2017 By Maggi Barnard

Trundle’s Berryman Park is about to get a $500,000 make-over thanks to a NSW clubGRANT funding decision that was announced this week.

The upgrade will include new seating and lighting, expanded grandstands, and the construction of an amenities block. The grant is a significant victory, allowing the improvements to be undertaken in one stage, rather than tackling the improvements on a piecemeal basis – a process that could have dragged on for years.

The Minister for Racing Paul Toole joined MLC Rick Colless in making a special visit to the shire for Tuesday’s funding announcement. Berryman Park is one of only 11 pro- jects that were funded from this round. With more than 400 applicants, it was a very tough playing field. Paul Toole said the funding will change the way the park is used and

showcase what Trundle has to offer. Understandably, the locals were thrilled with the windfall. Andrew Rawsthorne, Trundle Progress Association grants officer, said that this project will have a significant long-term benefit for the town.
Geoff Jones, Trundle Sports Council President, agreed. “Lots of things happen here, not just rugby,” he said. “We have the Abba Festival and cricket as well.”

Mayor Ken Keith said that while all the towns in the shire are wonderful, he conceded there is something special about Trundle. He extended council’s gratitude for the funding decision.

“Parkes Shire Council has a philosophy that we should spend other people’s money rather than our own if we can,” he joked.

By Raen Fraser

Parkes Is Dedicated To Peace

June 29, 2017 By Maggi Barnard

The Rotary Peace Precinct stood almost abandoned as it was dusted by light rain on Wednesday, while across town the official dedication ceremony was conducted indoors. The standing-room-only event was moved to the Little Theatre, but even though attendees were unable to walk amongst the peace pillars at the base of Memorial Hill it was none-the-less an appropriate location.

Theatres are magical places that can transport an audience across time and place, and Wednesday’s ceremony was no exception. The audience was invited to visualise the Peace Precinct, to consider the symbolic imagery in the totem sculptures and dry creek bed, and to imagine how the installations interact with the land.

The audience was also transported further afield, as each of the official speakers reflected on the nature of peace, sharing their personal connections to various countries and conflicts, not just across the world, but also across history.

Even though the dedication was not held within the precinct, it was a deeply moving ceremony that evoked the passion and energy of the many talented and dedicated people who worked to bring the project together.

The Peace Precinct represents the values expressed in the Rotary Peace Communities credo, with a particular emphasis on reconciliation. The five timber sculptures are carved with Wiradjuri iconography, each reflecting the tenets of the credo; Respect, Reconciliation, Families, Newcomers and History. Four of the pillars are positioned to represent music notes, which together create harmony.

Harmony was the enduring theme through- out the ceremony. Students from Holy Fam- ily School and Parkes East Public School formed a joint school choir to perform Kookaburra in both English and Wiradjuri. This was later followed by an emotive flash-mob performance of I Am Australian.

The Peace Precinct is yet another of Parkes’ treasures. When you visit be sure to take time to engage with its poignant symbolism.

By Raen Fraser

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