This month we officially wrap up the Peak Hill Building Healthy Communities Challenge.

Even though the program wraps up, the activities don’t! The momentum for further events has been created through the program and the opportunities for community engagement and leadership moving forward is strong.

Through this project, we have seen the revitalization of the Peak Hill Community Garden, instigation of Crop Swap, Propagation Workshops and increased engagement at the Garden, which is a fabulous community space in the centre of town. The propagation workshops have been extremely well attended…..and we are already seeing the results!

It was a pleasure to host Indigenous Chef, Mindy Woods in Peak Hill (and Forbes and Trundle) on 21 February sharing her amazing knowledge and enthusiasm for native foods. Mindy encouraged those involved at Crop Swap and at the Welcome Dinner, to think about what we have growing in our own area that can be incorporated into our day to day cooking creations. We are already actively doing this!

We are thrilled to have a group of Deadly Runners in our community, who were inspired by a visit from founder, Georgia Weir. We can’t wait to see what this group takes on next, with opportunities including the NSW Aboriginal Knockout Health Challenge (KHC) and the Marang Dhali Eating Well Program as potential undertakings.

The Peak Hill aqua aerobics attendees transition to take on a new challenge – line dancing! This is a wonderful community undertaking, driven undertaking encouraging people to stay active during the cooler weather…and, importantly, also stay connected.

We are grateful for the delivery of the Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) course in Peak Hill, enabling the community to support each other and to know the signs of someone facing a mental health challenge.

We know that Peak Hill will continue reaping rewards as a result of involvement in the Challenge and we look forward to seeing the progress in the years ahead.

The addition of two bike racks to encourage cycling and movement between community spaces will be of benefit to the community through many generations.

These initiatives….and much more, are possible with the support of the Peak Hill Building Healthy Communities Challenge, which is a challenge initiated by Western NSW Local Health District (WNSWLHD).

It has been an absolute pleasure to deliver this project with Peak Hill residents.

For further information on this article, please go to www.centralwestlachlanlandcare.org, Facebook or Instagram @cwllandcare or contact Marg Applebee on 0418 611 053.