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Mental Health Week - Increase Dementia Awareness

As part of Mental Health Week the Eastern Sydney Multicultural Access Project held an event "Increase Dementia Awareness" on the 4th of October 2006 for the Russian speaking seniors living in Surry Hills, Redfern and Waterloo areas.

The day was very well attended. Comments afterwards were extremely positive and Russian speaking seniors were appreciative of the knowledge they had acquired. Some elderly people stated that it opened their eyes and in the future they would look to someone suffering from dementia in a different, more understanding way.

Organizing this day Ellen Gore, coordinator and Elena Schwand, Russian speaking project officer worked in close collaboration with Warren Reid, Dementia Advisory Service Co-ordinator, Eastern Sydney & City of Sydney and Mandy Barnes, Clinical Nurse – Consultant, St Vincent’s Community Health.

Mandy’s presentation was aimed to raise awareness on dementia; she also discussed the symptoms of Dementia and how anyone could be affected. Mandy explained the meaning of stigma and its repercussions and increased the Russian speaking community's understanding of mental illness. A lot of questions were asked and answered.

A display of Dementia Information was organized by St Vincent’s Community Health in the hall of the Community Room to highlight mental health information. All information was available in Russian language; this information not only increased awareness of Dementia issues in the community but encouraged help seeking.

After the presentation refreshments were offered to the participants and lucky door prizes drawn.

ESMAP thanks the following organizations who sponsored and helped to organize this event: The Mental Health Association, Ethnic Child Care Family and Community Services - the Eastern Sydney Multicultural Access Project, St. Vincent's Community Health Service and Surry Hills Department of Housing

The Celebration of the International Day of People with DisAbilities

The event was held on the 2nd of December 2005for younger people with a disability and HACC service providers to join in the activities, to promote a healthy lifestyle and to increase awareness of people's abilities, whilst having fun. More than 100 younger people with disabilities and their carers, HACC service providers attended the day which was held at the Sydney Park.

The Celebration was organized and sponsored by the following organizations - The City of Sydney, Ethnic Child Care Family and Community Services - the Eastern Sydney Multicultural Access Project, St George Migrant Resource Centre - NESB Access Project and The Benevolent Society -- St George Branch.

Mr. Dougie Herd the Executive Officer of the Disability Council of NSW facilitated the day.

The Lord Mayor Clover Moore honored us with her presence;

She welcomed the guests and organizers. In her speech she acknowledged the needs of disabled people and emphasized the need to support carers of people with a disability as they are the hidden person who works behind the scene everyday tirelessly.

She also launched the CARES accessible bicycle which can be accessed by making contact with the CARES facility at Sydney Park.

It was an event of varied performances including a wonderful performance from Nature Nature,

an interactive performance of Sydney Symphony Orchestra with participation of the spectators,

children from the Royal Institute for Deaf & Blind Children sang songs with all participants and guests, and Chinese Lion Dance was absolutely fascinating.

A Group of Spanish Dancers

and a Belly Dancer

invited the guests to share their dancing skills with them and all participants enjoyed.

The Executive Director of Ethnic Child Care Family and Community Services Co-op Vivi Germanos - Koutsounadis closed the day. In her speech she emphasized the importance of such Multicultural Celebrations of People's abilities,

thanked the organizers, volunteers,interpreter, HACC service providers, all participants

and guests for this beautiful day and wished them all the very best.

The most important social events of the year

• Seniors Week. ESMAP and CALD consumers celebrated the diversity of older people in our society and promoted positive ageing to all communities.

• Harmony Day provided an opportunity for seniors from CALD background to celebrate their successes as a culturally diverse society, re-commit themselves to harmony and say "no" to racism.

• Celebration of the International women's Day International Women's Day (8 March) was an occasion marked by women's groups around the world. This date was also commemorated at the United Nations and was designated in many countries as a national holiday. When women on all continents, often divided by national boundaries and by ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic and political differences, come together to celebrate their Day, they can look back to a tradition that represents at least nine decades of struggle for equality, justice, peace and development.

• Celebration of the Victory in World War II for the Russian Community the World War Two Nominal Roll was created to honor and commemorate the men and women who served in the Russian's defense forces and the Navy during this conflict, victims of Nazism and holocaust survivors.

• Carer's Day, Presentation of the Album of memories and validation of carers, organised for Italian community. Psychologist John Troiani introduced Life Story Album, PM Kristina Kenneally and Director of ECCFCSC Vivi Germanos-Koutsounadis spoke on importance of being a carer, appreciated work done by ESMAP Italian bilingual worker in providing high quality services to Italian Community. All participants enjoyed this day.

• Celebration of International Day of Disability for younger children with disabilities. The purpose / aim of the day was for people with disability and service providers join in the activities and enjoy a great day out to promote a healthy lifestyle and raise awareness of peoples abilities. Lord Mayor Clover Moore opened the Ceremony. Children participated in various indoors and outdoors activities; everyone enjoyed Sydney Symphony interactive performance, Lion dance, Nature Nature performance, Spanish Dancers, photographic exhibition. Information stalls have been organized and refreshment provided. ESMAP calico bags with information and presents were given to every child. Vivi Germanos-Koutsounadis, Executive Director of ECCFCSC closed the Day.

Multicultural Puppet Making Workshop and Performance

For Children with Disabilities in Eastern Sydney

In the PCYC hall Daceyville over seventy children with disabilities from schools in the surrounding areas (including Bondi, Banksmeadow, Gardener's Road and Mascot) came and made puppets to take home and watched a puppet show called the "Respite Gang" which featured four puppets who at the end of school holidays went on a holiday program with a respite service. All of the children who attended the puppet day also received a take home bag containing multilingual information and a telephone directory of some of the services available to children with disabilities in the Eastern Sydney area (you can download your own copy of the directory from this website).

The languages spoken at home by the children who attended included Farsi, Samoan, Greek, Tongan, Italian, Turkish, Chinese, Bengali, Spanish, Arabic, Vietnamese, English and Tagalog.

The Eastern Sydney Multicultural Access Project (phone 9344-8275) hosted the event and aim to promote respite services to children and their families on the day and in the future. Four prizes were awarded for the puppet with the best hair, most expressive face, cutest puppet and most original puppet.

The day was free of charge to the children thanks to the support of South Sydney Community Transport who drove the children to the event, Fleur Herscovitch from Women's and Children's Health in Broadway who lead the workshop, the bookgarden who donated books, ECHO neighbourhood centre Drama group who acted in the performance, Collex for donating the milk bottles which were used as torsos for the puppets, Spotlight Bondi Junction who gave a discount on purchases, and Bonds Sydenham who donated some and discounted other Bonds wondersuits which the puppets were dressed in.

This outreach is a prime example of the work of the Eastern Sydney Multicultural Access Project, which aims to increase the number of people from non-English Speaking Backgrounds using Home and Community Care Services across Eastern Sydney. Home and Community Care is especially for Older People and People with Disabilities from all age groups and helps people to stay independent in the community.

Picture of Puppets

Telephone Directory

Of services for School Aged Children with Disabilities in the Eastern Sydney Area

Compiled by: Samantha Ngui - Eastern Sydney Multicultural Access Project. Phone 9344-8275.

Though all effort has been made to list accurate information only in this directory no responsibility will be accepted for any inaccurate information. This directory is to act only as a guide to some of the available services.