In a time of social unrest and concern, the Streaky Bay Wellbeing Project provides a chance to strengthen community connection and inclusivity.
Late in 2022, when Streaky Bay District Council staffers Jess Davis and Penny Williams met with Preventative Health SA at an Adelaide meeting called A Seat at the Table, the pair knew they had arrived at the right place.
For some time, feedback across the Streaky Bay district had been suggesting more action could be taken in the realms of the community’s overall health, so the meeting’s topic – wellbeing hubs for regional communities – was speaking to the heart of the matter.
Fast forward a couple of years and the fruits of that meeting has become the Streaky Bay Wellbeing Project, a partnership between the council and Preventative Health SA that works to foster mental and emotional health for the town’s populace.
At the council headquarters in Streaky Bay, community development officer Jess Davis, who together with colleague Cydney Alfred, has overseen the project since its infancy, went through its goals.
“It’s all about working together as a community to strengthen our connection and inclusivity,” said Jess, explaining the philosophy behind the project.
“All while supporting the mental, physical and social wellbeing for all members and ages of Streaky Bay.
“Initially, Penny and I went to that Adelaide meeting more so to listen and see what was up
for discussion and advocate for the regional space. But it just became a really positive conversation with the right people at the right time.”
Now, the Steaky Wellbeing Project – which these days is largely operated by Cydney – facilitates all manner of community activities and events focused on providing opportunities for people to strengthen connections to improve their overall wellbeing.
Just some of the initiatives under development by the Wellbeing Project include community garden endeavours, native seed sowing days, technology/digital inclusion programs, monthly men’s table events, exercise groups, fun run collaborations as well as free mental health first aid certificate trainings in partnership with Thrive.
As the project was finding its feet, community feedback highlighted several key demographics within the local community for which there were limited wellbeing outlets: for families with children under the age of four, for rurally isolated residents, and for those nearing or beyond retirement age.
Jess said perhaps the most significant and well-received program enacted by the project has been its monthly ‘Kiddie Gym’.
“That program has really taken off, it’s a free kiddie gym for young families to come to and socialise and play with all the different equipment and also importantly, for all the mums to get out and about and catch up,” she claimed.
“That was something that we were consistently having come through to us, that there wasn’t quite enough in place supporting our really little kids and their families.”
Held on the third Wednesday of each month at the town’s Institute with coffee and tea provided, the Kiddie Gym appeared set to be a mainstay on the Streaky social calendar.
“It has just been really appreciated by families, that they can come and socialise while their kids are getting physical activity at the same time,” Jess said.
“We just tried to come up with a really simple way, obviously with the cost of living at the moment it can be really hard for a lot of families, so it’s really beneficial that we can do it.”
At the other end of the demographic spectrum, the Wellbeing Project was also targeting the wellbeing of its older population through the development of the council’s Ageing Well Strategy.
Since 2006, the Streaky region’s over-55 demographic has increased by 116 per cent, to now be the council’s largest age group.
Created out of consultation with its community, the Wellbeing Project works alongside resilience agency Healthy Environs in an effort to target two key priorities for the town’s over-55s: healthcare and transport improvements.
Talking about the Wellbeing Project, Jess said it had been a successful beginning.
“We’ve had really fantastic feedback from the community groups that we’re working with and also Preventative Health SA, they were obviously there with us from day dot, and continue to provide a great amount of mentoring and support to the officers involved,” she said.
“Through the development of our Community Health and Wellbeing Strategy, we look forward to seeing a steady growth in this area over the next five years.
“It really is something that council staff and elected members are certainly proud of.”
While a digital hub is currently being utilised to communicate all project updates and offerings, the council hoped one day a suitable physical hub would be built in town to further improve the accessibility of wellbeing resources for Streaky Bay.
“Some of the feedback we received when we started doing our community consultation around wellbeing and ageing well, was that no one knew of a central place to go and find what happens in the district in relation to visiting specialists, programs and activities,” Jess said.
“It has been great to show that we can still deliver projects and programs even though we don’t have a physical space.
“But as it all continues to get more and more support, hopefully one day, we we will have a physical space that the community is happy with.”
