Mental health services
Leisure Program ACT | Open Art ACT | Bungee | Friends for Life
Leisure Program ACT
Leisure Program is a recreational activity and support program co-located in the Belconnen and Tuggeranong Community Centres. It offers support for people with mental health issues to attend a range of recreational, fitness, art and sporting classes. This is a great program for those who are feeling isolated, unfit, unmotivated and unsure of new things. The staff will assist you to make healthy choices, keep you informed of upcoming classes, offer financial assistance if necessary and be on hand for informal drop-in assistance. There is a wide range of activities including: Fitness Classes, Professional Art Tuition, Badminton, Cooking, Singing, Yoga, Tai Chi, Lunch Group, Movie Group and Swimming.
Leisure Program is open to individuals who have a mental illness or are living with mental health issues. There are affordable fees for courses and some courses are free. No referral is necessary, however we welcome referrals from Mental Health ACT and community-based organizations.
We all know:
- Getting out of the house helps us to feel better.
- Physical activity helps manage depression and anxiety.
- Exercise also helps concentration and self-confidence.
- Leisure activity is a great way to meet people.
Contact our friendly staff
Belconnen
Belconnen Community Centre
Crn Swanson Crt and Chandler St
Belconnen Town Centre
Coordinator: Sally Paterson
Phone: 6264 0237
Email: sallyp@belcomserv.com.au
Tuggeranong
Tuggeranong Community Centre
Cowlishaw St (next to McDonald‘s)
Tuggeranong Town Centre
Coordinator: Loretta Hynes and John Vance
Phone: 6293 3951
Email: Loretta@belcomserv.com.au or John@belcomserv.com.au
Office hours
Monday to Friday 9.00 am to 4.00 pm
To find out activity times and schedules, download BCS program information.
Open Art ACT
Ask most people about their health and they will talk about the state of their body — but few will consider the state of their mind. These days we like to think of ourselves as health-conscious, but even us fitness-savvy folk can overlook mental health when we think about our well-being.
When you discuss mental illness issues such as depression, schizophrenia, anxiety disorders and nervous breakdowns, most people either know someone who has or have themselves experienced some form of mental illness. And statistics tell us that mental health issues affect ordinary people and that one in five people will experience some form of mental health issue in their life. Many mental health problems are curable, however prevention is a better way to reduce potential mental health problems.
At the Belconnen Community Centre we are running art programs designed to support and promote good mental health in the community. The Open Art Program is inclusive and is open to people who have good mental health as well as those experiencing mental health issues. Running integrated classes helps to educate the community, reduce isolation and break down stigmas around mental health.
Through our funding from the ACT Department of Health and Community Care, we are able to employ expert art tutors in Belconnen and Tuggeranong. There’s something for everyone, so why not come and learn something new in a friendly and supportive environment?
Programs include: painting, sculpture, clay, sewing, mosaic, drama, printing, creative writing, music, etc. (all classes subject to variation)
Your mental health needs to be protected and promoted
How much time have you devoted lately to supporting your own mental health?
Cost: the cost for a course is $30 per term
Location: Belconnen Community Centre; Tuggeranong Community Arts Centre and Tuggeranong Community Centre
Dates: same dates as ACT school terms
Contact
Richard on 6264 0249 or Ineke on if you have any further queries. If you live near Tuggeranong you can also enrol with Loretta, downstairs at the Tuggeranong Community Centre or call her on 6293 3951.
Email: richardl@belcomserv.com.au
To find out course times, download BCS program information.
Bungee
Bouncing back, fighting fit and thriving!
BUNGEE promotes resilience in children and young people living or studying in North Canberra. BUNGEE works from a prevention and early intervention model, allowing young people to become involved in fun activities. BUNGEE focuses on encouraging young people to look after and improve their mental health by being physically active and healthy and involved in art, drama and other positive activities.
Other aspects of the BUNGEE program include short-term counselling and group work enabling young people and parents to work through issues.
BUNGEE promotes art, sport and activity as essential for our mental health. Support Workers provide information and support to enable young people to get involved in activities that they enjoy. Some of these are kick-boxercise, funk dance, creative art and drama, just to name a few. There are many benefits of participating in activities, including raising self-esteem; new friendships; gaining confidence, skills and fitness; having fun; and doing something you wouldn’t normally do.
Bungee Counselling Service
A counsellor in the Bungee team offers confidential counselling. This service is a short-term intervention, ranging from 6 to 8 weeks.
The counselling service is offered to young people between 5 and 18 years old and their families. Parents are required to participate in at least half of the counselling sessions individually and/or with their children.
Bungee in Primary Schools
During Term 2, 2004, Bungee tested projects in Belconnen’s primary schools. In June a storytelling program was in progress at Charnwood Primary and at Latham Primary. Young participants devised and illustrated their own stories for an end-of-term presentation to kindergarteners at their school. Playwright and actress Kate Wood, who runs the project with actor and youth drama director Matt Friend, devised the storytelling project. A redoing of the old Snakes and Ladders game by young people happened at Florey and Higgins Primary Schools, with artists Franki Sparke and James Wohlers leading the young people through a wall-hung game and digitally-produced board games.
Projects like these will become regular features in North Canberra and Belconnen primary schools throughout 2004 — perhaps in your child’s school: ring us for details.
Contact
Cnr Swanson Court and Chandler Street
Belconnen Community Centre
Phone: 6264 0242
Email: shelley@belcomserv.com.au
Friends for Life
Friends for Life is a community-based recreational program promoting positive mental health in older people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds. Funded by the Commonwealth Department of Health and Aging, this program addresses the issues that people from migrant backgrounds may be facing as they get older. They include isolation, language barriers, generational issues, increasing health problems, low fitness levels and depression. Friends for life encourages participants to adopt healthier life styles, make new friends and connect to the broader community.
Friends for Life has a strong focus on increasing fitness, encouraging better nutrition and increasing social networks. The groups are open to people from multicultural backgrounds who are over 50 years and are feeling isolated, lonely or depressed. There is a gold coin donation for activities.
Contact Details
Belconnen
Belconnen Community Centre
Crn Swanson Crt and Chandler St
Belconnen Town Centre
Coordinator: Sally Paterson
Phone: 6264 0237
Email: sallyp@belcomserv.com.au
Tuggeranong
Tuggeranong Community Centre
Cowlishaw St (next to McDonald‘s)
Tuggeranong Town Centre
Coordinator: Loretta Hynes and John Vance
Phone: 6293 3951
Email: Loretta@belcomserv.com.au or John@belcomserv.com.au
Office hours
Monday to Friday 9.00 am to 4.00 pm
To find out activity times and schedules, download BCS program information.
© Belconnen Community Service 2004
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