Editors Picks
01 April 2023
CAUTION: EASTER TREATS CAN HARM YOUR PET
CAMPARE the Market, an Australian price comparison site, is urging pet owners to be extra careful with what they feed their pets during the upcoming Easter holiday.
Although many families enjoy chocolate and other Easter treats, such as hot cross buns and party food, these items can be deadly to pets.
More than half of Australians admit to struggling with paying bills, which could leave pet owners struggling to pay for emergency medical care if their pets become ill.
Many Easter foods, including chocolate, lollies, and hot cross buns, contain ingredients that are harmful to pets.
Other seemingly harmless treats, such as sausages, can also harm pets. To avoid financial strain and harm to pets, Compare the Market advises pet owners to ensure their pets’ vaccinations are up to date and to seek appropriate pet insurance.
01 April 2023
ENTERTAINER DAVID CAMPBELL TO MC CHARITY BALL
AUSTRALIAN singer, actor and television personality David Campbell OAM will visit Penrith in May to host an event that will help change the lives of local women and children in need.
David Campbell OAM is the confirmed Master of Ceremonies for Penrith’s inaugural Mayoral Charity Ball being held in support of The Haven – Nepean Women’s Shelter.
The charity provides crisis accommodation and assistance for women and children escaping domestic and family violence.
This event will bring together a night of entertainment, touching true stories and community celebration for the life-changing work of this local service, while fundraising to expand the support available on the ground so that no one is turned away.
Figures released by the Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research show that Penrith had one of the state’s highest rates of domestic violence in 2022 with 1,077 reported incidents in the 12-month period.
Statistics also show that on average, one woman a week is killed by her current or former partner in Australia.
The Haven is a community-funded shelter that was opened in 2018 by Women’s Community Shelters. The charity has provided over 17,000 safe bed nights and assisted more than 330 women and children.
According to The Haven, just $20 can provide pillows and blankets to keep a woman or child warm; $50 provides essential groceries for a woman and her children; and $100 can keep a woman and her children safe for 24 hours with case worker support.
Tickets for the Mayoral Charity Ball are on sale now and include a $50 donation to The Haven.
To find out more, visit www.penrith.city/events
Tickets can be purchased directly via the Eventbrite page for the Mayoral Charity Ball – Penrith 2023.
A GalaBid page is also live at www.alabid.com/penrithcharityball
for monetary donations and where guests can bid on various items ahead of the silent auction on the night.
Featured
30 March 2023
FLOOD RECOVERY GRANTS AVAILABLE
Building community resilience and wellbeing
AFTER the loss and distress resulting from the 2022 floods, the Western Sydney Primary Health Network (WSPHN) is offering wellbeing and resilience grants to support flood-affected communities in Western Sydney.
21 March 2023
STARBURST FILM FESTIVAL COMES TO PENRITH
BE inspired by local filmmaking talent and get involved in free filmmaking workshops as part of the StarBurst Film Festival and Filmmaking Symposium in Penrith on April 1 and StarBurst at St Marys Film Festival on April 2.
The StarBurst Film Festival and Filmmaking Symposium debuts in Penrith on Saturday, April 1 at The Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre. Kicking off with the Symposium at 9am, join a panel discussion with experts in the film industry who will share tips and insights on how to access film funding and broadcasting agreements.
From 1pm, enjoy a range of short films made by local creatives that have been submitted as part of the StarBurst Film Festival competition.
Penrith City Council and Screen NSW, through the Screen NSW Film Festival Funding Program, are major sponsors of this event, partnering with event creator Kirstie Boerst, an experienced creative producer and Penrith local. Boerst developed the StarBurst Film Festival to celebrate the film industry, which was significantly impacted during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Kirstie is a passionate advocate for local filmmaking and for the creation of film content that inspires and motivates audiences.
Penrith Mayor Tricia Hitchen said that this event will promote local creative talent and provide an open door for filmmakers to learn more about the film industry.
“StarBurst Film Festival and Filmmaking Symposium is an exciting new event for our City. It’s a testament to the creative talent we have in our area and the dedication of Kirstie Boerst to give the next generation of filmmakers an opportunity to grow,” Cr Hitchen said.
StarBurst at St Marys Film Festival on Sunday, April 2 invites the community to take part in a range of free stop motion animation and filmmaking workshops where attendees create their own short film with the guidance of film industry professionals.
At Coachmans Park a green screen experience offers young and old the chance for some interactive movie fun from 4pm, followed by a screening of the short, family-friendly films from the StarBurst Film Festival on the big screen from 6pm. Free pizza is on offer for the first 100 people as well as free popcorn for the first 250 people.
“StarBurst at St Marys Film Festival encourages our community to embrace their creativity and take the opportunity to learn from industry professionals, all at no cost. Wonderful memories will be made at these fun and interactive workshops,” Cr Hitchen said.
StarBurst at St Marys Film Festival is sponsored by Screen NSW through the Screen NSW Film Festival Funding Program.
Go to: www.penrith.city/events
Featured
19 March 2023
WEXPO 2023 PROGRAM ANNOUNCED
Four programs in major growth centres
WESTERN Sydney continues to thrive, with the popular WEXPO series expanding to four events in 2023.
11 March 2023
CASTLE HILL’S NEW $11.5M SHOWPIECE
CASTLE Hill Showground Arena will soon be transformed into a modern venue that can hold a range of larger scale community and sporting events thanks to funding received under the NSW Government’s $5B WestInvest Fund.
The Hills Shire Council was successful in securing approximately $11.5M of WestInvest funding - which aims to deliver transformational projects and local infrastructure to communities across Greater Sydney - for the construction of a new arena in the much-loved Showground.
“From being used as an animal flood evacuation centre to hosting fundraisers, sporting competitions and more recently, a kite flying festival - Castle Hill Showground has played an important role in bringing residents together over the course of a century,” Mayor of The Hills Shire, Dr Peter Gangemi said.
“Our vision is to continue the Showground’s reputation as a ‘thriving cultural and leisure facility’, and we are doing this through modernising the space’s well-utilised Arena so that it can support our growing community.”
Featured
07 March 2023
HOW SIGNIFICANT IS IWD IN 2023?
It's an opportunity to focus on core issues
LEE USSHER
THIS year marks the 110th anniversary of International Women's Day, and it is important in Australia because it shines a light on the social and economic inequalities that women still face in the country.
