It was another superb Saturday morning as we supported the residents at Wallington Independent Living Complex at Rivett with a range of jobs around their homes and gardens.

 

There was no shortage of work to keep us busy, including mulching garden beds, lopping overgrown bushes, weeding, renovating fences, painting community benches and pruning.

 

There’s nothing quite like rolling up our sleeves and getting stuck into practical support that makes an immediate difference.

We were pleased to have Wendy Emerton join us this week to speak about the work of the Nusa Tenggara Association and its long-standing partnership with communities in eastern Indonesia.

 

Wendy shared how NTA has been supporting livelihoods, education and local capacity in Nusa Tenggara Timur for more than three decades where they have focused on practical, community-led development that creates lasting change. It was a great insight into how long-term relationships, trust and local leadership can make a real difference.

 

It was especially good to hear more about the impact of NTA’s programs, following our club’s donation at out Changeover to support their work.

 

We are grateful to Wendy for giving up her Tuesday evening to provide a thoughtful and inspiring presentation on the work of NTA.

On Wednesday night some of us headed out for our monthly Vinnies Night Patrol shift. While it was still a warm evening, the 42-degree heat of the day had eased by 7pm, which both us and the companions were grateful for.

 

We served meals and drinks and spent time chatting with more than 35 people who are doing it tough.

Did you know that those who suffer a cardiac arrest outside a health setting only have a 10% chance of surviving?

 

But if an automated external defibrillator (AED) is available and used, the survival rate increases as high as 70%. That’s why we’re working with St John Ambulance ACT and Service One Mutual to install AEDs at Narrabundah and Braddon that will be accessible 24/7.

 

To give our members the confidence to use an AED if the need ever arises, we were honoured to have St John Ambulance ACT CEO, Martin Fisk OAM, run a first aid training session at our meeting on Tuesday, 20 January.

 

It provided us with the knowledge and skills to respond quickly, recognise the signs of cardiac arrest, perform effective CPR and use an AED safely and confidently in those critical first minutes.

 

It also reinforced the value and importance of ensuring AEDs are publicly available given the life‑saving impact they have.

 

We’re proud to be helping make our community safer and we’re grateful to St John Ambulance ACT for their partnership and expertise.

 

On Sunday, 18 January, we officially marked the start of the year with a fantastic barefoot bowls social at The RUC Bowls Club, and what a great way it was to get things rolling.

 

 

It was wonderful to see our members and friends come together with Rotarians from the Rotary Clubs of Jerrabomberra, Murrumbidgee Canberra, Canberra, Yass and Tuggeranong, catching up, meeting new faces and enjoying some friendly competition on the green.

 

 

A big thank you to everyone who joined us and helped make it such an enjoyable event. We really enjoyed the laughs, conversation and sprinkles of rivalry to help kick-start the year.