Variety – the Children’s Charity NSW/ACT is calling on families to apply for a 2026 Variety Heart Scholarship, offering life-changing support for young people living with disabilities, chronic illness or financial hardship.

The scholarship provides practical, finan­cial assistance to help children aged 8 – 18 years reach their full potential in sport, mu­sic and the creative arts.

Whether its funding for specialist equip­ment, competitions or training programs, the scholarship is designed to empower children to pursue their passions, build their talent and participate fully in their cho­sen field.

Variety NSW/ACT CEO, Tony Warner, said the program continues to deliver meaningful, long-term impact for families doing it tough.

“Every child deserves the chance to fol­low their dreams and feel included, regard­less of circumstances,” he said.

“The Variety Heart Scholarship is about recognising potential and providing the support needed to help children thrive – on the field, on the stage, and beyond.”

Parents, carers and guardians of eligible children are encouraged to apply now with applications open until Thursday 21 May at 4pm. For information visit https://nsw.vari­ety.org.au/variety-heart-scholarships/.

New data has revealed the impact the Al­banese Labor Government’s disastrous en­ergy policies are having on local families.

According to the Australian Energy Regu­lator, over 70,000 families in New South Wales were unable to pay their power bills over October to December 2025.

Since Labor was elected in 2022, 72,914 households have recorded hardship. Na­tionally, 230,000 households are in energy distress – up by nearly 70 per cent in just 3.5 years, the highest level of hardship on record.

Federal Member for Parkes Jamie Chaf­fey said the energy crisis was heaping pres­sure on local households.

“It is heartbreaking to hear of the impact rising power bills, together with inflation, climbing interest rates and the fuel crisis, is having on families in the Parkes elector­ate. Many are at breaking point,” Mr Chaffey said.

“Behind this new data are people in our community who are really struggling to make ends meet, yet all they get from the federal government are broken promises.

“I’ll keep fighting for a more stable, reliable energy grid that puts the needs of Austral­ians first, not one-size-fits-all mandates and targets that we can’t practically achieve.”

We look forward to another year of gardening and fellowship with all members and friends supporting each other in growing beautiful flowers. It has been a challenging summer with little rain and very hot weather but we know how the fresh rain recently has revived us and our gardens.

The next meeting will be our AGM on Tuesday 24 February at the Men’s Shed at 2pm. We will be hoping all positions on the com­mittee will be filled so that our club which has been active for over 70 years can continue.

We have all enjoyed all the activities of last year and the gardens we visited thanks to the many members that hosted our meetings.

We need people to put their hands up for positions to ensure the club keeps going. Lots of hands make light work, so old and new members are encouraged to come along and get involved.

President Marg and her committee have made 2025 an inter­esting year for our club ending the year with a great Christmas luncheon and lots of fun.

We look forward to seeing you all for our next meeting. If you have a lovely flower bring it along for our flower of the month com­petition also a cup as we will be having our usual cup of tea follow­ing the meeting and also something for the trading table.

Forbes Horticultural Society & Garden Club meet every fouth Tuesday of the month at 1.30pm, all are welcome. For further in­formation you can contact Elvy on 0428 540 272

By Green Thumb

A new initiative for local young people has been launched, aimed at providing a safe and welcoming space to unwind, learn and connect with friends.

The Youth Drop-in Sessions at the Forbes Youth and Community Centre (YACC) will take place each Wednesday afternoon from 4pm to 6pm.

These free sessions commence Wednes­day 11 February 2026 and run for 10 weeks in line with the school term.

Developed directly in response to com­munity feedback, the concept reflects what young people in the region say they need – a relaxed after‐school environment that supports both learning and wellbeing.

“Young people told us they wanted some­where informal to study, hang out and feel supported during the week,” said Forbes Shire Mayor, Phyllis Miller OAM.

“We will use these first 10 weeks as a trial. We will try things out, listen to the kids and make the space suit what they need.”

Each session will offer flexible options in­cluding quiet study areas and recreational activities.

Students aged 12 to 18 years are wel­come to attend these drop-in sessions.

For more information about the drop-in sessions, visit www.forbes.nsw.gov.au or follow @ForbesYouthActionTeam for up­dates.

The new school year has resumed for thou­sands of local students in Parkes, Forbes and Lachlan Shire Councils are reminding local drivers and parents about children’s safety around schools.

The Councils’ Road Safety and Injury Prevention Officer, Melanie Suitor, said that road crashes account for over half of all accidental deaths among children aged 5-14 years old.

“Children are vulnerable road users. They are at risk in the traffic environment because of their size, their inability to judge speed and distance, as well as the fact that they may behave unpredictably.”

“Drivers are reminded to slow down, pay extra attention and be patient when schoolresumes as there are more cars, buses and cyclists on the road and young pedestrians crossing the streets. Over the long summer break it is easy to forget just how busy and congested the streets around schools can get.”

Obey the parking signs around schools.

They are there to keep children safe. There are 40km/h school speed zones around all schools in NSW. Most school zones are operational between 8am – 9.30am and 2.30pm – 4pm on school days, when the lights are flashing.

Apex Park is next in line for a playful trans­formation as part of Forbes Shire Council’s commitment to creating modern, inclusive and flood-resilient play spaces for the com­munity.

The upgrade commenced in late Janu­ary and is expected to take six months to complete. This transformation will deliver a range of new features, including:

• New play equipment featuring an im­pressive 8.7-metre tower with three slides

• Rubber soft fall surface for improved safety

• Accessible and inclusive play options, including an all-abilities harness swing and a skippy swing

• New pathways, seating and landscaping

• New amenities block to enhance con­venience for visitors

• Improved drainage and car park facili­ties

The much-loved flying fox, accessible roundabout and nest swing will be retained as part of the upgrade. The existing shade sails and barbeque shelter will also remain, ensuring the park continues to provide comfort and functionality for families and visitors.

Forbes Shire Mayor, Phyllis Miller OAM said, “We’re excited to keep making im­provements to the spaces around our beautiful lake”.“The Apex Park upgrade is about giving some love to one of our favourite parks in town – the Aeroplane Park. We know that this park is well used for play, birthday par­ties and family fun and we are very eager to make it the best that it can be.

“It’s also a great park for visitors travel­ling through, being located just off the New­ell Highway.”

As part of Council’s commitment to sus­tainability, the existing playground equip­ment will be donated through the Rotary Overseas Relocated Playgrounds (RORP) program, giving it a second life in communi­ties abroad.

“It’s a great way to give these pieces a second life”, the Mayor added.