CEO Quarterly Update October 2024

Healthy Cities Illawarra Spring Raffle

Our Spring raffle is open! Tickets are available for purchase for 10 awesome prizes – drawn Dec 16th, just in time for summer holidays! Our major prize is $1,000 Jetstar voucher, and every purchase contributes to HCI’s fundraising targets to support our work to reduce the prevalence of disease and improve the health and wellbeing of our communities.

Conversations about the Wellbeing Economy

Last week, a ground-breaking event at the UN Summit of the Future saw wellbeing frameworks officially embraced by passing the Pact for the Future – recognizing that a pivotal shift in measuring economic progress must move beyond GDP and measure health and wellbeing for people and planet. This explainer video helps understand that constant attention on growth is both unsustainable and detrimental.

But this is not just for consideration at the UN level – it is happening Federally and at State government levels, and there is much to discuss locally! Please join us on Wed 30th Oct for a free HCI Networking Event at Wollongong Town Hall 4.30-6.30pm to learn about the Wellbeing Economy from one of Australia’s most respected experts, Warwick Smith from the Centre for Policy Development. Supported by Edmiston Jones, finger food will be provided and drinks available for purchase; and an engaging expert panel session and Q&A.

10th Global Conference of the Alliance for Healthy Cities

Taking place every two years, this conference was in Seoul 25-27 September 2024 – where over1,000 delegates from approximately 200 cities worldwide came together, including representatives from AFHC member cities, officials from the World Health Organization (WHO), NGOs and universities, mayoral delegations from sister cities, and experts from related academic fields. Healthy Cities Illawarra is one of the oldest organisations in the Healthy Cities movement formed in 1987, less than a year after the signing of the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion

Illawarra Edible Garden Trail

Finally, have you got your tickets to the 2nd Illawarra Edible Garden Trail? From Sat 9th – Sun 10th November, take advantage of your chance to have a sticky beak into other people’s productive gardens! Don’t be shy – this is your chance to ask weird and wacky questions and see how others in Wollongong grow all sorts of food, herbs, chooks and compost! Thanks to Gilly’s Kitchen Garden for their ongoing financial support and all of the volunteer organizing committee to see this important, practical and fun event come to fruition.

There are over 30 gardens that will be open from Helensburgh to Windang and Dapto, some gardens are open both days, whilst others will be open Saturday OR Sunday. Tickets can only be purchased for both days, not individual days. If you would like to visit only one garden you can purchase an individual garden ticket for $5.

Please purchase your tickets via Humanitix today!

Thank you for taking the time to read my quarterly update.

Healthy regards,
Kelly