Welcome to the first Healthy Together Wodonga newsletter for 2016!

We hope that any New Year's resolutions you may have made about getting fit and healthy are still going strong.

If not, don't be discouraged as there will be many opportunities in the coming months to get back on track with your health and fitness goals.

See below for details of a range of activities, including a fundraising walk/jog, swim-a-thon and fitness challenge, as well as tips for eating healthy and initiatives for mental health and wellbeing.

Let's make it happen in 2016!

Anyone involved with running a sports club or association is encouraged to attend the Sports Club Management Expo at the Albury Entertainment Centre on Sunday, February 28.

The expo includes workshops on social media in sport, complaint handling, sports rage, grants and sponsorship.

There will also be exhibitors whose sole business is providing services to grassroots sport.

The expo runs from 10am to 2pm, with tickets costing $20 per person.

Further information is available here.

Backyard gardeners are invited to take part in a new weekly food swap at Birallee Park Neighbourhood House.

Excess produce from the neighbourhood house community gardens, along with plants propagated by volunteers, will be available at the swap.

Residents are encouraged to come along and see how the neighbourhood house runs its gardens and leave any produce that they may not be able to use.

At the end of the day, nothing is wasted as the neighbourhood house uses the food in its emergency food relief program, which distributes more than 400 meals a week.

The food swap is held from 11am to 1pm every Thursday out the front of the neighbourhood house in Emerald Ave, Wodonga.

Wodonga will join in the race against dementia by hosting its first Memory Walk and Jog fundraiser on Sunday, May 22.

In Australia, there are 342,800 people living with dementia.
This number however, is expected to increase to 400,000 people in less than 10 years.

In fact, each week there are more than 1800 new cases of dementia in Australia; this is approximately one person every six minutes.

The statistics are staggering and unfortunately dementia is not curable which is why Alzheimer's Australia advocates for the needs of people living with all types of dementia, and for their families and carers to provide support services, education and information.

To do this however, Alzheimer's Australia needs the help of the community.

The Memory Walk and Jog to be held at Belvoir Park will raise money to support services in the local area.

To register for the 1.5km walk, 6km run or walk or the 10km run visit memorywalk.com.au

Early bird prices are $22 for adults, $10 child, $10 senior, family $49 and children under five free.

Healthy Together Wodonga is working with early learning centres, and primary and secondary schools to support young people achieve optimal mental health and wellbeing.

The Achievement Program offered by Healthy Together Wodonga looks at creating or strengthening a whole of schools mental health policy for staff and students.

A number of workshops are also being held at local community centres to ensure the mental health of Wodonga's youth.

It includes Resilience and Anti-Bullying Seminars for Parents at Felltimber Community Centre on Monday, February 29 and Wednesday, March 2, and at Belgrade Community Centre on Tuesday, March 15.

In addition, Mindfulness for Youth Workshops will be held at Felltimber Community Centre on Wednesday, February 17 and Wednesday, March 16 to assist young people deal with everyday life challenges.

Further information about these courses can be found here.

If you would like to know more about the Achievement Program or to discuss how the Healthy Together Wodonga team can help your school or service improve the mental health and wellbeing of your staff and children, please contact Kat Bennett, Early Years Health Promotion Coordinator on (02) 6022 8859.

Wodonga residents will benefit from free and accessible outdoor fitness equipment newly installed at Felltimber Community Centre lake and Belvoir Park.

The equipment focuses on cardio exercises and includes an aerobic cycle, elliptical trainer, pull-down machine, pull-ups and leg raises, sit-up bench, and shoulder dexterity/mobility wheels.

Felltimber Community Centre lake and Belvoir Park were chosen as ideal sites as both are well-populated and close to a network of pathways for walkers and cyclists.

Premier’s Active April encourages all Victorians to do 30 minutes of physical activity a day during April.

It’s free, it’s fun and it’s part of the Victorian Government’s commitment to get more people active and healthy. Use the online activity tracker to log your daily activity and track your progress throughout the month.

Plus, you can create and join teams, compare the progress of team members, discover events near you and win awesome prizes!

Just by registering every participant gets:

• 10 free passes to a participating YMCA or local government facility;
• 15 per cent off at Sportsmart in store and online;
• One hour free tennis court hire at Melbourne Park or Albert Reserve;
• One free Get into Cardio Tennis session;
• A two for one ticket offer to Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium; and,
• A chance to win some great prizes including entry into the draw to win tickets to the 2017 Australian Tennis Open Finals, a $1,500 bike voucher or a GoPro Camera

Register today at activeapril.vic.gov.au

With the kids back at school after a long break, it may be now that you are looking for inspiration to create healthy school lunchboxes.

The Department of Health and Human Services' Pick and Mix, one to six poster provides a range of ideas and practical tips.

The message is simple: For a healthy lunchbox, pick and mix something from each group one to six including fruit, dairy, meat and grain.

Further information is available here

A swim-a-thon at the Wodonga Sports and Leisure Centre this month will assist children with disabilities to learn to swim.

The YMCA is hoping to raise $8000 this year with all proceeds going towards students from Belvoir Special School who may need specially qualified instructors or accessible facilities in the water.

There will also be a jumping castle, fun games, sausage sizzle, mega group fitness classes and more.

Further information is available here.