Igniting passion through an Illawarra jewellery making circle has boosted the market industry and is turning the tide away from mass-produced retail trade. The Bulli Village Markets are held on the second Sunday of every month and is where the Illawarra community gather to purchase locally produced jewellery. Passionate stallholder of shop Enchanted by Katerina, Katie Kavalekas makes handmade jewellery along with other knick knacks with unique designs. “I’m motivated by using things in my back garden like flowers, shells, sand and even 100s and 1000s sprinkles,” Miss Kavalekas said. “I’ve only been making earrings for about a year, but…
Author: Aimee Yavuzer
Wollongong City Council’s (WCC) inaugural Wollongong Creative Short Film Festival has been held outdoors at Kanahooka’s Lakeside Reserve. Home to many species of protected plants, the lake was brought to life by a lineup of some of the Illawarra’s best armateur film makers early this month. WCC’s cultural development coordinator, Shannon Kennedy organised the event and said she was proud to be a part of the festival that put Lake Illawarra on centre stage. “This time round we made the theme water, and we’ve commissioned some films specifically about the lake,” Mr Kennedy said. “So we wanted to highlight what…
The University of Wollongong’s own Pulse Pantry aims to help out students who are affected by the current cost of living crisis. Open every Tuesday and Thursday Pulse Pantry is a food support system run by students for students, where a range of products are for sale through a points system, rather than monetary value. Manager and Student Engagement for Pulse, Demelza Jones said the best part of her job was the joy she sees helping many students benefit from the Pantry. “Everyone with a student card is welcome but we mostly see our international students,” Ms Jones said. “on…
TW: mentions of suicide Suicide Prevention Month is encouraging communities all around Australia to speak out and stand together. This year, Suicide Prevention Australia is urging people to change the narrative with a call to action, asking people to a spark a conversation to change to the stigma surrounding mental health issues. Cold Nips, an Australian-wide community movement co-founded by Jian Wong Yen and marketed by Teigan Woollard, is on board with the cause, going on an Australian-wide tour completing 100 sunrise dips in 100 days in an act to raise one million dollars for mental health. “With the Cold…
Illawarra and Shoalhaven residents are being encouraged to start conversations around death in order to break through the stigma that surrounds it. Death Café offers a safe environment to ask questions and gain knowledge about the topics of death, dying and bereavement while enjoying a beverage and cake. Death Café facilitators Carolyn Vaughan and Jordan Lukey held an event on August 26 at Corrimal Library and encouraged residents of all ages to drop into the cafe for a chat. “Death café in its simplest form is a space that’s created where people can come along and talk, share, listen and…
More than 80,000 people took part in the world’s largest fun run, considered a celebration of the city of Sydney. The 2024 City2Surf broke a new record attracting people from all ages to the annual event. Now in it’s 54th year the fun run starts at Hyde Park, and makes he 14km journey to the iconic Bondi Beach esplanade. Participant Isabella Coppola, who competed in the 15–19-year-old bracket, takes pride in her achievement of finishing the run in 1: 54 minutes. “I did it as a little challenge and honestly something to work towards and kind of challenge myself,” she…
Dental Health Week commences on the 5th of August with oral health being their main focus. The annual health campaign kicked off on Monday and is focusing on the steps towards taking care of your teeth and gums with the help of Pacific Smiles Colouring in Competition. Oral Practitioner, Dr Haritha Singade, said diet plays an important role in good oral health and thinks educating children can make a difference. “As with diet these days we are seeing a lot of high sugar intake and we need to step in as a society to teach them the correct dietary habits…