During the month of August, Jason Wood­house of Forbes will be fundraising in memory of his son Corey Woodhouse, who he lost almost two years ago to suicide. All funds raised will be donated to Kids Hel­pline and Headspace.

Corey was only 14 years old when he tragically took his own life and Jason said to his wife Michelle, “We need to do some­thing. No one should feel this pain.” Jason wants Corey’s short time in this world to mean something and he wants to show Co­rey’s siblings, Kaylee and Jaxon, and other young kids, that help is out there.

“It took too long to get the help Corey needed in the year prior to Corey taking his life, and as parents we didn’t know where to get help. So, I need to help educate parents and kids where to go if they need help,” said Jason.

Corey loved everything about planes – he was always making paper planes and even started flying lessons at the age of 13. The people of Forbes and Parkes can assist during August by purchasing paper planes to write their name on, from their local Bernardi’s Marketplace, Discount Daves Parkes or Coles Parkes. People can also donate raffle or auction items and drop them to Bernardi Forbes (Kathrine Wright) and Coles Parkes (Hope Ross).

The community is invited to an auction being held Saturday 23 August at 5pm for 6pm start at the Forbes Bowling Club, on the bowling ground. Businesses can help by donating items to the auction; all money raised will go to Kids Helpline and Head­space. Forbes Livestock will be assisting on the evening as auctioneer.

Then, on Sunday 24 August, Jason will be holding a free mental health event, where kids and parents, can be educated on the range of services available if they need help. Local service providers will be set up on the day to provide information and speak to people.

It will be a great family day out with givea­ways, face painting, bracelet making, rock painting, a paper plane making and throw­ing activity, and a BBQ run by the Forbes Lion’s Club.

 

For a decade now, Parkes local Kristy Ber­ry and her extended group of friends and family have been raising funds and aware­ness for MND through The Big Freeze. For the last nine years the group have taken to Kristy’s family pool, with the family donat­ing for each person brave enough to take the plunge.

Kristy’s grandfather, great grandmother and a cousin all passed away from MND.

Kristy said “I have very vivid memories of what this beast actually puts sufferers through.”

“I mainly wanted to help not only raise money but awareness of MND. Prior to Neale Denier and the AFL starting the Big Freeze 11 years ago, there wasn’t much awareness around MND”.This year Kristy wanted to up the ante, so she spoke to Terri and Tony from The Coachman Hotel and both were on board to get involved, and make a night of it.

“Then we approached Bella Thom­son and Sammy Dwyer from the Parkes Spacemen to see if they would take to the ice water, and neither hesitated. We auc­tioned off a 2025 signed Spacemen Jersey and a framed Saint George photo collage.

The Parkes Spacemen Old Boys held their meat raffles and donated the takings on the night,” said Kristy.

There evening was well supported by the Parkes Spacemen, family, friends and the community. Bella, Sam, John and Tony all took to the iced pool and freezing water was poured over them. It was topped off with the band Hope Held Hostage. An im­pressive $2,750 was raised and plans are already in place for a bigger event in 2026.

If you want to help you can still donate to the cause by following the link https://sup­port.fightmnd.org.au/s/5655/6228.

The BreastScreen NSW mobile screening van will be in Forbes from Monday 18 Au­gust to Monday 13 October, 2025. Breast­Screen NSW provides free breast screening to all women over 40 to support the early detection of breast cancer.

Deon Adamson, Manager, BreastScreen NSW (Greater Western) says a regular breast screen is one of the most important things women can do for their health.

“Detecting breast cancer early increases your chance of survival while reducing the likelihood of invasive treatment.”

“Around 90 per cent of women diagnosed with breast cancer have no family history.

This is why breast cancer screening is so important.”

Ms Adamson says having a BreastScreen NSW van in Forbes makes it easier for women to attend their recommended twoyearly screening.

“Bringing these vital services to Forbes means more local women can be screened.

Life gets busy and we want women to make their health a priority.”

The BreastScreen NSW van will be lo­cated in Harold Street (near the Ceno­taph), Forbes NSW 2871. An appointment with BreastScreen NSW is free, takes less than 20 minutes and no doctor’s referral is needed. BreastScreen NSW provides free screening mammograms to women over the age of 40. Any woman with a family history of breast cancer should discuss their spe­cific needs with their GP. Anyone with breast symptoms should contact their GP or health worker without delay.

The mobile clinic visiting Forbes is equipped with a lift system to support wom­en with health conditions or disability to have their mammogram. Women with addi­tional needs are encouraged to let us know when booking.

Have your breast screen at our mobile BreastScreen NSW van in Forbes and you will be entered in the draw to win a delicious hamper.

To book a free mammogram visit book.breastscreen.nsw.gov.au or call 13 20 50.

It’s the early hours of the morning and it’s suddenly still and very quiet. The sheep are silent, huddled together, the crickets have stopped their noisy rendition of Mozart; everything is in quiet anticipation. And then I hear it – the patter of the first rain drops on the tin roof. I open the window wide, and smell the scent of rain on fresh lawn, water droplets on eucalyptus leaves, rain sinking deep into the garden beds.

It’s the rain we’ve been waiting for, that we’ve needed for months. It’s finally here. I envisage the patter of rain on the dried up dam beds, the gentle flow of water down a creek bed that has been empty for months.

I know he’s heard it too, “thank you God,” he mutters, the livelihood of a farm at the hands of the weather.

The human body needs water to – and probably more than you think. I read an interesting story about a doctor who found himself in prison in Ukraine. Since it was well known that he was a doctor, people started coming to him for advice for vari­ous illnesses. He didn’t have any access to medication and the only resource available to him to prescribe was water. “Drink a cup of water every hour” he’d say to someone, initially as a placebo effect, maybe it would work. With surprise, he started to see that many illnesses, diseases were improved or eradicated, simply by individuals drinking more water. He was so intrigued that when they let him go, he asked to stay impris­oned to study his findings.

I remember it was always my mother’s “go-to” choice of remedy. Sore throat, l

headache, belly ache, achy joints? “Go have a drink of water.” She’d say. I used to think that it was just out of laziness (and now as a parent myself, I resonate deeply with her approach!) but now I’m wondering if she was on to something.

I know what you’re thinking. This isn’t for me. If I drank more water, I’d be rushing to the toilet all day and all night or my blad­der would leak! Well, maybe you’re already drinking the correct amount of water. Or maybe, your bladder isn’t used to holding large amounts of water and has gotten lazy or is irritated by the caffeine in your diet (ever wondered why you get the urge to go multiple times after coffee or tea? Caffeine irritates the bladder.) Start with half a glass in the morning, be­fore you put the kettle on or warm the cof­fee machine up. Have another half a glass when you feel a bit peckish mid-morning, and again when the post-lunch siesta hits and you wish you lived in a country where it was socially acceptable to knock off work for an hour nap in the middle of the day.

Grab another cup before you reach for your usual evening beverage and swap any caf­feine out for decaf (yes there is caffeine in green tea – sorry!) and you might notice your bladder behaves a bit better overnight.

Cheers to water drinking, not quite as flashy as champagne, but certainly the quiet achiever.

Did you know we offer help with bladder incontinence? To book in, please give us a call.

Rach x

The shortage of doctors in regional Austral­ia has been something that has impacted most, if not all of us. Evolution has proudly partnered with Charles Sturt University (CSU) School of Rural Medicine to provide a space for a training program with the aim of helping address the shortage.

CSU’s Rural Doctors Program trains and develops medical students who want to re­main living and working in regional areas.

Unfortunately, until now, there has not been a facility to run this program in Parkes.

Northparkes will provide the space for this program, which will have 11 Central West medical students based out of the fa­cility from the day it opens.

Local GP Kerrie Stewart said we have a pipeline of some of the best students in Australia, who we know want to stay local.

“They were raised here and have families here. This space is the opportunity we have been waiting for,” she said.

The program will provide more access to medical services through clinician lead clinics with student involvement for things like health checks, childhood vaccinations, and more.

The building will be a shared space and contain the Northparkes Town Office, a purpose-built training facility and the CSU Rural Doctors Program.

Four of the eleven students who are local to Parkes and Forbes have indicated they will stay in the area once they have com­pleted their studies.

Fourth year student Antez Vargese said “I wanted to do medicine straight after high school but I went and did radiography for a year first, and when I found out about this program, it was close to home, my friends, my community, it just made sense.

The students will each complete five years of medical school and then go on to be an intern and then a resident before de­ciding what to specialise in.

Forbes Mayor Phyllis Miller OAM has sin­cerely thanked the Minns State Govern­ment, NSW Health Minister Ryan Park, Treasurer Daniel Mookhey and State Mem­ber Phil Donato MP for their ongoing sup­port to have the $20.2 million Forbes Hos­pital Operating Theatre Redevelopment included in the 2025/26 State Budget.

Mayor Miller has warmly welcomed the budget announcement, saying: “This is a significant investment in healthcare for our region and marks a significant milestone that will enhance the medical facilities and services available to residents of Forbes and the surrounding region.

“The new hospital theatre will be equipped with state-of-the-art technology and designed to meet the highest stand­ards of modern medical care. It will sig­nificantly expand the hospital’s capacity to perform a wide range of surgical proce­dures, reducing wait times and improving patient outcomes,” Mayor Miller added.

A new operating suite for Forbes District Hospital will mean we can continue to of­fer minor day surgeries, ENT, other speci­alities, as well as obstetrics as the primary birthing unit in the Lachlan Health District.

“A new operating suite will help reduce the demand in Orange, Dubbo, Bathurst and other hospitals in the region, as Forbes District Hospital often assists with overflow cases from the Base Hospitals,” Mayor Miller said.

Forbes Shire Council has a long history of supporting NSW Health to improve ac­cessibility to health services. The Council has developed several initiatives, including housing, to address barriers to long-term sustainable health services for our com­munity.

The Forbes District Hospital has always been dedicated to delivering comprehen­sive healthcare services to the Forbes community with a focus on patient-centred care. The hospital strives to meet the evolv­ing needs of its patients through continu­ous improvement and innovation. Demand for surgery at Forbes has grown from 621 cases in 2022/23 to 771 cases in 2023/24.

The Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) welcomes the release of the Second Edition National Consensus Framework for Rural Maternity Services, which reaffirms the criti­cal role of Rural Generalists in delivering safe, high-quality mater­nity care across rural, remote communities.

ACRRM President Dr Rod Martin says Rural Generalists are uniquely trained to provide comprehensive maternity care, in­cluding antenatal and postnatal services, planned deliveries, and emergency obstetrics.

“Rural Generalists are vital members and leaders of multidiscipli­nary rural maternity teams, working alongside midwives and other health professionals to ensure women can receive care within their communities,” Dr Martin says. “This not only improves outcomes but reduces the emotional and financial strain of travelling long distances for birthing and pre and antenatal care.”

Dr Martin says the ongoing closure and downgrading of rural maternity services is deeply concerning. “Every closure reduces access to affordable, timely care and puts the safety of mothers and babies at risk. Properly supported, integrated models that in­clude Rural Generalists with advanced obstetrics, anaesthetics, and paediatrics skills, can sustainably deliver care to the highest standards.

“The Framework offers a roadmap for evidence-based, cost-ef­fective locally led maternity care and calls for genuine investment and infrastructure to bring it to life. I commend all those who con­tributed to the development of this Second Edition National Con­sensus Framework for Rural Maternity Services.

“ACRRM looks forward to working with the review stakeholders and governments to ensure the Framework leads to real, lasting improvements for rural, remote and First Nations families.”

The latest NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR) quarterly up­date reveals domestic violence assaults in regional parts of NSW have risen to even more alarming levels.

In the March 2025 quarterly report, do­mestic violence-related assaults increased by 3.6%, with rises recorded in 8 of 13 Regional NSW areas and 3 of 15 Greater Sydney locations. In some areas, the rate of violent crime is more than double the state average.

Shadow Minister for Police Paul Toole said the latest report gave a sobering re­minder of the reality of domestic violence in NSW.

“The lack of decisive action from the NSW Labor Government is leaving victims in regional communities vulnerable and al­lowing domestic violence incidents to in­crease,” Mr Toole said.

“We cannot continue to have innocent lives lost or permanently affected by acts of violence in their own homes.

“The cries from the bush are going unan­swered by this city centric government and this cannot go on.”

In 2024, the NSW Police Force attended 152,268 domestic and family violence inci­dents equating to on average NSW Police officers responding to 560 domestic and family violence incidents each day.

Community pharmacy plays an important role in supporting men’s health, and this men’s health week (9-15 June the Pharma­cy Guild of Australia is calling on patients to pop in for a chat with their community phar­macist.

Brad Butt is a community pharmacist and founder of Men’s Health Downunder. He has specialised in men’s health, specifically urological health and understands the role that a community pharmacy can play in sup­porting men to recover and build their con­fidence.

“Men are less likely to visit a GP and often delay their treatment,” says Brad Butt. “We need to make it as easy as possible for men to access care – and community pharmacy can play a key role in that. On average, peo­ple visit a community pharmacy every three weeks.”

“That means we are in a privileged posi­tion where we are able to have private con­versations with patients to check in on their progress and identify where additional sup­port may be helpful,” Brad Butt adds.

“All men should know that there is support out there for sensitive or ‘embarrassing’ is­sues – they are not alone and men should be able to access treatment and care wher­ever they live.”

“The ability to have discreet conversa­tions at community pharmacies about medi­cation, devices, continence support, erec­tile function and testosterone management can help men access the care, support and treatment that they deserve.”

Is there anything more powerful than a woman moving furniture around her house, alone, on a timeframe (before the baby wakes up)? I ponder this thought as I carry our large microwave/oven from the kitchen to its new resting place: in the laundry on top of the drinks fridge. The husband was not on board with this idea. “Leave it on the bench”, he says, “that makes the most sense”. It does, of course, seem sensible to have a kitchen appliance residing in the kitchen. But the kitchen has been newly renovated, with beautiful white pressed tin as a splashback, so the large, yellowed mi­crowave felt out of place and took up valu­able bench space.

So I decided to move it. Grunting, I shuf­fle to the outside laundry, using all my en­ergy to carry the remarkably heavy metal box, praying my c-section scar would be up to the task.

No doubt, you’ve moved heavy furniture too. Or on the farm, you’ve lifted a heavy, wet ewe from the mud onto the back of a motorbike or ute. Maybe you regularly lift a drum of roundup, or the fat labrador that refused to “get up”. We ask a lot of our bod­ies, and sometimes, they give out on us.

Ever noticed when a tennis player hits the ball, they groan, or when a boxer makes a punch, they blow out through pursed lips? It’s how they let go of air during exertion: decreasing the pressure inside their body.

I’ve seen so many farmers that come to see me, after a hernia repair and I ask, how’d you do it? Often they aren’t sure – which terrifies them, as they don’t know if it will happen again.

Often, they are the breath-holders. Got to lift the tractor tyre? They’ll take a deep breath in, fill up the lungs with air, put maxi­mum pressure on their abdomen, hold their breath and then lift a ridiculous weight, the perfect storm for a hernia or disc bulge to appear: a sign of a pressure system under great strain.

How to decrease the strain and still get the job done? Take a breath in, then breathe out as you lift. Your pelvic floor, back, and potential hernias will thank you for it.

Yours in pursuit of regular home-rear­ranging,

Rach x