Coffee in Park events expand
What started as a casual coffee and a chat after school visits by IWC health practitioners has evolved into a major community health and wellbeing event set to sweep the region in 2018.
IWC started the Coffee in the Park three-hour health and wellbeing sessions in October 2016, running them every two months in North Burnett. These are walk-up sessions with an array of IWC health, medical and community team members on hand to deliver wellbeing screenings and information, and include fun activities. Check out a few of the pictures from these events below.
Coffee in the Park events offer an easy, relaxed environment in which people can come and ask questions. Dietitians, Diabetes Educators, counsellors, youth workers, nurses and much more are involved, so there is a lot of expertise on hand.
The Coffee in the Park sessions have been so successful that in 2018 we are expanding them to encompass 10 areas right across Bundaberg and the North Burnett. The IWC teams will hold events in Childers, Burnett Heads, Gin Gin, Yandaran, North Bundaberg, Sharon, Eidsvold and Gayndah, Mundubbera and Mt Perry. Right now we have 33 events scoped out already.
IWC listens to our community, and these events came about as a result of hearing and health checks we carry out in schools. Our team members noticed quite a few adults – school staff and parents – at these checks obviously wanted to talk. So after completing the checks the IWC health and medical staff would buy a coffee and sit down in a local park or public area adjacent to the school. This provided an opportunity for people to wander up for an informal one-on-one chat.
Our Clinical Governance Manager, Jenni Toogood, took that concept to the next level and the Coffee in the Park events were born. Today, they include information and health screenings relevant to the areas in which they are held, and involve our medical, health and community staff. Plus, of course, our NDIS Local Area Coordination team will be part of the Bundaberg region events. IWC is the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) Local Area Coordinator for Bundaberg region.
IWC also is adding another element to the Coffee in the Park mix in 2018 – mobile event trailers that will offer pop-up “chat” spots. We are making over two large, covered trailers, equipping them to carry tables, chairs, marquees, eskies for drinks, urns for tea and coffee and much more. They will become ‘ChatStop’ units that will support our community engagement and consultation. These will be ready in the New Year in time for the first Coffee in the Park events of 2018, which will then run right through the year, with several held each month.
Lucky draws are part of the events, with local businesses supported through this.