Rainbow Beach Community Centre Update – June 2023

Our AGM was held before the deadline for this month’s column so thanks to the outgoing committee and congratulations to our new office bearers, whoever they may end up being. (Optimism is a fine virtue).

A lot has been happening in the community centre and hall. We welcomed another two new volunteers, Sheryl and Sharon. We have lots of volunteer opportunities coming up with various roles in projects, events and activities.

If you have a community project you would like to run, bring it to the community centre for support and advice. Drop into our office to see what is already on offer in Rainbow Beach and what else might be possible.

Regular activities

We have Table Tennis every Wednesday morning from 8am to 10am in the hall. All are welcome. Gold coin donation. Just come along for some healthy fun and meet new people.

Plus there’s pilates on Monday mornings with Sarah Booth, and Cooloola Coast Wellness Yoga on Thursday evenings.

Pindari’s Community Pantry is in the hall foyer from 1pm to 2pm every fortnight. Check with our office for contact details for any of these regular activities and upcoming events.

Exploring Drama with Sheryl

Calling all performance lovers. Local resident Sheryl Anderson has responded to the need for adult drama lessons in Rainbow Beach.

Starting on 7 June, Sheryl will run exploratory drama classes in the hall every Wednesday from 4-6pm. Sheryl has a supportive and inclusive approach to creative talent development and she wants as many adults to participate as possible. Gold coin donation will assist with costs.

For more information, contact Sheryl on 0497 542 857.

A bit about Sheryl

Sheryl has worked as a freelance artist, writer, and arts administrator for many years all around Australia, working mainly as a writer and theatre worker, providing opportunities for people to tell their stories, and sometimes, making masks, props, lanterns, and dolls.

Sheryl assists individuals, groups, and organisations to actively participate in their own creative and artistic processes, particularly through performing, telling, or writing their own personal, community, or creative stories.

‘A writer for many years, I focus on working with people to tell their own stories, then facilitating those stories into a way of sharing with others – through storytelling, theatre productions, and published or unique handmade books’, she said.

‘I often worked with Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islander people, people with disabilities, people from cultural backgrounds other than English, and older people, including those in nursing homes.

‘I was a Community Arts Officer in local government for over 15 years, and in that role, worked with many individuals and communities to realise their creative projects, including book and CD production, website development, newsletters, gallery development, exhibition curating and community festivals and celebrations.’

Now resident in Rainbow Beach, Sheryl is generously gifting her time and expertise to Rainbow Beach residents through ‘Exploring Drama with Sheryl’, a series of two-hour creative sessions in the community hall on Wednesdays from 4pm to 6pm, starting June 7. Gold coin donation appreciated. For more information, please call Sheryl on 0497 542 857.

Happy Volunteer Week

CIRS is registered with Centrelink as a Voluntary Work Organisation which means we can provide volunteer opportunities to eligible JobSeekers. Their volunteer hours count as points towards a monthly target under the Points-Based Activation System.

To check if you are eligible, contact Services Australia or your local Workforce Australia service provider APM who meet with clients (by appointment) in our meeting room on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Red Cross Evacuation Centre training day

Twenty-five people attended the Red Cross Evacuation Centre training day on 5 May.

Gympie Regional Council’s Disaster Management team provided the opportunity and Red Cross Facilitator Allison Langevad explained the roles and procedures that would come into play if/when our hall gets activated by emergency services as an evacuation centre.

Participants had to imagine a centre and designate areas for each activity on paper, learn what roles each of the emergency and support services perform, and find out what local volunteers could be asked to do. Participants will receive Certificate 1 in Evacuation Centre Management from QFES.

Further training is planned, including Psychological First Aid. If you would like to be included in the next training day, please email cirssecretary@gmail.com or call our office on 5486 3355.

Comedy Workshop

Talk about laugh! They may have been short in stature and few in number, but wow, were they ever funny! Congratulations to the comedy workshop participants Ze, Walter, Sheryl, and Elisa.

We heard tales tall and true: from dolphins getting high on puffer fish to hiding up trees from crocodiles and other predators, from slapstick to fun playing with words. The acts were hilarious. Comedians Mick Neven and Nicky Wilkinson from Funny Coast Comedy educated our participants and entertained us as well with their own routines as well.

Our participants went from nervous rehearsal to buzzing with confidence by the end of the show. We had hot soup, warm risotto, cold beers and chilled Prosecco, a lot of laughs, and a great night had by all.

Thanks to Gympie Regional Council who assisted the project through funding from their Get Local Community Grants Program. Council also ran a comedy workshop in Gympie during Youth Week and we are hoping to host a Laugh-Off between our ‘oldies’ and their ‘young’uns’, sometime in the near future. Watch this space.

Market Update

We had a rain-interrupted market in May, so while we had fewer outside stalls, the inside stalls had a bonanza.

Winners of our two $100 boards were Kerin B and Adam J. Congratulations and thanks to everyone who supported us. Thanks also to Maree Heron for a superhuman effort in getting the two $100 boards sold.

Book sales are increasing every month and we had some great collections donated recently so come into the CIRS office to browse. Our book sales organiser Pam is about to cull our shelves (and she is ruthless!) so pop in and see what she is throwing out. You never know, one woman’s trash is another woman’s treasure.

Book donations are always welcome. CIRS is located in the Rainbow Beach Community Centre next door to the Library. We are open Mon to Fri 8.30am to 4pm. Ph 5486 3355.

CoolaFlix

Coming to the big screen near you! Our CoolaFlix coordinator Sheryl Anderson will be contacting local community groups interested in hosting their own film night fundraisers.

To kick off our CoolaFlix project, CIRS will be the first community cab off the rank with the first FREE film screening on 8 July. More details next month.