Cr Danita Potter - Community and The Arts Portfolio Report - 18 January 2017

South Burnett Libraries:

Get Ready Campaign

From October 13th libraries across the region have facilitated the scanning of personal documents as part of the Get Ready Queensland initiative. A number of community members have already taken the opportunity to have their important documents saved onto a complimentary USB provided by Council.  I am so pleased that Council has provided this service to our community through this funding.

South Burnett Libraries Volunteer Recognition

To show appreciation for all of their hard work during 2016, library volunteers across the service were treated to a “thank you” party held in each centre during December.  Library volunteers carry out a variety of tasks in each branch that add value to the service, including hosting Spanish classes, delivering story time sessions, helping with Ancestry.com and much more.

Holiday Activities

Christmas craft again proved popular across the service, with each branch hosting an activity session dedicated to all things merry.  Highlights of the program included making Santa out of cups, creating a reindeer sleigh from an egg carton, making banners and gift baskets and being challenged to create a Christmas tree from just newspaper!  The Kingaroy Library also hosted a special Christmas edition of Minute to Win It, which included a very funny bottom shaking – jingle bell jingling challenge that had all of the young attendees (and their mums and dads) in stitches. 

Summer Reading Club

This year’s Summer Reading Club has been a real hit with our young community members, as they all race to read the most books in the South Burnett over the school holidays.  Activity packs and merchandise have been handed out, with many children already returning their reading logs and collecting new ones.   This year’s nation-wide theme of Heroes and Villains has been well received, with activities planned to compliment it, including creating ninjas and superhero puppets, and making masks.

Proston Library

On Tuesday 6 December, 11 children, 6 Mums and 2 Dads attended Railway Park in Proston for the Rhyme Time Christmas party.  This event was held to celebrate the success of the Rhyme Time program in Proston, and included a sausage sizzle and concert performed by the littlies who attend the sessions regularly. 

Be bowled over with Carl Rackemann

On Wednesday 7 December, Carl Rackemann visited the Proston Town Hall to talk about his career in cricket. The talk covered his experiences playing for Queensland and internationally, and also his charity patronage of South Burnett Relay for Life.  The 43 attendees enjoyed Carl’s wonderfully funny stories as he retold cricketing escapades and lamented that the larrikinism that existed then is now no longer part of the new influx of cricketers.  He had a lot of statistics available off the top of his head and he received many questions from the audience at the end of presentation.

Community Assistance Funding

Will open on 1 February for local not-for-profit community organisations based in the region to apply for funding up to $3000 to assist them in delivering events and projects that benefit South Burnett residents.  The round will close on 28 February.

Healthy Communities Grant Program

Round 1 of this Program for 2016/17 will also open on 1 February to provide assistance to not-for-profit organisations based within the South Burnett Regional Council area that increase the number of South Burnett residents engaged in physical and/or healthy programs and activities.

This funding program will provide sponsorship for individual projects and activities of up to $2,000. Round 1 will remain open for the month of February.