Wednesday 30 August 2017

The Western Sydney Giants AFL Team in The Prelimary Finals

The Western Sydney Giants are one of the newest AFL (Australian Football League) and  have progressed since 2012, to reach 4th place at the end of competition this year. This has been their successful  year so far where they  have at least 2 more games to reach the Grand Final. Click here for the AFL Ladder

Their next game is 7.30pm, September 7th 2017 at Adelaide Oval.



It’s here. We’ve worked hard, ridden the highs and lows, and it’s all for this. The Finals are here.
The Orange Army is building, the voice is fuller and we would not have reached this milestone without our members’ support.

This September we will continue to be better, fly high, drive hard and outsmart our opponents to achieve finals greatness.

Enlist in the Orange Army as we unite as players, coaches, partners, members, and fans to create history. This is our year.

Enlist in the Orange Army today to secure your Limited-Edition Orange Army Sticker, redeemable at the GIANTS' Home Final*.


Send us a photo of your Orange Army or leave a message for the GIANTS and you could win an Exclusive GIANTS Orange Army Merchandise Pack


Western Sydney Wanders Will Be In Mount Druitt Tomorrow - Meca Mount Druitt Face Book Page



WESTERN SYDNEY WANDERERS ARE COMING TO MOUNT DRUITT TOMORROW !!! They will be running a soccer clinic in Dawson Mall from 2- 4pm - free for all to come and participate


Western Sydney Wanderers are the  A - League soccer club that represent the  Greater Western Sydney, they have only been in the competition  for just a few years and have had reasonably good results. To have them come to Dawson Mall, so please make your way there, if you are available.








Blackmores Sydney Running Festival - Vinnies Western Sydney

Missed out on the City2Surf this year? Looking for a more flexible run?
Join Vinnies Western Sydney at the 2017 Blackmores Sydney Running Festival on September 17!

The Blackmores Sydney Running Festival is back again for its 17th year and with four different distances, you can choose which one suits you best. Whether you're a serious runner or enthusiastic walker, there's a run for you - from 3.5km to a marathon!
Did you know that 1 in 18 Australians are experiencing disadvantage? Or that there are over 105,000 Australians experiencing homelessness at this very moment?
You can do something about it by running with Vinnies Western Sydney and helping us raise awareness and funds for people doing it tough in our community.
Follow the steps below and take on the Blackmores Sydney Running Festival with Team Vinnies!


CHOOSE YOUR RUN

The Marathon, Half Marathon and Bridge Run start in Bradfield Park, Milson's Point travel over the main deck of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and finish at the Sydney Opera House whilst the Family Fun Run also starts in Bradfield Park, and travels over the main deck of the Sydney Harbour Bridge but finishes at the Conservatorium of Music.


JOIN THE TEAM
Step 1. Register for Blackmores
Step 2. Start Fundraising

Register for your chosen race here.

Click 'Register Now' to create your fundraising page. Make sure you join Team Vinnies! And start raising funds for Vinnies Western Sydney.

...or RUN FOR FREE!

Register and fundraise over $500 and your entry ticket will be refunded back to you!


We'll see you at the finish line!

For more information or fundraising tips, contact Tahlia Hood on 8861 9700 or email fundraising.westsyd@vinnies.org.au

Tuesday 29 August 2017

Free Dental Clinic - 23 & 24 September - Only For Residents Of 2770

Well, we really appreciate our Face Book members, providing us with more community information that we can spread throughout our community. So thank you to Kylz, our Face Book member for  providing us  the following information:

Ability Counselling Therapy
1 hr

Do you have a toothache, cavities, broken teeth or sore gums?
Are you over 18, single parent..., pensioner, refugee, disabled or unemployed?

Make an appointment to attend this FREE dental clinic by calling 9835 2970 before Friday 15 September. Bookings are essential.
An initiative of Tzu Chi Foundation & Bidwill Uniting, with support from Blacktown Youth College.

1st North Mount Druitt Looking For Scouts And Leaders - 'whyilovemountdruitt' Face Book Page

As you may be aware, Mount Druitt has  many groups and community organisations that need your support or  you may wish to volunteer and help or be part of. The saying goes, 'A sudden  life change could be a good life change'.

Thank you to Kylz from our Face Book group for sharing this important community advertisement  for 1st North Mount Druitt Scout Group seeking scouts and leaders, that may spark a bit of interest from within our community.
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Holy Family Parish Fair - Mount Druitt - 14th October 2017 - Stall Holders And Entertainers Required

This year the Holy Family Catholic Church, Mount Druitt is holding it's Annual Fair on 14th October 2017 at the Holy Family Church Car Park, 254 Luxford Road, Emerton  NSW 2770, as it invites all members of the Mount Druitt  and surrounding community, to this event. The event will be held  between  the hours of 10.00am to 3pm.

There will be food stalls, games, ride and live entertainment

Admission is free and children $5.00 unlimited  ride wristbands available the Holy Family Centre or on the day itself.

Click here for further details for the Holy Family Fair 2017

 Holy Family Fair is also seeking Stall holders, except for food stalls for the day. Deadline for this is 9th October 2017 and you may contact Malia on 02 96287272 or
email: enquiry@holyfamily.org.au



Holy Family is also inviting all entertainers from singers, musicians, bands, dancers and comedians to take the stage on the Holy Family Fair day as well. 







Sydney Alliance Fundraiser Concert - The Cafe 0f Salvation Choir - 7th October 2017

Tickets are now available for our Room at the Inn 2 - Sydney Alliance fundraiser concert! 

sydall_march_assembly4.jpg








The Cafe of the Gate of Salvation choir are back with their Songs of Freedom leading us through a musical history of peoples' fight for the common good! Back for a second year, we're inviting you to St Stephen's Uniting Church, Saturday October 7th.
Come and hear us share our own stories of freedom! Have your heart filled and your spirit lifted by the amazing gospel vocals!
PLUS we'll be selling scrumptious baked goodies and drawing our annual raffle.
Grab your tickets HERE while they're still hot!
Come along on October 7 to keep Sydney Alliance independent from government and continuing to act around refugee and asylum seeker issues!

Sydney Alliance
http://www.sydneyalliance.org.au/

Blacktown City Council - Media Release - Local Sporting Stars Announced 

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29 August 2017

A powerlifting world champion and a gridiron Australian representative are in the running to become Blacktown City’s 2017 Sports Person of the Year.

The monthly sports award winners were celebrated at an award presentation in Dawson Mall, Mt Druitt, on Thursday, August 24. 

“The monthly sports awards are a great opportunity to shine a light on tremendous individual achievements, and recognise the effort and time Blacktown City people put into their sport”, said Blacktown City Sport and Recreation Advisory Committee Chairman, Councillor Brad Bunting.
Each month’s winners become nominees in Blacktown City’s Sports Awards, to be announced in February 2018.

Winners will be chosen across nine categories, including Sports Person of the Year and Sports Coach of the Year.
“Congratulations to all the winners for the past three months,” Cr Bunting said.

“I look forward to seeing them at the Blacktown City’s Sports Awards Gala night next year.”

Sports Stars of the Month

June Sports Persons of the Month

Bethany Parker – powerlifting
Bethany is the current under 84kg Sub Junior Powerlifting world Champion, after competing in the World Powerlifting Championships in 2016. She broke her own world records in New Zealand in 2016 when she competed at the Oceania Powerlifting Championships. She then went on to compete at the Pacific Invitational Competition in Darling Harbour on 30 April where she broke her own squat world record lifting 182.5kg. Bethany was ranked number 8 female power-lifter in Australia at 18 years old.

Caitlin Christie – acrobatic gymnastics Caitlin competed in the Australian Gymnastics Championships in June as part of a team with fellow gymnasts Varnie Raman and Nadia Bailey.  Together they were crowned the Australian Champions, following up their achievement as the winners of the NSW State Championships in April.

Jacson Ngige – Gridiron Gridiron player Jacson will compete in the 2017 IFAF Oceania Qualification Tournament, to be held in Queensland in August. He qualified for the team after competing in the national tournament where he played for the NSW team. 

Alisha Singh – swimming Alisha is the Seven Hills Public School swimming champion and has qualified for zone swimming.

July Sports Persons of the Month
Gordon Allan – para-cycling Lalor Park teenager Gordon competed at the 2017 Cycling NSW Para-Cycling Track Championships in December, clinching gold in the 1km Men’s C2 time trial and gold in the 3km individual pursuit. 

Peter Elliott – race walkingPeter won bronze at the Australian Race Walking Championships in the under 12s division. He was also part of the NSW team that won gold in the championship’s team event. Earlier this year, he finished first in the NSW Short Walk Championships in the under 10 boys and third at the Little Athletics NSW Track and Field Championships.

Anna Norton – soccerAnna represented NSW in soccer at the FFA National Youth Championships in July. At just 13 years of age, she was selected for the under 15s state team as a goal keeper. She trains four times a week with her club, Football NSW Institute.

July Sports Team of the Month – Caitlin Christie, Varnie Raman and Nadia Bailey The gymnasts were crowned the NSW State Champions in April 2017 after only five months training together. The girls then headed off to Melbourne to represent NSW and compete at the Australian Gymnastics Championships in June 2017 where they won gold in three of their routines.

August Team of the Month
Lourdes Football Club The Lourdes under 16s Division 1 team won the FNSW Deploy State Cup competition in July.

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 Blacktown City Sport and Recreation Advisory Committee Chairman, Councillor Brad Bunting, with gymnasts Caitlin Christie, Varnie Raman and Nadia Bailey

Blacktown City Council - Media Release - Artist Residencies Applications Open

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29 August 2017

Mayor of Blacktown City, Councillor Stephen Bali, has encouraged local artists to apply for the 2018 Blacktown Arts Centre Creative Residency Program.

“The program provides creative spaces and funding for artists wanting to explore their connections with people and places in Blacktown,” Mayor Bali said.

“We have a long and proud tradition of fostering artistic talent in Blacktown and the Creative Residency Program is one of the ways we do this.

“We recognise that creativity plays an essential role in building a united, dynamic and sustainable community.”

Recipients of this year’s Pat Parker Memorial Residency, Naomi McCarthy and Shirley Daborn, used their residency to collect and share the individual secret wishes of people in the Blacktown community through their project, Veil of Wishes.

The project invites people to contribute a tissue paper dandelion, along with a secret wish, culminating in an art installation made from the individual dandelion wishes.

“We don’t know what this project will reveal, perhaps the uniqueness of people’s secret wishes or perhaps the similarities,” Ms McCarthy said.

“We are excited to have the opportunity, through the lens of art, to encounter, experience and consider lives other than our own.”

The 2017 program offers space and funded residencies in the following categories:
·         Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts Residency $5,000
·         Pat Parker Memorial Residency $5,000
·         Performing Arts Residency $5,000
·         Performing Arts Space Residency (free use of workspace)
·         Studio Residency (free use of workspace)
·         Without Borders Residency $5,000.
Applications for the 2017 Creative Residency Program close on Thursday, 14 September 2017.

Artists must enter online at www.blacktownarts.com.au. Full terms and conditions are available on the website.


Shirley Daborn and Naomi McCarthy
Recipients of the 2017 Pat Parker Memorial Residency
Photograph by Joshua Morris
ABOUT BLACKTOWN ARTS CENTRE
Blacktown Arts Centre is a recognised leader in the development of contemporary arts in Australia. We support artistic innovation and offer exciting, new experiences for audiences through an award-winning curated program of exhibitions, performances, workshops, residencies and events. We are committed to making dynamic, culturally diverse work that reflects Blacktown, its history and its communities. We place Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists and communities at the heart of our program to develop new work drawing on issues of local and global significance. This is how we make art.

CONNECT WITH BLACKTOWN ARTS CENTRE
Address 78 Flushcombe Rd Blacktown NSW 2148
Phone 02 9839 6558
Opening hours
Monday Closed
Tuesday 10am – 5pm
Wednesday 10am – 5pm
Thursday 10am – 5pm
Friday 10am – 5pm
Saturday 10am – 5pm
Sunday Closed

Back Of Council Community Signs Could Be Different - More Community Advertising Events

Some of our community is limited to how we would be able to know when Blacktown  City Council events are around, events within our own community or even other parts of our Local Government area.

Image result for  newspaper boyDecades ago, Sydney used to have street corner newspaper boys (and sometimes girls), calling out, 'Papers, Papers get your news papers'! They were seen when you left work and when you left school and you had to buy a newspaper before you arrived home. That is how people  read news, community events, sports and weather reports.

Some of the ways is they list community events is  their website, social media like Face Book and Twitter. Also signs in prominent places like the corner of Luxford and Carlisle Roads Mount Druitt and sometime  on flag poles along North Parade. Then there is the important local news papers: both St Marys-Druitt Star and Mount Druitt-St Marys Standard. There also the Blacktown City Council  Yearly Calendar and flyers that Council provides to house holds.

Yet, there is another important place that  Blacktown City Council, could reach out to the community by advertising events seen by people of our community. So where are these places? The places are the back of the Blacktown City Council Community Notice Boards, within Dawson Mall and Mount Druitt Town Square. We have 2 or 3 of them in Dawson Mall. That has the Blacktown City Council Map sign (with the misspelt street name previously provide to Blacktown City Council Click here for previous post), which assists people from within or coming into our community, to find major places of interest.

Behind this Notice Board is Nothing  (refer below picture). Thus a weekly update could be placed on the back of the Notice Board and as thousands of ccommunity members enter Dawson Mall each week. The Notice Board  community notices can be well designed to be atttactive, eye catching and interesting. Let's hope something is done about this. It will also make the back of the Notice Board -  noticeable to watch.


This is just one of many suggestions to improve Mount Druitt.

Blacktown City Council - Media Release - Mayor’s Condolences To Lalor Park Family

MEDIA RELEASE


28 August, 2017

The Mayor of Blacktown City, Stephen Bali, has reacted with shock to the shooting death of a three-year-old girl in Lalor Park last night.

“Any sudden death is tragic, and no matter what the circumstances, the family must be torn apart with grief.

“I extend my sincere condolences to the family.

“This tragic incident has touched the community, and I think we all share a sense of horror and disbelief about the apparent circumstances.

“As this is obviously a police investigation, it is I'm
proper to speculate further on the event.

“Our prayers and thoughts remain with a family as they are going through a harrowing time.”

Monday 28 August 2017

Blacktown City Council - Media Release - World-Class Animal Re-homing Centre In Blacktown Is An Opportunity For Great Community Benefits

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27 August, 2017

Blacktown City Council will today launch a far-sighted plan to build a state-of-the-art Animal Re-homing Centre (ARC) planned to be the most advanced in Australia. 

When complete it could accept all the lost, stray and abandoned animals from up to 15 neighbouring council areas, representing about 1.5 million Sydney residents.

Mayor Stephen Bali said the ARC was a great opportunity to provide pet accommodation support for victims of domestic violence and for greyhound rehoming.

“We know there is evidence that many women feel unable to leave their abusive situations because they are unable to find accommodation which will also take their pets”.

The project has won support from Australia’s best known vet, Dr Katrina Warren, who will help launch the ARC plan today.

“This is an extraordinary step forward in the way local governments manage abandoned animals and find new homes for as many as possible,” Dr Warren said.

“What Blacktown is doing is visionary. The new Centre will be the model the rest of Australia looks up to. ”

To realise the full potential of the project, Blacktown City Council is seeking to partner with the NSW Government, which would involve the largest possible facility and a range of innovative community benefits. The expanded facility would include:

-     up to 200 dog kennels and 180 ‘cat condos’ for animals waiting to be re-homed;
-     a cafe and other attractions to draw families and potential pet adopters to the site;
-     a state-of-the-art veterinary hospital, in partnership with University of Sydney School of Veterinary Science, with three operating theatres, lecture hall, and student accommodation on site - ensuring 24 hour expert vet help when needed;
-     a dedicated greyhound re-homing facility in partnership with Greyhounds As Pets (GAP), the program set up to ensure non-racing greyhounds can find good homes;
-     a pet boarding facility with space dedicated to caring for the pets of victims of domestic and family violence who are prevented from fleeing violence by the presence of family pets.# A

Mayor Stephen Bali said the project put Blacktown at the vanguard, both in animal care and municipal leadership.

“All councils are facing the dilemma of ageing animal holding facilities and new stricter State Government animal welfare regulations that very few council facilities could comply with,” Cr Bali said.
“Many will have to rebuild their existing ‘pound’ facilities. Blacktown is offering to take the problem off their hands. With our new Centre we could accept the dogs and cats from around a quarter of metropolitan Sydney.

“The ARC will be world’s best practice in re-homing. It will be a model for state and local government all over Australia,” Cr Bali said.

The ARC will be built on a 10.5 hectare site Blacktown Council owns at Glendenning, adjoining Western Sydney Parklands and linked to it by walking and cycling paths.

When complete it will attract hundreds of visitors a week and re-home many thousands of animals every year.

“Council has provided land worth $15 million and will spend more than another $15 million building the ARC. To gain the full benefits of the project for Greater Western Sydney, we need the State Government to stand with us,” Cr Bali said.

A launch event will take place at the existing Animal Holding Facility, corner Flushcombe Road and Great Western Highway, Blacktown, from 11am.