Marie Thomas, a much loved and appreciated employee celebrated her retirement recently after 39 years working with TAFE, bringing a fulfilling and interesting career to a gentle finish. Celebrating with a big farewell function at
the Forbes Services Memorial Club on 24 July, Marie looks back on her administration career fondly.

Marie’s first taste of TAFE life came as a 16 year old student when she sat for her Secretarial Certificate before starting her administrative career. Starting at the Parkes TAFE as a typist in June 1976 when she was only 21 years old, Marie was a loyal TAFE employee on the Parkes campus for many years until 1998. “When I first started at the college as a typist I was by myself,” Marie said, “but the college grew quite big.”

When Marie was elevated to a role as Cluster Leader in Customer Service, she became involved with TAFE campuses in Parkes, Forbes, Cowra, Grenfell and Condobolin. For two years during 2007-2008 Marie worked out of Dubbo as the Head of Administration looking after Cobar, Bourke, Brewarrina, Walgett, Lightning Ridge and Coonamble
until coming back to her job at Forbes in 2009. “I chose to go down a few grades so I could come back to Forbes for the lifestyle,” Marie said. “Money is not everything.” “Our focus was on our students, ensuring they had the support they needed to succeed in their chosen career paths.”

“I loved seeing school students come to TAFE and watching them mature, and I loved the people I worked with in TAFE and the family type atmosphere.” “I was very passionate about trainees that came through and very supportive of my staff because you have to value the people that work for you.” “I will miss people a lot. I’ll miss the staff and
interacting with the students. But I’ve earnt my retirement; this is now my time which I’ll share with my family.”

Ray White Rural Forbes have recently made a very proud announcement after their highly successful experience at the Ray White Awards which were held on the Gold Coast on 2-4 August.

Ian Simpson and his enthusiastic, dedicated team travelled to the Gold Coast for three days of scheduled conference events and international awards. The team attended the Rural function on Sunday 2 August alongside 150 other specialists in the industry. The Forbes rural real estate agent was awarded Marketer of the Year, Number 10
Sales Achiever Rural Network and Premier Sales Achievement within the group. As part of the 3 day conference, activities were organised for the participators. Ian and his team took part in group workshops with speakers including Andrew Denton, Adam Gilchrist, John McLean and Lachlan Murdoch.

Ian said the team found the event to be highly motivational and have returned to Forbes with recharged batteries and the drive to improve for greater future successes for their clients. Congratulations Ian, Lisa, Stacey and Ned
on this monumental achievement.

Feelings of depression and suicide affect millions of Australians every day and when Sandra Moran’s 22-year-old son Jai tragically took his own life, she knew she had to share the burden of her loss.

To honour Jai’s memory, Sandra is helping others overcome depression and suicidal tendencies by talking about the risks of emotional and mental health issues that are often stigmatised or swept under the rug in smaller communities. Travelling with her is Jerry Farsoun, an individual who has struggled with feelings of suicide
and depression himself and who strives to prove that there is a higher value to each and every person, showing people what they can achieve through determination.

The team travel together with Sandra on a motorbike and Jerry riding with his family in a fully equipped, state-of-the-art bus, visiting remote and rural communities to reach out to individuals who might need them. “Basically the main people that can help suicide survivors are other suicide survivors,” Sandra said when the bus/motorbike convoy rolled into Forbes on Monday. “There’s always someone to reach out to.” “I am enjoying it,” Jerry said about the tour, “and it’s great when people come out but many people are reluctant to talk when they are a part of a tight-knit community.”

“We are really putting ourselves out there. What we are doing is revolutionary; we’re beating a different drum.”
Jerry is also pioneering an incredible new mobile application which gives people the option to set up a “guardian” network. If the person fears for their personal safety, they can hit the “panic” button, which notifies the nominated network of people that the person is in trouble, what their location is and how much battery life they have left.

“It’s a phenomenal concept and it will revolutionise personal safety,” said Jerry. “It’s amazing in the sense that it could save lives.” Check OverDownUnder out on Facebook to find out how to donate to a cause in need!

A fully-sustainable and self-sufficient home is turning into the new Australian Dream. A house that is energy efficient, cost effective and friendly to the planet might be the trifecta, and Forbes’ own Jason Hopkins is turning
dreams into realities all over town. “For too long, only the very few could build a green home, and that is most likely to do with the high rates being charged by niche green builders in the Australian market,” Jason said.

“Now we are able to deliver homes that are as practical and affordable as they are efficient and healthy, opening up a world of lower bills to every Australian, regardless of their budget.”

In 2014, Jason became one of the first franchisees of Green Homes Australia, a national award winning building franchise. He has a passion to be a builder who provides an exceptional experience for those clients that choose to work with him in constructing their ultimate energy efficient home.

Green Homes Australia are the only building company in Australia that can deliver homes that are certified to comply with ISO 50001, the international standard covering systems and processes which improve energy performance. “Forbes has become one of the very first towns to have an internationally recognised, certified energy efficient home built for a local couple on their Bogoin Lain property,” Jason said. “Another Forbes couple are building on South Lead Road.”

“We should be very proud of this achievement as we will see in the near future the entire industry focusing on how to make homes and businesses more energy efficient.”

Earlier this year, Chris Finkel and a group of Rotary friends climbed Mount Kenya, quite a surprising accomplishment for a man in his 70s. “Three years ago John Glassford, who is a member of Rotary Club of Cootamundra, decided to organise a team to climb Mount Kenya,” said Chris, a member of the Rotary Club of Forbes.

John’s aim was to go back and help some of the less fortunate people living in Africa by getting together a group of 12 people who would raise $5000 each by climbing Mount Kenya, the second highest peak in Africa. The goal of $60,000 would help educate the Maasai People, a hunter-gatherer tribe in southern Kenya and northern Tanzania. Some of the funds raised will go towards building a school and training teachers to give children a better education.

The money will also be used to build an AIDS clinic, with some going towards the Australian charity Legacy. “So far we’ve raised around $40,000 and donations will be open until the end of 2015,” Chris said. The following is an excerpt from Chris’ journal where he wrote about his experiences and his Tanzanian guide, tackling the peak on
ANZAC Day. “After the first few minutes of climbing, I began to experience serious breathlessness. Moses dropped back from the main group to stay with me and slowly we made progress towards the last flat ridge below Point Lenana.”

“Moses and I reached the 4700 metre ridge to cheers and snow ball attacks from the rest of the team. I had climbed 4700 metres with a 10kg pack of gear and water on my back.” Chris was at the gym for 2-3 months before the challenge and would walk 8kms a day with a backpack and 6 litres of water to prepare. “It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life,” says Chris, “but we did it. It was a great challenge.”

Some members of the group also visited the Oloimugi Maasai Village, the site of a new school to be built using the funds raised by the Mt Kenya climb; quite a fascinating story in itself. “A village gate had been erected in our honour
and we were greeted by Maasai songs from the village ladies. We were guided through the gateway under an array of walking sticks held up by the very tall Maasai elders. I was singled out by a white bearded older Maasai tribesman and presented with his walking stick.”

The Rotary Club of Forbes will be hosting a Sponsor’s Night at the Vanderberg Hotel in September to celebrate the achievements of climbers and sponsors with food and a presentation of the adventure.