When 75-year-old Lesley Heffernan and her husband Michael retired to beautiful Sanctuary Point, they were excited to start the next chapter of their lives together. While they missed their network of friends in Campbelltown where they had lived for 56 years, the couple were enjoying their new life until Michael suddenly passed away in 2019 leaving Lesley feeling lost and very alone. “We had been married for 48 years so losing Michael felt like I had lost my right arm, I didn’t know what to do without him and I felt really lonely.” Lesley said. “I have no family living down here and nearly all my friends are in Campbelltown, if I had known that I would lose Michael so soon, I would not have moved here.” When COVID restrictions eased, Lesley decided to meet new people and get the social connection she needed by joining the BCR Communities Social Groups. “I couldn’t keep staying indoors doing nothing, I had to get out and try and live my life without him,” Lesley said. “I now go on the Tuesday bus trips which I enjoy. There is a lot of interaction with other people and it’s great to get out of the house and visit places that I haven’t been before or haven’t been to in a long time.” BCR Communities Social Groups are friendly, fun and engaging, and include a range of activities from bus trips and lunches out to special events, craft, music and more. There is even an online community for those unable to leave the house. If you would like to find out more about the BCR Communities Social Groups phone 1300 222 748, email at info@BCRcommunities.com or visit our website www.bcrcommunities.com/social-groups.

When a 15-year-old Carmen first agreed to go out with a 15-yearold Vince Fenech back in her village in Malta it was with the intention of making another boy she liked jealous. Luckily for Vince, their three children, seven grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren, Carmen quickly forgot about her original plan, fell in love with Vince and the two were married in Malta in 1962. Only a few months after tying the knot, the young couple said farewell to their very large families, Carmen is one of 13 children and Vince is one of 10, and bravely set sail to start a new life in Australia. While Carmen said the first Christmas away from their family in Malta was tough and she struggled with the language, the two never regretted their decision to move to Australia. They settled in Sydney and soon had their first baby. Fortunately Carmen didn’t have to endure another lonely Christmas, over the next few years almost all of her family followed her to Australia with only one sister remaining in Malta. Today the Fenech’s home in Worrigee is testament to their love and 60 years of marriage with framed photos of their family covering the walls and their own wedding portrait taking pride of place. For the couple who are now 82-years-old, their home is a sanctuary and it is important for them to stay living there together for as long as they can. Carmen likes being independent and she manages cooking, washing, ironing and dusting but having a Home Care Package with BCR Communities means they can get support for those bigger jobs like cleaning the bathroom, mopping floors and changing beds. Without a driver’s license, the couple also use their Home Care Package for getting to appointments and for shopping for groceries. So what’s the secret to 60 happy years of marriage? According to Carmen it’s coffee! “If we do ever argue, he will go into the garage and then after a little while, I will make him a coffee and then we start talking again,” Carmen said.

Is the ukulele the happiest instrument in the world? Ken Gates thinks so, at 82 he spends more than five hours a week playing his ukulele as part of The Basin Bowlers Big Time Band, the Pirates Band and the Jammin Band. He even has a beginner’s class where he teaches people of all ages how to play. “The Basin Bowlers has about 15 people mainly playing the ukuele,” Ken said. “It is great because many join the group and achieve what they never thought they could.” “I really enjoy watching everyone get a thrill out of coming together and making music – there is always a big smile on everyone’s face when we finish.” You might assume that Ken has been strumming his uke all his life but he only first picked one up at the age of 67. “I learnt to play the ukulele because I needed a bit of rhythm to go with my harmonica. I tried the guitar but that was a bit hard, the ukulele is fairly easy to pick up.” According to Ken you don't have to be a seasoned musician to learn how to strum a few chords and play some catchy tunes. In fact, picking up a uke in your golden years can be especially beneficial for your mental health and overall well-being. Studies have shown that learning a new skill, such as playing an instrument, can help keep your brain sharp and agile as you age. Plus, it's a great way to boost your mood and reduce stress levels. “I would encourage anyone to try a ukulele class”, Ken said. “It gets your fingers moving, gets your mind moving, you meet people and it’s fun.

A big thank you to everyone who came and helped us celebrate the official opening of our new Wellness Garden, the Sanctuary Community Matters Fair, and the launch of our new brand as we celebrate our growth from BBCR to BCR Communities! While we may have changed our name and logo, we want our community to know that we are still exactly the same not-for-profit organisation with the same values, strong commitment to serving our communities and amazing team of staff and volunteers, including our management and Board. So why are we changing our name? Bay & Basin Community Resources started 30 years ago when a group of concerned locals got together to try and find a solution for the very real lack of community resources in the Bay and Basin region. In these early stages, the name was a perfect fit – everyone involved lived in the Bay and Basin and the main concern was sourcing resources for this one community. Today, while the Bay & Basin is still our heart and home, we support people in many communities from Helensburgh in the north of Wollongong right down to Ulladulla. We also provide so much more than just resources, including practical support, social connection, workshops, community projects, activities, and volunteering opportunities. Quite simply, over the last 30 years we have outgrown the original name. We want our name to be inclusive of every person we support and reflect the diverse range of services we provide. To find out more about BCR Communities and the range of aged care, NDIS, community and youth services we provide, check out this website bcrcommunities.com or phone 1300 222 748.

It's time to celebrate! Please join us for the official opening of our BCR Communities Wellness Garden and the Sanctuary Point Community Matters Fair. Wednesday, 15 February | 10.00am to 12.30pm BCR Communities Wellness Garden, 207 Kerry Street, Sanctuary Point RSVP: info@bbcri.com.au Come along for: •Our Wellness Garden ribbon cutting •The Sanctuary Point Community Matters Fair •The official launch of our new brand and celebrate our growth from BBCR to BCR Communities There will be close to 20 stalls from different community and volunteering organisations operating in the Bay & Basin, a petting zoo, activities, face-painting, free gelato and coffee and a sausage sizzle.

In exciting news, the BCR Community Services Team has just secured $558,000.00 through the ‘Our Region, Our Voice - Regional Youth Investment Program’. Member for South Coast, Shelley Hancock and Liberal Candidate for South Coast, Luke Sikora were both on site to make the announcement. This NSW Government funding will be used to create a dedicated Youth Space adjacent to our Wellness Centre and Zen Garden on Macleans Point Road, Sanctuary Point. It was a wonderful collaborative effort including extensive youth consultation which led to the success of the grant and this exciting announcement. We look forward to keeping you updated on our progress throughout the duration of this project. Heather Marciano CEO BCR Communities

From designer dresses and brand new active wear to sparkly tutus and winter woollies, it didn’t take much foraging to find treasure at the BCR Communities’ Upcycled Clothes Party. Locals packed the Sanctuary Point Youth and Community Centre to comb through racks of quality pre-loved and new clothes and shoes generously donated by the community and from retail outlets through Good360. Every attendee could take home a bag of clothes for free with many also donating their own pre-loved clothes before the event. BCR Community Services Team Leader Karen Chambers, said the idea for the event came from a service user who didn’t drive and who was finding it hard to buy affordable clothes for her children in the local area. “With the cost of living rising, we are finding more and more families in the community are struggling to afford the basics like food, heating and clothes,” Karen said. “An event like this works on so many levels, everybody leaves with a bag of clothes at no cost, it keeps unwanted clothes out of landfill and it’s fun seeing what you can find.” Because the rising cost of electricity meant she hadn’t been using any heating at home, local Peta Sperring said she was very grateful for her bag of warm clothes. “So many people in society are struggling so this is a brilliant idea – look at all the happy faces here right now,” Peta said. “Just seeing all those piles of kids clothes and babies clothes and school uniforms is overwhelming, it’s going to be such a help to so many families.” While Mum of four Leah Williamson, was stocking up on clothes for her kids, her youngest daughter 2-year-old Olivia twirled around her, delighted with her new white fairy dress. “Kids grow out of things so quickly so events like this are great because everyone is recycling rather than just throwing clothes away,” Leah said. “It is my eight-year-old’s birthday tomorrow so we have found some extra presents and Olivia loves her new dress so much she wanted to wear it straight away.” BCR Communities will be donating left over clothes to various local not-for-profit organisations so they can be distributed to vulnerable people in the community including those experiencing homelessness.

To mark International Volunteer Day, and celebrate all our wonderful volunteers, we held a special morning tea at Coastal Waters yesterday. We are so lucky at BCR Communities to have an amazing team of kind, creative, enthusiastic and dedicated volunteers. Whether it's helping out in social groups, checking in on an older person who lives alone, growing veggies in our gardens or hosting a show on our community radio station - every week in hundreds of different ways they make our communities better places to be. They generously give their time and share their skills, passions and talents to support others in our community. They are an essential part of the BBCR team and we appreciate the many ways they contribute to our organisation. We want to thank all our volunteers for everything they do and we wish everyone a safe, relaxing and happy holiday!

BCR Communities in partnership with ExSitu are finalists in the ‘Improving Consumer Choice’ category for the 2022 innovAGEING National Awards. These awards showcase organisations increasing their client-focused initiatives and improving quality services to older Australians. It acknowledges the positive impact our new values-based care plans are having on our community members lives. We are one of only four finalists for this category from a very competitive pool of 45 applicants nationally. Our submission was in partnership with ExSitu, and acknowledges the work we are doing together rolling out the innovative ExSitu tool to our in-home clients. The tool captures the core values and lifestyle wishes of each person through an online card sorting process. Individual values-based Advanced Care Plans are then generated, which includes important information about what really matters to them, and how they want their care to proceed if their health deteriorates. Having a meaningful Advanced Care Plan is of particular comfort to 88-year-old Margaret Sharman who has lived alone in her own home for the last 35 years and has no immediate family. “I am totally alone, I don’t have children or brothers and sisters but I am fortunate to have very, very good friends,” Margaret said. “I love my home and I am a very independent person. I have had to look after myself and make all my own decisions for many, many years. “Being able to make my own Advanced Care Plan means I can continue to make my own decisions right up to the end. “ExSitu was easy to use and now I have a document that I can give to my GP, or the hospital or my friend which outlines how I want to be cared for if anything should happen to me.”

Packing up and moving to another country is a big upheaval at any age but can you imagine starting again at the age of 91? This is exactly what Audrie Lee did when she crossed the ditch with her two daughters moving from Auckland to Old Erowal Bay. Now 93, the intrepid Kiwi said she is very happy in her new life mainly because she found friendships and meaningful connections through the BCR social groups and activities. “It was a big move but joining in with activities at BCR made me feel part of the community straight away,” Audrie said. “I have always been a talker and I love meeting people but when I first moved here I didn’t really know anyone so I was finding myself sometimes talking to the dog!” Audrie is part of the BCR Communities Wednesday Social Group who get together every week for a day of activities which might include trivia, cards, games, craft, performances or just getting out and enjoying the community. “The bus picks me up and drops me home and we do a lot of activities but it’s talking and joking around I like the most.” “They are all just lovely people - making friends at my age is really special!” It is harder to keep socially connected as we age, friends and family move away or health problems make it more difficult to get out of the house. This is why BBCR currently runs four different social groups in the Bay & Basin. Depending on your eligibility, social outings and group activities can be included in both the Commonwealth Home Support Program and Home Care Packages under My Aged Care. If you would like to find out more about our BCR Social Groups please phone 1300 222 748 or email info@bbcri.com.au

Where can you go to listen to live local community radio, find out about community events happening in and around the Bay & Basin and catch up on the latest national and local news? The new Bay & Basin Community Radio website www.927fm.com.au Station Manager Brad Slaughter said that the new website is a natural extension of the radio station and shares the same aim of keeping locals in the Bay & Basin informed, connected and entertained. “Some of the best features of the new website are the listen live option for our webstream and the program guide which clearly lays out content for every day of the week,” Brad said. “Being a community radio station we play music on 92.7FM that you may not hear on commercial radio in the area. We have programs to suit all ages, from specialist music shows and youth radio to a range of topics – sport, science, gardening, motoring, gaming and movies – there’s too many to name.” “We have an amazing team of over 35 volunteers that produce local content and programs that reflect their own personalities and passions.” “The weekly program guide lets you know exactly when to tune in for the content that interests you and you can also now listen to 92.7FM via the community radio app.” The website also includes a Sponsorship Directory of local businesses, national news stories from The Wire and a Community Events Directory which enables local community organisations to submit details of upcoming events. To make the new website truly local, each main page features stunning photography of the Bay & Basin region by talented photographer Russ Newman. “We think we live in one of the most beautiful places in the world and Russ’s photos really highlight that and connect our website to the region.” Brad said.

When Michelle Riley signed up to be a volunteer with BCR Communities she did so for the sole purpose of giving back to her community and helping others. What she wasn’t expecting to find from the experience was a renewed sense of purpose, a boost to her self-confidence, the chance to learn new skills and real social connection. “I moved down here five years ago and when COVID-19 hit I found myself out of a paid job and that affected my self-esteem and mental health,” Michelle said. “I decided to volunteer not for my own self-gratification but because I really wanted to help other people and volunteering is something I have just always done.” “It has been such a great experience for me not only mentally but also socially because when I moved down here I didn’t really know anyone and now through BCR I have met lots of people and feel connected to the community.” One of Michelle’s favourite volunteering roles is providing social support to Sanctuary Point local Rell French. Rell, who herself has volunteered all her life, initially found it hard to be on the receiving end of social support but now can’t imagine life without her visits from Michelle. “Michelle is absolutely wonderful, I honestly don’t know what I would do without her,” Rell said. “She is kind and thoughtful and understanding and really listens to me.” If you are interested in joining the BBCR team as a volunteer call 1300 222 748 or email info@bbcri.com.au. We will take the time to get to know you and discover your interests, talents, skills and goals before finding the perfect role for you.