Fun for all at Illawarra

Every day is a new adventure at Aruma’s Social and Community Participation Hubs.

Recently, the Lake Illawarra Hub in New South Wales has been the place to be with around 35 customers aged 24-87 attending, there’s something for everyone. 

“We’re always doing something different at the Hub, and it’s always buzzing with activity. Some customers go out for the day, and others stay in. It’s all about choice and supporting what they want to do,” said Flexible Support Lead, Sara Albert. 

Janet, Jen, and Jo are three of our gifted green thumbs. They enjoy tending to the potted garden and have even sold some plants at Warilla Grove shopping centre to fundraise for the Hub. 

“The ladies raised $400, which was fantastic. That money went to purchasing new knives for the cooking program. We also fundraise with raffle tickets which has enabled us to get a karaoke machine, shelving units, and a sound bar for the Hub,” continued Sara.

The possibilities are endless for customers who choose to stay in at the Hub. There is Lego building, a recycling arts and crafts program, bingo, karaoke, and one of the most popular activities is “fun, fun, fun.” As the name suggests, it’s a lot of fun, but it is also a fitness program that utilises the power of a good beat and classic line dances to get the customers up and moving their feet. Once a week, a belly dancing instructor also joins in, and the customers love it.

Working on travel training skills, catching a new movie, or hitting some holes in one are popular community activities amongst the customers. 

“Around once a month, we also organise a special day out. The most recent one was a trip to the Zoo, and before that, we went to Shoalhaven entertainment centre to see ‘The Twits’ – a play based on the Roald Dahl book,” said Sara.

The next event at the Hub will be a joint Christmas in July party with the customers from Nowra.

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