The eighth year of the multi-award winning ‘Free Cuppa for the Driver’ scheme was launched last week at The Two Fat Ladies Café and Lolly Shop in Lucknow. Councillor Jo McRae, Deputy Mayor of Orange City Council officially opened the eighth phase of the scheme. Guest speakers included Phillip Donato, MP Member for Orange and The Two Fat Ladies Café and Lolly Shop owner, Ms Alyson Yager.

The scheme commenced on Thursday, 1st March and will run through until Thursday, 31st May in a bid to reduce fatigue related crashes on NSW roads.The ‘Free Cuppa for the Driver’ scheme offers drivers who have travelled more than 100km from the address on their drivers licence a free cup of tea or coffee from any of the 94 participating businesses in Western and South Western NSW.

Parkes, Forbes and Lachlan Shire Councils’ Road Safety and Injury Prevention Officer, Melanie Suitor said that since its inception in 2010, over 6,000 free cuppas have been given away by 185 participating businesses throughout 161 cities, towns and villages in Western and South West NSW.

“Fatigue is one of the biggest killers on NSW roads, last year it contributed to 72 fatal crashes in NSW. “The ‘Free Cuppa for the Driver’ scheme targets all drivers; cars, caravans and also heavy vehicles – because all drivers face the risk of becoming fatigued whilst driving,”
Melanie said.

Drivers can use the ‘Free Cuppa’ website www.freecuppa.com.au to find participating businesses near them and also get useful information on the scheme on the ‘Free Cuppa’ Facebook page.

Eligible drivers can also enter the draw to win a prize and fuel vouchers to the value of $600.

“Don’t be shy! Just ask for your free cuppa,” Melanie said.

There has never been a better time to travel, with airfares at an all time low. We have fantastic offers to Hawaii from $748 return with Hawaiian Airlines, Asia from $613 return with Cathay Pacific, as well as last minute specials to Europe with Emirates for as low as $1,207 return to London. All prices include taxes and luggage and are subject to availability at time of booking.

We also have some great tour and accommodation offers to go with the airfares. Call Helloworld Travel on 02 6852 2344 or call in store for these great offers.

The annual Tottenham Picnic Races are on this Saturday, 10th March and is an experience not to be missed. With a prize money increase this year, these are the races to go to! The new major sponsor hosts the Tottenham Picnic Liberty Rural Race, being the major race of the day. Delta Ag is the sponsor of the free and legendary luncheon starting from 12 noon and is a must for anyone longing for some country hospitality.

The first race is at 2pm but the gates will open at 11.30am for the keen punters wanting to soak up the atmosphere. The bar and barbeque run from midday through to close, with Jade Martin and Peter Riley playing live evening entertainment.

This is a great day out for families, with $20 to enter for 17 and over (under 17’s are free). It includes a luncheon, all children’s entertainment (clown, jumping castle, merry-go-round) are all free and your night time entertainment.

The courtesy bus departs from the Tottenham Hotel in the main street and will be running at half hourly intervals from 11.30am to 2:00pm. Transport back to town starts again after the last race. There are great facilities at the grounds, with the local CWA ladies supplying afternoon tea and cool drinks. It is lovely and green with plenty of shaded area.

As part of the off-track attractions, the annual Fashions on the Field contest will be held for the ladies and gents. With very attractive
prizes up for grabs, it is sure to attract the most stylish of race goers. Come and have a great day at one of the friendliest race meetings in NSW.

A new round of grants under the NSW Government’s Heritage Near Me program will see $2.8 million directed towards projects to protect unique local heritage around the state. Heritage managers or owners in the Orange Electorate are encouraged to apply, Parliamentary Secretary for Western NSW Rick Colless announced last week.

Applications are now open for this year’s Heritage Activation grants, which are designed for owners or managers of local, publicly accessible heritage items, from buildings to parks and monuments to special natural and cultural places.

“These grants recognise the importance of bringing local heritage spaces and precincts in our community to life to conserve their heritage significance,” Rick said. “The Heritage Activation grants are for projects that actively encourage community interaction and participation with publicly accessible heritage items that are listed on a local council’s Local Environmental Plan (LEP).

“This program supports local communities in their efforts to conserve and celebrate their stories, places and values. I encourage all heritage managers or owners across the area to apply for this funding,” Rick said. Past grants have allowed heritage managers or owners, most often community groups and local councils, to undertake conservation work, improve accessibility to their heritage item, add interpretation to a site, or  reuse an old site for a new purpose.

Applicants can apply for support for their projects for amounts from $10,000 to $100,000. Applications close on 20th April for projects that begin after 1st July.

For more information on the Heritage Near Me program, visit www.environment.nsw.gov.au/heritage-near-me-incentives, call 02
9873 8544 or email heritage.nearme@environment.nsw.gov.au.

Anytime Fitness Forbes has been operating for just over four years. During this time they have managed to build a solid base of regular
members who are making great progress in their health and fitness journeys.

They have also been involved in many local charity events, helping raise funds for much needed causes and are always on the lookout
on how they can help within the community. The club is accessible to members 24 hours a day, making it a very convenient way to come in and do a workout session. Offering a secure environment and catering to all levels of fitness as well as age groups!

Located at Lachlan Valley Plaza, 131-135 Rankin Street. Visit the team to see what they can do for you. Don’t delay, pop into the office during the week or get in touch by calling 6851 5400. If you have an event coming up and feel that Anytime Fitness could help, please get in touch.

Making history come alive in Forbes is an exciting way of sharing and learning the rich heritage of our town. The people charged with
the responsibility of sharing this knowledge are often volunteers who started out from a personal interest or while researching family history.

“It is exactly those people, who know and celebrate our exciting past that Forbes Shire Council will be recognising and rewarding with the presentation of the Forbes Heritage Medal and Volunteer awards,” Mayor Graeme Miller said.

“We are looking for people who have made outstanding contributions as a volunteer to the heritage of Forbes and district. So many people are committed to celebrating our history, so it should be an exciting list of nominees,” he added.

Nominations are now open for two significant heritage awards:
• The Forbes Heritage Medal will be awarded to a person or organisation responsible for making an outstanding contribution to the shire’s environmental heritage or to the understanding of that heritage.
• The Forbes Heritage Volunteer Award recognises and rewards an individual in the Forbes Shire who has a consistent record of excellence and has made outstanding achievements as a volunteer in the heritage of Forbes and district.

Nomination forms and judging criteria are available at Forbes Shire Council’s Administration office or can be downloaded from Council’s website. Nominations will close at 5.00pm on Friday, 23rd March. The awards will be presented as part of the Heritage Week celebrations in May.

Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injuries in children and adolescents were previously thought to be uncommon but as imaging and clinical awareness has improved, the number of ACL injuries diagnosed in 5 to 14 year olds has also increased. Whilst improved methods of diagnosis may in part explain this increase, a recent Australian study published in The International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health indicates that the number of ACL injuries in the 5 to 14 year old population is also increasing.

This study looked at the number of paediatric (5-14 year olds) ACL injuries presenting to Victorian emergency departments between 2005 and 2015. They found a 147% increase in ACL injuries for this age group over the 10-year period with 96% of total ACL injuries occurring in 10-14 year olds.

The authors of the study suggest this worrying trend may be due to greater demands being placed on young athletes through increased training, younger sports specialisation and an emphasis on year-round competitive play. Whilst ACL injury causes significant initial discomfort and disability long-term, it can lead to decreased levels of activity and contribute to obesity and increased risk of osteoarthritis.

Injury prevention programmes such as FIFA 11+, AFL Footy First and Netball KNEE don’t eliminate ACL injury risk completely, however they can reduce the risk by at least 50% when performed regularly. Another advantage of these programmes is that they also improve speed agility and power. Fewer injuries and increased performance … maybe it’s time to get the kids onto these exercises too.

For the fitness of you,

Linda Reilly

Forbes will once again celebrate the achievements of local youth as part of the Youth Week activities to be held from Friday, 13th April to Sunday, 22nd April.

It is organised by young people, for young people and is an opportunity to share ideas and have their voices heard. Youth Week began in 1989 and has since become a national event to celebrate young people across Australia.

“Here in Forbes we are looking forward to recognising the contributions of Forbes’ with the annual Youth Week Awards, a highlight of our Youth Week celebrations,” Mayor Graeme Miller said.

“This year our awards ceremony will be on Saturday, 21st April which will be the final major event for the week long celebrations,” he added.

Nominations are now open and are being sought for the following awards for youth aged between 12 to 25 years:

Youth Citizenship Award: This award will be presented to a young person who has had an active and positive role in the community. Contributions can include ongoing volunteer work, taking a lead role in organising events including charity work, partaking in sporting and or cultural groups etc.

Sports Volunteer Award: This award is for any young person who volunteers or contributes to Forbes’ sport and recreation. The young person may assist with refereeing, coaching, setting and packing up, mentoring, canteen duties and any other way that provides assistance to the sport and/or club.

Brighter Future Award: This award is for apprentices, trainees or students. They may be participating in tertiary education or work placement. They must have demonstrated strong commitment, consistent effort, a high level of passion and determination for their chosen field/career path.

Nomination forms are available at Forbes Shire Council administration centre or can be downloaded from Council’s website.