Whether you're looking to escape the city's crowds during Vivid Sydney 2025, or want to add on to your itinerary to make the most of your Sydney trip, here are four short getaways from the NSW capital that will suit your needs.

Hunter Horse Haven Inc. is a registered charity based in Anna Bay. We rescue, rehabilitate and rehome horses that have been abused, neglected or abandoned. Some of our volunteers are ex-ADF personnel. In conjunction with Horse Aid, also a registered charity, who works with veterans and first responders, we are presenting a screening of the inspirational film documentary, “The Healing”, which will take place at 5.00 pm on Sunday, June 1^st, 2025 at Nelson Bay Cinema.

Through this screening we are hoping to raise awareness of the Horse Aid program to help support their life changing work and, more locally, to support the work of Hunter Horse Haven Inc.

The ticket price includes refreshments, wine and beer tasting courtesy of B.Farm at Murrays, guest speakers and the opportunity to meet and speak with key personnel from Hunter Horse Haven, Horse Aid and the Red Cross.

Ticket price is from $38.37 (including booking fees) and can be purchased at www.hunterhorsehaven.com.au or via Eventbrite at: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/1298623300249?aff=oddtdtcreator

The team at New Life Community Reach will be hosting a "Black Tie Musical Bingo" fundraiser on 7 June at Raymond Terrace Bowling Club.

More details including how to purchase tickets, coming soon.

Save the date - 12/8/2025 for Jupiter's International Youth Day Gala Dinner in Nelson Bay.

Click HERE for more information

Join New Life Community Relief at the Terrace, for a free meal!

Starts on Friday 28th February 2025!
Here is the flyer for more information.
6:30 - 8pm
Located under the Raymond Terrace Council Carpark (undercover area)

Bushfire is an unfortunate part of life in some areas of Port Stephens. With summer just around the corner and the temperatures increasing those that are living in areas susceptible to bushfires, you need to live bushfire-ready.

That means knowing your risk and having a plan for what to do during a fire. You can make your plan online in as little as five minutes by clicking here

Or you can sit down with your family and discuss what you will do using the NSW Rural Fire Service guide to making a bushfire survival plan.

To ensure your home is bushfire prepared follow the tips from NSWRFS by clicking here

Even if you plan to leave early, the more you prepare your home, the more likely it will survive a bushfire or ember attack. A well-prepared home can also be easier for you or firefighters to defend, and is less likely to put your neighbours' homes at risk. A well-prepared home will also give you more protection if a fire threatens suddenly and you cannot leave.

Join the team at the Yacaaba Centre for a refreshing morning of conversation, connection, and empowerment. Whether you're looking to meet new people, share ideas, or just take a break from the daily grind, this is your time to socialise, network, and be inspired!

10-11:30am every Thursday morning. See flyer HERE for more information.

Council has developed a flyer that outlines where the community can seek assistance for food and crisis relief.

Click HERE

The ELDAC project, funded by the Department of Health and Aged Care, has developed a free Home Care Search Filter. This tool simplifies the process of finding evidence to support your home care programs. (Link: https://www.eldac.com.au/Technology-and-Innovation/Home-care-search-filter).

STARS plan to enhance the wellbeing of seniors through musical theatre and recreation.

For more information click HERE

Atwae offer members of the public, discounts in beauty treatments and massage which are performed by students.

Opening Hours

For Appointments call 0401 095 481

THURSDAY & FRIDAY (during NSW school Terms)

9.30AM - 2.00PM

Click here for the beauty menu

Our service is here to support families with Mediations while navigating parenting and property issues that arise as part of separation or with any other issues that may need meditation within family relationships.

As we are a new service to Bungree there is no current waiting list for and under our current funding we are:

-Able to provide fee free mediation services.

-While our program is funded to service Aboriginal community, we can support non-Aboriginal people as long as there is an Aboriginal person within the family dynamics.

-Our program services the Cessnock/ Upper Hunter, Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, Port Stephens, and Central Coast areas with offices in both Cessnock and Gosford.

Please see attached the Bungree Service Aboriginal Family Dispute Resolution Services.

Please see attached referral form

To recognise the contributions of young volunteers who have been active in implementing Youth Opportunities projects or youth activities in your local area and organisation, you are able to nominate them for recognition under the NSW Volunteer of the Year Awards.

To find out more information and nominate your local young volunteers visit: https://www.volunteering.com.au/awards/about-the-awards/

Nominations can be provided in bulk, and the nomination period closes at 5 pm on Friday 23 May 2025.

The Magic Moments Youth Leadership & Business Summit 2025 will be held from 5–9 July at the Collaroy Centre in Sydney. It’s a five-day residential program for young people aged 14–17, focused on leadership, entrepreneurship, emotional resilience, communication, financial literacy and more.

To nominate a local young leader click HERE

Put your mark on Boomerang Park Skate Bowl at the Youth Art Day

1 June 2025

Session Times:
• 10am to 11:30am: Ages under 8 (water-based paints only)
• 12pm to 1:30pm: Ages 8–12
• 1:30pm to 3pm: Ages 13+

For more information visit Council's facebook page

https://www.facebook.com/events/1250962256591518/?...

Click HERE to view the minutes

The Inclusion in Sport project aimed to bring awareness to organisations around the barriers and gaps currently being faced by children and their families. The project also aimed to provide clubs/organisations with FREE training around inclusion for coaches, managers, volunteers and staff as well support for staff in school environments.

If you have not had the opportunity to complete the free training, please feel free to register and complete this wondering training program>> Join Our Disability Inclusive Sports Program - Sport4All

Check out some wonderful resources for clubs and families

Black Dog Institute has new free resources called Teens and Screens to support parents and carers with children in years 7-9. Please feel free to share this information with parents and carers in your team:

• Nine strategies to help you support your teen in an online world: Handbook of strategies parents can use to support their teens
• Screen Time and Teen Mental Health: Insights & Tips for Parents: Short webinar for parents and carers
• Free apps to support teens: Learn about free apps for teens like Sleep Ninja and ClearlyMe

To read the March edition click here

Join Black Dog for an insightful and empowering webinar focused on providing strategies and resources to help you in supporting your teen.

Delivered by a Clinical Psychologist facilitator, and Black Dog Institute lived experience presenter, we will explore:

• How to make sense of adolescence
• Identify signs of mental health struggles.
• Understand how to support your teen.
• Know where you and your teen can get support.

This webinar is free and open to all parents, caregivers, and anyone interested in supporting the mental health of teens in their care. Reserve your spot today and embark on a journey towards greater well-being for you and your family!

See upcoming dates and register here: For Parents - Black Dog Institute | Better Mental Health

Contact: schools@blackdog.org.au

Attention Referring GP's, parents, community, schools and other service providers, jupiter - space to talk continues to provide free, accessible, inclusive and confidential counselling for young people in Port Stephens.

To find out more information click HERE

Do you find the School holidays boring? Do you need some adventure?

Come and join in celebrating youth week with jupiter - 16 April 2025.

For more details including locations click HERE

Check out artist residency opportunities, upcoming events & more.

Click HERE

Healthy strong Aboriginal men often find value in sharing stories with each other, as it fosters a sense of brother-ship and mutual understanding.

Click HERE to find out more information about the fortnightly catch ups and for upcoming dates.

Click here to read the newsletter

Click here to view One Door's March Newsletter.

A message from Anthony Shannon:

This edition of TEI Inform includes information about:

• Final chance to have your say on the draft TEI Program Specifications
• TEI Evaluation Lunch and Learn
• Celebrating Aboriginal-led early support services
• Free coercive control training now available

To read more on each topic click HERE

Click here to read the March updates

Click HERE to view news from FAMS

Free legal help with fines and free NSW birth certificates for eligible people.

Raymond Terrace Senior Citizens Hall

Thursday 29 May

Click HERE for more information

Hunter New England LHD and the Hunter New England & Central Coast PHN are proud to support the expansion of Street Side Medics into the Hunter.

Funded by the NSW Government, Street Side Medics is expanding its mobile healthcare services to provide accessible, healthcare to people experiencing homelessness.

This workshop will provide an opportunity to:

• Help Street Side Medics understand the local service landscape;
• Identify priority locations for service delivery; and
• Explore partnership opportunities with local organisations to ensure the program is well-connected, and meets the needs of our community.

For more information and to register click HERE

Delivered by Beth Innes and Renee Selby, 2 grant writing workshops will be offered to help you secure funding across the community, sports, art, infrastructure and academic grants

Charlestown workshop

Wednesday 2 July

9:30-3:30

Maitland workshop

Thursday 3 July

9:30-3:30

For more information and to register click HERE

LAB Learning Clinic provides evidence-based therapy supports to help individuals develop functional skills, enhancing participation and independence in daily activities such as language and communication.

They provide support in the following areas:

• Therapy services across the lifespan to enhance functional skills, supporting greater participation and independence in areas such as written and oral communication in everyday tasks.
• Early intervention for children aged 0-9 with developmental delays, written communication difficulties or disabilities to achieve better long-term outcomes

To learn more click HERE

The NSW Government is continuing its campaign to raise awareness of coercive control among multicultural communities. In-language information is now available in 18 languages with the addition of Korean, Assyrian, Farsi, Punjabi and Filipino/Tagalog. To view the resources click HERE

For more information about the parenting programs, playgroups, art making and meal creating please click here

Workplace Mental Health: Current realities, future impact: recent panel discussion available just for our workplace clients (not shared publicly), you can access it here

Teen Mental Health Matters: free upcoming webinars focused on providing strategies and resources to help parents and caregivers support their teens, RSVP here (scroll to the bottom of the page)

Empowering recovery from complex trauma.

Check out Blueknot's bi-yearly public training calendar HERE

Check out CHSP's upcoming webinars and event HERE and how to register.

For information and how to best prepare for a heatwave, check out Port Stephens Councils and NSW Health, heatwave awareness resources.

For public releases of data and dashboards on early intervention, child protection, out-of-home care, social housing, homelessness and other key statistics on community support, click HERE

The Lifeline Training Support Team hosts Lifeline's community training and dedicated workplace delivery.

View their range of training options available HERE

Tafe NSW is offering certificate 11 education pathway courses,see more

The Gambling Impact Society (GIS) continues to provide Free Education about Gambling Harm through the Consumer Voice Project - Raising Awareness of the impact of gambling harm, owing to funding from the State Government. We have provided a number of these in your area to the PS Interagency, planning meetings, community groups, TAFE and University students and they have been well received.

For more information Click HERE

Port Stephens Council is establishing a Disability Inclusion and Access Advisory Group to inform our decision-making and support delivery of actions from our Community Wellbeing Strategy and Disability Inclusion Action Plan (DIAP).

We're inviting people with a disability to apply to become a member of our new Disability Inclusion and Access Advisory Group. This is a great opportunity for people who are passionate about their community and

We also recognise the valuable expertise and professional insights that disability sector bring to the table. We invite you to express your interest in a representative from your orgranisation joining this Advisory Group.

This is an opportunity to collaborate with Council and the community to shape a more accessible and equitable environment for people with disabilities.

Learn more about the Advisory Group and submit your Expression of Interest (EOI) HERE

Applications close midnight Sunday 1 June.

Wayahead is currently accepting applications for its Small Grant Program, offering grants of $500 or $1000 to support mental health initiatives during Mental Health Month this October in NSW.

With categories including General, Youth, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, CALD, and LGBTQIA+, there’s likely a category that aligns with small community groups. Whether you're planning a BBQ, sports event, workshop, or a series of community activities, we’d love to see how you utilise this year’s theme—“Taking Steps on Your Wellbeing Journey”.

You can apply by visiting this link:

Wayahead is excited to open nominations for the annual Mental Health Matters Awards. These awards celebrate the incredible efforts of individuals, groups, and organisations making a difference in the mental health space. You’re welcome to nominate yourself or someone else whose work deserves to be recognised.

Wayahead offer a variety of award categories, so take a look and see which ones resonate:
https://wayahead.org.au/mentalhealthmonth/nominations/

All are welcome to attend the award ceremony, which will feature special guest speaker Rose Jackson, NSW Minister for Mental Health.

Tertiary Accommodation Grant (TAG) supports Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people enrolled in tertiary studies with grants of up to $10,000 per student to offset the cost of living while studying a Diploma or above.

For eligible students they will need to apply through the SmartyGrants link:

Students will need the following supporting documentations when applying for the grant:

• Confirmation of Aboriginality (As per the AHO Eligibility for Service Policy)
• Identification (student card or USI number)
• Proof of enrolment (Letter of enrolment, Unit transcript, Support letter from education provider or invoice or payment of receipt of tuition.)
• Proof of income (payslips, Centrelink annual statement or latest fortnightly statement, PAYG payment summary statement or BAS statement)
• Proof of address and independent living in NSW (A residential tenancy agreement with you name on the lease, social housing letter from your provider, a rental bond notice or a letter from landlord outlining rent payable)
• Personal statement on how this grant could help with your studies (max 400 words ).

Ensure you have also read the guidelines

This opportunity will target multicultural community-led grassroots organisations. Eligible organisations will be able to apply for grants of up to $100,000 over 2 years from 2024–25 to 2025–26 for the following types of activities:

• Multicultural celebrations, such as festivals and events
• Multicultural amenities, such as building upgrades, furnishings and equipment
• Intercultural connections, such as intercultural sports programs or art projects.

Further detail is available on GrantConnect