Category: Community

LOWLANDS resident Brad Kneebone was diagnosed with advanced cancerous tumours in his prostate at just 65 years old.

Now 76 years old and having just finished a six-week run of radiation therapy on Tuesday, Mr Kneebone said if an early detection campaign had been active back in 2006, he certainly would have responded earlier to his homeopath and GP’s suggestions of getting his elevated Prostate-Specific Antigen levels checked.

Find Cancer Early is a current media campaign by the Cancer Council aimed at promoting early cancer detection in regional people over the age of 40.

The campaign was first launched in 2011, and received $1.6 million in additional funding from the Department of Health last month, in order to maintain the campaign until December 2020.

Find Cancer Early seeks to encourage regional people over 40 to alert their doctors of any unusual symptoms without delay, and will focus on bowel, lung, prostate, breast and skin cancer.

“There will be TV, radio, print and online advertising, social media activity, an upgraded website and education opportunities including presentations to local groups by Cancer Council WA,” Cancer Council media manager Natacha Hammond said of the revitalised campaign.

“As well as increasing symptom awareness, the campaign aims to break down some of the barriers and myths to seeking help.”

People living in regional areas of WA are more likely to die within five years of a cancer diagnosis than people in metropolitan areas, according to Cancer Council CEO Ashley Reid.

“Your survival prospects following a cancer diagnosis should not be determined by your postcode,” he said.

“Find Cancer Early is all about addressing the disparity that exists between outcomes of regional and metropolitan cancer patients.”

Current cancer patient Mr Kneebone believes the Find Cancer Early campaign’s continuation will be highly advantageous to regional people, particularly for those who don’t always prioritise their health.

“Living in the country, I believe many of us, we men in particular, are slow to look after our health,” he said.

“The Find Cancer Early campaign is intended to keep us more alert about our bodies and respond more actively when things don’t seem right.

“Up to now, country folk generally have had poorer survival rates because of later detection and treatment.

“Where health is concerned, we need to think also about the families and people around us who will also suffer if we ignore our health.

“I have no doubt whatsoever that the Find Cancer Early campaign will prove to be hugely beneficial to country people in making us more aware of the need to be more proactive about our health.”

In the 2016/2017 financial year, 600 guests in the Cancer Council’s lodges in Perth were from the Great Southern.

This represented about 20 per cent of the total number of guests from regional WA.

To get involved in the Find Cancer Early campaign, you can visit findcancerearly.com.au.

A SPARKLING new indoor-outdoor café is set to start trading on the fringe of Lockyer as soon as an operator is found to run it.

The café space at the brand new Beryl Grant Community Centre is bright and airy with a large kitchen.

The operator who takes it on will have the opportunity to throw cooking classes and catering into the café’s mix of services.

Colleen Tombleson, who co-ordinates the centre, said the café would be open to the public and provide a “seamless flow” between the centre and the Lockyer community.

“It would be a really good business to tie all these features together,” she said, looking out from the centre across to a stand of gum trees.

“There’s quite a few elderly people who live out here, so there’s probably quite a potential to sell ready-made meals as well.”

Some tables and chairs are already installed, and a subsidised rent agreement may be offered to the operator.

The centre, which opened last week at Townsend Road, has had two potential café operators drop by for a peek.

A meeting room, office space, and function room with undulating cedar ceiling are available for hire at the centre at what Mrs Tombleson says are “very affordable rates”.

Beryl Grant is a former president of the Australian College of Nursing who was made an Officer of the Order of Australia for her nursing work and development of services for children and families in regional Australia.

Anyone interested in running the café needs to lodge an expression of interest by November 17.

An information pack is available from Mrs Tombleson on 9841 2055.

DIVERS of Albany will gather for an underwater venture next fortnight in an effort to increase the supply of food and groceries to Albany’s Foodbank branch.

The South Coast Diving Supplies crew has teamed up with Foodbank Albany to send two boat loads of people out to the south side of King George Sound, near Seal Island, for a dive on November 12.

The entry fee into the dive is a donation of between $75 and $110 worth of food to Foodbank, which will be collected from the South Coast Diving Supplies shop on the morning of the dive.

“We were looking for something different to do and contributing to Foodbank came up in discussion, and it progressed from there,” South Coast Diving Supplies owner Garry Wellstead said.

“Foodbank is an important and necessary resource, but it is often overlooked.”

Mr Wellstead said interest in the charity dive had been overwhelming, with a long waiting list should any of the participants opt-out.

Foodbank Albany’s branch manager Rod Pfeiffer said he was amazed at the community support for the charity organisation.

“It just shows what a business can do when they get behind an idea,” he said.

“South Coast Diving Supplies floated the idea and it took off.

“We are hoping for around $1200 to $1500 worth of food to be coming in from this dive, so the influx of food variety will be a massive donation.”

The interest in the event has led Mr Wellstead and Mr Pfeiffer to consider running the fundraising dive annually.

NEVILLE Talbot’s proudest moment as a musician and teacher in Albany has been watching the unity and connectivity of the musical community grow.

There is no doubt he is deserving of his first music teaching award.

Mr Talbot was awarded the Curtin University Teaching Excellence Award at the WA Regional Achievement and Community Awards Gala on Friday night.

He received a certificate, a trophy and a $2000 cash prize.

“It was a beautiful night with incredible people who have done something great for their community,” Mr Talbot said.

“It would have been a fabulous night even if I hadn’t have won, so winning was a lovely cherry on top.”

Mr Talbot was recognised for his contributions to the broader musical community of Albany and the Great Southern, including his teaching at Albany and North Albany Senior High Schools, and for his role as artistic director for the Albany Sinfonia orchestra.

Mr Talbot’s quirky nature, cheeky grin and passion for music is clearly reflected in his teaching.

His enthusiasm for music has encouraged many students to break out of their shells and lean on their musical talents.

“I run the lower school specialist music program at ASHS, as well as the senior concert band, the school choir, the VOICE program, percussion and the Sinfonia,” Mr Talbot said.

“I try and get artists down to Albany too, as I think it’s quite value- adding for our students.

“A singer or a cellist will come down and perform with the Sinfonia, then I will get them to come to school and work with the students. Just seeing the growth and broadening of the entire music program at ASHS has been a highlight for me.

“It’s been a bit of a slow-moving iceberg, but it’s building solid momentum.”

However, Mr Talbot said his teaching and success as a musician wouldn’t have been possible without his family.

“It doesn’t work without a family and a team,” he said.

“Your family has to give up a lot when you’re a musician.

“They travel with you and go to gigs and go to meetings.

“My wife and I are planning a holiday with our two daughters with the prize money.

“I think it should be something to share, to say thank you.”

WHEN Albany-based photographer Lee Mullen walked into a flea market in Eccles, Manchester in the early 1980s, little did he know the real cost of a five quid camera that he haggled for.

The pistol-grip Super 8 that he brought home would be the first purchase of more cameras and pieces of equipment than he cares to remember.

With his undiluted English accent, it’s hard to tell whether he is joking or deadly serious about contracting Gear Acquisition Syndrome.

He happily admits to having drawers full of both still and video cameras that were bought in the hope of attaining better results than he could manage with the gear he already had.

Prior to moving to Albany two years ago, Mullen lived in Kalgoorlie, and the frustration of having all the tools at his disposal and not quite hitting the mark with his photos led to a light-bulb moment.

“I met with other photographers who were taking stunning images, and I thought how do they do it? I had a Canon 40D and it would be set on ‘auto’ and I just couldn’t get it.”

Rather than throw more money and another expensive camera at the problem, Mullen took a backward step, but a big leap forward.

“I went back to a lower-level camera and learned everything from scratch. It changed everything for me.

“All these things might be nice, but at the end of the day they’re only tools,” he said.

“I used to resist that – when you get older you get wiser – they were using me instead of me using them.”

The passion for photography and videography only grew with Mullen’s confidence, leading him to turn his hobby into a healthy sideline business and the establishment of Gan Eden Media.

One of his first paying jobs was in real estate photography, and he jumped into the deep end.

His first assignment was to photograph a property worth $1.2 million.

“The house sold in a couple of weeks. It really gave me the confidence I needed,” he said.

Although his portfolio is stacked with evidence of his versatile photography, Mullen says his real passion lies in landscape photography.

He says aspects of the scenery along the South Coast have similarities with Britain.

“As for the atmosphere – it’s a photographer’s delight,” he said.

“And there are so many good photographers in the region. It’s a real hotspot for photography.”

While he has simplified the tools in his collection that he uses for jobs for Gan Eden clients, Mullen says he may never be cured of the inquisitive nature to try new things along the way.

He has been bitten by the drone bug – with some stunning results.

“I used to hate them and wanted to shoot them out of the sky,” he said.

“I think the drone revolution is good. There’s good guys trying to do the right thing, then there’s recreational drone users.”

He already has his sights on his next adventure.

“I’d like to have a go at astrophotography,” he said.

MATHEMATICS teacher Kylie Offer’s passion for knowledge and encouragement of her students has led to her selection as a Champion of Australian Maths Teaching.

Mrs Offer has joined 300 teachers from across the country in trialling different mathematics resources for years seven to 10 students, as part of the reSolve: Maths by Inquiry program.

The Department of Education initiative offers resources for all year levels up to year 10.

“The aim is to get students engaged with the resources and encourage critical thinking,” Mrs Offer said.

“Currently, students are learning about Pythagoras’s theorem and relating it to bending bamboo rods, and this will lead into learning about algebra and quadratic functions.”

Executive Director of the reSolve program Steve Thornton said Mrs Offer’s dedication to ensuring students have the best possible maths education and her commitment to sharing knowledge with her colleagues led to her champion status.

“We are delighted that so many passionate and committed teachers want to be a part of this exciting initiative and are eager to take the work of the reSolve team across Australia,” he said.

As part of her ‘champion’ role, Mrs Offer will work with her fellow teachers and others in the Great Southern to trial reSolve resources, conduct professional learning and show how the maths skills apply to real-life contexts.

North Albany Senior High School Principal Sharon Doohan said she was proud of Mrs Offer’s commitment to student learning.

“Mrs Offer is a wonderful ambassador for the teaching profession and for the school,” she said.

“Her passion for teaching makes learning mathematics a rewarding, enjoyable and engaging experience for students in her classes.

“The school community congratulates Mrs Offer on embarking on the journey of becoming a reSolve Champion.”

LITTLE Ruby Robertson has spent most of her six-and-a-half years of life in and out of hospitals and doctors’ appointments, but on Saturday morning she enjoyed a simple trip to Maccas.

Ruby and her family were out in support of McHappy Day, which is a key fundraiser for the Ronald McDonald House charity, which supports regional families when they travel for medical treatment.

Ruby’s mum, Tamara, said the support was vital for helping to cope with Ruby’s long list of medical conditions and the ensuing appointments.

“She has quite a complex medical history,” she said.

“She was born with a disconnected and twisted bowel, and after her second surgery at two-years-old we learned about the brain damage.

“She’s been diagnosed with Dandy-Walker Syndrome and suffers from epilepsy.

“She was born the way she is; it was a perfect and healthy pregnancy.

“She’s an absolute battler and just loves her life. The way she lives is just beautiful.”

After Tamara’s mum moved to Albany last year, the three-monthly visits to neurology clinics in Perth were becoming harder and more expensive.

“We’re in Perth at the very least every three months,” she said.

“The costs of travel adds up so quickly.

“With fuel, food, accommodation and medication expenses, it was stressful to say the least.

“Simple things like having change for parking, and going to feed the meter when you’re at Princess Margaret Hospital for hours at a time is terrible. Even just finding a parking space is bad.”

“When your child’s medical condition takes priority, the simple things become missions.”

After having a referral to the Ronald McDonald House by one of Ruby’s helpful nursing staff, Ruby and the family are able to stay during their appointments.

“Ronald McDonald House really do a fantastic job,” Tamara said.

“The work they do for regional families is amazing.

“By having your car parked in a locked parking area and somewhere to stay that’s affordable and supportive is phenomenal.

“It really is a fantastic charity.”

For every Big Mac sold on McHappy Day, $2 was donated to the Ronald McDonald House Charity.

NATIONAL Fair Food Week was celebrated on Sunday at the Albany Town Square with the annual Food for Thought Festival.

Attendees enjoyed soaking in the sun and devouring tasty treats from a range of local food vendors.

Cultcha Kitchen, Haramin Food Van, Paella to You and Royale Patisserie were among the range of food stalls people could choose from.

Local produce on show included sourdough breads, locally-produced cheeses, locally-grown and produced organic jams, chutneys, honey, wines and beers.

Food industry leaders provided useful information on agricultural systems and fresh produce, with discussions led by Jude Blereau, Tracy Lansdall and Rick Bieber.

The fun, relaxed atmosphere was maintained by music act Soulin Wild and local acts The Easterly’s with Dave Rastrick and Jazztrix Duo.

Southern Edge Arts also provided circus equipment for children to enjoy and have a play with.

DARREL Radcliffe’s humble woodcarving hobby has evolved into creating a portfolio of masterpieces in his backyard, and has become a must-see part of every visitor’s trek to Albany.

Radcliffe’s incredible talent has generated a unique sculpture drive through his property and some of his stunning artwork will be on display at this year’s Act-Belong-Commit Kojonup Agricultural Show.

“My grandfather clock went a bit crazy on Facebook,” Mr Radcliffe said.

“It got over one million hits and 13,000 shares, and got across to America, which was pretty groovy and a bit of a spin out.”

Mr Radcliffe is currently working on a honeypot sculpture, but will be taking something new to the Kojonup Show.

“It’s a week and a half to go and I haven’t started yet!” he said.

“I’m thinking of doing a family of owls.

“I get a buzz from the complicated projects. I like experimenting.

“You get a sense of achievement when it’s done.”

2017 will mark Mr Radcliffe’s fourth year attending the Kojonup Show, and his final creation will again be auctioned off at the show.

“The main thing is community. I want to give my little bit,” he said.

“It’s something fun, and it’s a bit quirky and humorous, and it keeps the people happy.”

CRAZY colourful hats and Alice in Wonderland costumes were donned last week to celebrate the fourth Albany Mad Hatter Tea Party.

The event celebrated Mental Health Week with the aim of reducing the stigma around mental health and raising awareness about local mental health and wellbeing services available in the Great Southern.

There was something for everyone at the Mad Hatter Tea Party, including Drip Lock Doughnuts and Beck and Call coffee, lawn games, laughter yoga, a photo booth and live music.

Southern Edge Arts students took to the stage in a sea container for a free performance, and local wellbeing services held stalls with pamphlets and information packs, providing advice and techniques for achieving good mental health and wellbeing.

Headspace, Relationships Australia, Albany Gay and Lesbian, Depression Support Network Albany and Palmerston Albany were among the participating organisations.