Our community is amazing!
We love local life and we are at our best when we support each other and see the good in each other.
We have lots of ideas and hopes for growing stronger and more connected and to do things to care for ourselves, each other and our environment.
PlaY it Forward
Get curious, connect with your local community + explore where you live
This series of cards encourage you to get out and about in your community and local landscape. There are SIX cards so far with more planned. Join the fun! Collect them all.
Each card provides suggestions for things you can do in your local community. Some activities are easy and simple and some ask you to challenge yourself. You can do them by yourself, with a friend, family or organised group.
For copies of the card contact Break O'Day Council on 6376 7900 or wellbeing@bodc.tas.gov.au
This community action came from the 2023 Wellbeing Certificate group.
Devised by Michele, mentored by Leah with ideas and support from Somkid, Tony and Iris.
Click on the image to find out more...
Games Group - St Marys
Bored? - GeT Gaming - BOARD GAMING...
Like to play games? Chess, Cards, Scrabble…?
No one at home to play games with? OR Looking for something new to do with your family?
YOU’RE INVITED TO GAME WITH US
Join a bunch of like-minded gamers, who just want to relax, have a chat and play a game or two!
We are a group of local people who are enjoying our new friendships and connections from the Wellbeing Certificate.
We are creating an offline games group for people to spend time together playing games. Activities that are fun and safe for all ages. Join the fun!
This community action came from the 2023 Wellbeing Certificate group.
Devised by Bree, Melissa, Zara, Mel, Jan with ideas and support from Lara, Adam, Amanda, Linda, Kayla and Leah. Find out more from Break O'Day Council on 6376 7900 or wellbeing@bodc.tas.gov.au
Click on the image to find out more...
Fiona's love of music is shared with the people she interviews. She knows that holding a conversation with someone helps them to be in touch with their emotions, whatever they are, and to talk more freely about what they are feeling.
The tassiechats podcast is a raw and real show about the music that connects and inspires people in our community, the songs that have the power to switch our mind and mood, songs that give us a jolt of joy, or the songs that make us reflect on our emotional response when we hear and feel them.
Chat to Fiona tassiechats@gmail.com about one of your favourite songs.
NE Tasmania Single parent Community
Amanda from the 2023 Wellbeing Certificate has created a safe and inclusive space for all single/sole parents/carers of children in Break O’Day and the surrounding area.
A place to share, chat, laugh and make some new friends. If this sounds like something you are interested in, please join up. Please note, when you make a join request you will need to answer some simple questions and agree to rules the rules of the group.
Men's TabLe
Are you a man interested in having a conversation that is more than just banter? David and Leigh from the 2023 Wellbeing Certificate are and that is why they started the St Helens Men's Table.
The Men's Table is a not-for-profit organisation that gets groups of about 12 men together to meet monthly for a meal, a beer, and to have a chat about the highs and lows of life.
If you want to join or know more about how it works, you can call David from the Men's Table on 0412 126 006.
Wellness Directory St Marys & Fingal Valley
Local wellness services collected together in a booklet for those that prefer to read on paper.
In 2022, local resident Jan reached out to local providers and sought support through the Fingal Valley Neighbourhood House and was mentored by Lila who completed her Certificate in 2021.
Rose Thorn Banana cards and wellbeing bags for families
Bags filled with tip and tricks for young families including the 'Rose Thorn Banana' cards that help you ask open and encouraging questions in a playful way.
The cards were developed by Kayla in 2021 as just one part of a Wellbeing Bag of goodies for families. Kayla was mentored by Renee.
'Rose Thorn Banana' was first shared with us by Renee and has been borrowed with pride, we cannot find an original source for the idea but thank you to the clever person who first thought of it.
Kayla's wellbeing bags became festival showbags at the Festival of Wellbeing. We love the cards so much we did a reprint in 2022.
KISST - Kindness is sharing stories together
Amber created this story sharing gem in 2021. She invited people to share a story of what helps them to feel they belong in their community. Usually shared over a cup of tea.
Sharing stories of our connections in community and how we made them is a wonderful way to remind all of us of the importance of belonging and how we can help to create it with kindness.
Can you welcome someone or swap stories with someone and help them feel they belong?
Soul Surfing Sisters
A supportive group of women mentoring each other in the surf and building connection and sharing healthy fun.
In 2022 Raelene started a women's surfing circle to create a welcoming space where people who identify as women can support each other to feel more confident, welcome and safe in the surf.
It is also a space for friendship, health, laughter and play.
Raelene was mentored by Pam and Lisa and stokes support from all corners with her enthusiasm for surfing and friendship.
Soul Surfing Sisters meet in the waves on the point on Sunday mornings at 9am 'ish' and get together regularly to support each other's wellbeing out of the water too
Kindness Cards
In 2021 Jacinta created these simple kindness cards as a way to encourage people to do acts of kindness for each other. The cards helped inspire the idea for a kindness trail at the Festival of Wellbeing.
Have you seen these little green cards around Break O'Day? Maybe you have received a Kindness Card and an Act of Kindness. Can you Pay it Forward? Do something kind for someone and leave them with a Kindness Card to prompt the next Act of Kindness.
Gratitude Tree
In 2022 Jayne asked people to share messages about things they were grateful for in their life in Break O'Day. Jayne was mentored by Leah and together they built a tree from old fruit tree prunings and lots of epoxy resin. Jayne collected gratitude messages at the Festival of Wellbeing on coloured paper leaves at the 2022 Festival of Wellbeing and we did it all again in 2023 too!
WELL - We Empower Little Lives
Helping parents with young children be their best and learn good wellbeing skills for healthy happy families. This program run from the Child and Family Learning Centre in St Helens is helping young families to thrive by encouraging and supporting them to learn ways to look after themselves and their loved ones.
In 2021 Fi, Dee, Tina and friends brought the best of what they discovered in the Wellbeing Certificate and their work at the Centre to create this program. In 2022 they built on it with Bel from the 2022 Wellbeing Certificate too.
Pop-up ART workshops
In 2021 Lila created easy to get to workshops to help people discover the wellbeing benefits of art and how they can create wellbeing by creating art.
Meet Octo
Octo is our wellbeing mascot. In 2021 Michelle M and Leah hoped Octo's eight tentacles of wellbeing would start reaching into our community. At the first ever Festival of Wellbeing the Break O'Day Stitchers made it easy and fun for everyone to add a piece of material to a fabulous quilt that brought Octo to life. The stunning quilt is on display in the foyer of the Break O'Day Council office.
In 2023 Octo is becoming a painted rock sculpture that will eventually be installed at the Thrive Community Garden in St Helens. Michele R is taking pebbles and paints to community events and places for people to paint their pebble that will become be part of the collective art sculpture.
Young people and their families created a collective artwork to bring Octo to life with paints in an art workshop with local artist Dane Chisholm at Scooter Jam 2023 in St Marys. Thanks to Dane, Youth Connect North East Coast Tasmania and Break O'Day Council.
Where and what Octo becomes next is up to us...