Stronger together: Wellington celebrating community and diversity

The year 2020 has been about pulling together as a community to brave the impacts of bushfire and pandemic, so for the rest of the year Wellington Shire Council is celebrating everything that makes our shire stronger and more united in good and tough times.  

Social Inclusion Week runs 21-29 November and there are dozens of ways to get involved in activities that acknowledge the contribution of everyone who lives in Wellington.

Council’s community wellbeing projects include:

• Videos 4 Change Wellington. Encouraging and assisting local people to share their experience of community via a one-minute video (funded by Youth Affairs Victoria);  
• Healthy Equal Youth (HEY) Wellington. A project designed to provide an opportunity for LGBTQIA+ youth tell their stories through workshops and video (Youth Affairs Victoria);  
• This Girl Can. Seven events, including golf, netball, tennis, skating, fitness classes and fitness equipment-use tips and trail walking, that teach girls a new skill;
• Cooking up Connections. Involving people from different multicultural backgrounds sharing a video of their story while cooking a favourite recipe (Community Activation and Social Isolation Initiative, Victorian Government)
• Be Kind Wellington. Featuring Be Kind postcards you can collect from cafes, libraries and more to share among our communities; and bookmarks that list the library services available to all residents.  

This month also sees our community unite against gender-based violence and discrimination for 16 Days of Activism, which runs from 25 November-10 December. The campaign has the theme “Not blue, not pink, we are all unique - breaking the stereotypes that fuel family violence” and encourages conversations around gender equity.  

Libraries across the shire will offer themed children’s take-home packs and in-library displays for kids to check out. The packs will include colouring pages and bookmarks about equality, kindness and respect, and poems about manners and kindness. There will also be teaching resources and library activities that reinforce the themes of respect and equality.

Sale Clocktower and The Wedge will be bathed in orange light - the official colour of the global campaign against gender-based violence and a symbol of a brighter future, free from such violence.

Head to facebook.com/wellingtonshirecouncil and bit.ly/WellingtonYT for more information.