Self care matters for women's health

Published on 04 September 2020

Women across Gannawarra are encouraged to take time for self-care by participating in a local Women in the Warra health promotion campaign commencing in Women’s Health Week and running through to the end of 2020.

Gannawarra Shire Council’s Mayor Lorraine Learmonth said that it is important for women to take time out of their busy schedules to focus on their own health and wellbeing.

“Particularly during these challenging and uncertain times, women frequently take on a caring role not only for family but also for friends and the wider community,” Mayor Learmonth said.

“During the busyness of life, women frequently forget, or delay, looking after their own health.”

Northern District Community Health will be hosting the Women in the Warra health promotion campaign, which will kick off during Women’s Health Week, September 7-11, after successfully applying for a Gannawarra Community Resilience Grant.

“Women’s Health Week and the ongoing Women in the Warra health promotion campaign provides an opportunity for Council and partnership agencies to encourage women to prioritise time to focus on their own physical and mental health and wellbeing,” Mayor Learmonth said.

Themed around the Five Ways to Wellbeing – Connect, Take Notice, Give, Be Active and Keep Learning - throughout the campaign Gannawarra women will be able to take part in a range of fun events, such as the chance to win tickets to the online Jean Hailes Comedy Gala in September, online cooking classes featuring local women in October, and a number of physical activity sessions in November. The campaign will finish in December with a Christmas theme.

Mayor Learmonth said that she was also pleased to announce that Council had received a $5,000 grant through the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal and the Gardiner Foundation to run a Take a Wellbeing Vacation workshop for farming women from Cohuna and surrounds on 20 November 2020.

“The Gardiner Foundation specifically supports small dairying communities and Council worked in partnership with women from the Cohuna community, Cohuna District Hospital and Northern District Community Health to successfully apply for this grant,” Mayor Learmonth said.

“The Take a Wellbeing Vacation workshop facilitated by Cynthia Mahoney and Associates will have a self- care theme and will be available for women involved or associated with farming from Cohuna and surrounds.”

More detail on the Women in the Warra health promotion program will be released by Northern District Community Health at a later date. For more information on Women’s Health Week, visit www.womenshealthweek.com.au