Gippsland Lakes Complete Health

16/05/2026

It’s IDAHOBIT Day 🌈 Which is a pretty good excuse to celebrate kindness, inclusion, respect… and being unapologetically yourself.

IDAHOBIT shines a light on why visibility and inclusion matter so much for LGBTIQA+ young people, who still experience disproportionately high rates of bullying, discrimination and poor mental health outcomes.

So today feels like a good reminder to call out discrimination when you see it, and help create communities where people can show up as themselves.

Because inclusion isn’t just a once-a-year thing. It’s built in everyday moments, conversations and actions. And honestly? The world’s a much better place when people don’t have to edit themselves to belong.

Here's a link to the history of IDAHOBIT: https://www.idahobit.org.au/news/the-history-of-IDAHOBIT-may-17/ and why today is important, particularly for Rainbow youth.

15/05/2026

Lifeblood is coming to Bairnsdale from 2 – 19 June. So, rock up to Bunnings Warehouse, roll up your sleeves and give blood.

Look for the big red bus!

Book now by searching ‘donate blood Bairnsdale’ or call 13 14 95.

14/05/2026

Swap scrolling for something a little more fun this weekend!

Think backyard games, bike rides, cubby houses, drawing, kicking the footy around, getting muddy, getting creative… or just spending time together without a screen in sight.

Small breaks, big benefits.

To celebrate, we’re giving one lucky student/family the chance to win:

🤸‍♀️ a $250 Venture Out Gippsland voucher
⛹️‍♂️ a Hart Sport equipment pack for their school
🏄 a Screen-Free book pack for their school.

What are you waiting for!!? Head to https://glch.org.au/get-your-game-on-outside/ to enter our competition, and while your there, download the FREE Activity Booklet, packed with simple, low-stress ideas to keep everyone engaged and smiling.

14/05/2026

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬, 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬?

The short answer is, it’s powerful.

We’d love you to join us on Thursday, June 11 at The Forge Theatre in Bairnsdale for a free performance of, 'My Story: Stories from the Waiting Room'.

The production brings experiences of disability to the stage and it’s really moving.

“These are stories you don’t forget. They remind us that access isn’t just about systems or services, it’s about whether people feel genuinely heard when they seek support." - GLCH CEO Anne-Maree Kaser.

We’re proud to be partnering with our peers Omnia Community HealthCommunity Health and bringing My Story to Bairnsdale.

The event is free, but registrations are essential: https://events.humanitix.com/my-story-presents-stories-from-the-waiting-room

14/05/2026

Bowls are not a trend. They are a lifestyle!

Rice + quinoa + slaw + avo + hummus dressing.

It’s colourful. It’s crunchy. It’s 8 min prep.

This one screams: ‘I have my life together.’ (Even if you absolutely don’t.)

Tap the link below for the recipe and drop a 🍜 if you’re in your bowl era.

https://glch.org.au/lets-veg-up/

And don’t forget to download the Greatest Hits edition and start the Veg Up Treasure Hunt for your chance to win a $250 Ritchies IGA shopping voucher.

Ritchies Paynesville Ritchies Bairnsdale

13/05/2026

Be honest… how many veggies did you eat yesterday? 🥕🌽🥦

Let’s Veg Up is here to make that number a little higher — without the pressure!

Ready to veg up your meals?

Check out our tips, recipes and ideas to get started. Your future self will thank you 😁

Oh, and did we mention? There’s a $250 Ritchies IGA voucher up for grabs! Visit https://glch.org.au/lets-veg-up/

12/05/2026

Screen-Free Week is back! and we've got a $250 Venture Out voucher for a student, and a Hart Sports Pack & Screen-Time book pack for the winning school up for grabs 🏃‍♂️‍➡️

What if you switched it off… just for an hour?

Think:
🍂 Nature over notifications
🎨 Creativity over scrolling
🤸‍♀️ Movement over Minecraft (just for a week)

Small breaks, big benefits.

Just one hour a day without recreational screens can make a big difference for kids (and let’s be honest… adults too).

We’ve made it easy with our free Activity Booklet, packed with simple, low-stress ideas to keep everyone engaged and smiling.

Grab it here: https://glch.org.au/get-your-game-on-outside/ and while you're there, enter our competition!!

Power Off, Prize On Unplug and WIN BIG this Screen-Free Week! Get Your Game On Outside presents Screen-Free Week, a time to take a break from entertainment screens and experience more connection, play, and fun! Spending time on screens can be particularly harmful to kids who need creative play to th...

11/05/2026

It only takes a few minutes and it could help cover your next trip to the bowser🚙.
(𝘞𝘦𝘭𝘭… 𝘢 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘪𝘵, 𝘢𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘵!!)

By sharing your feedback in our client survey, you’re helping us continue to improve our services. As a thank you, you can go into the draw to win one of five $50 vouchers to spend on fuel or groceries in East Gippsland.

✨ Anonymous
✨ Quick to complete
✨ Makes a difference
✨ Chance to win $50 voucher for fuel or groceries

Complete the survey by end of May to enter: https://ow.ly/OtEh50YXitn

08/05/2026

Sweet potato + roasted garlic + wholegrain mustard. This is not your beige BBQ salad.

Serves 4. 🥔 30 min roast.

Crispy edges = elite status 🌟

Who’s bringing this to the next family get-together?

Tap the following link for the recipe: https://glch.org.au/lets-veg-up/ and while you're there, take a look at our 'Let’s Veg Up Greatest Hits' recipe book, cook your way through the favourites and collect the veggie icons for your chance to win a $250 Ritchies IGA shopping voucher.

Ritchies Paynesville Ritchies Bairnsdale

07/05/2026

Sometimes the hardest questions are the ones you don’t ask.

With Ask a Mate Day coming up on 16 May, now’s a great time to start the conversation.

The Ask a Mate app is designed for young men (13–18) to get real, honest answers about things like relationships, respect, consent and navigating life—without judgement.

Because let’s be real… Google and group chats aren’t always the best place for advice.

📱 The app connects young people with trusted voices
💬 Helps answer the questions they might not ask out loud

And for the grown-ups in the room…
There’s a free webinar on 13 May for fathers, uncles and educators—supporting better conversations with young people.

💬 Start the convo
📱 Share the app
🤝 Or simply ask a mate how they’re going

👉 Learn more and download the app at https://www.askamate.com.au/ or you can register for the webinar at https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1569736

06/05/2026

Thanks to everyone who came out to the East Gippsland Candlelight Vigil in Bairnsdale.

We gathered to remember lives lost to family and domestic violence, and to stand with victim‑survivors, children and families across our community.

"Prevention means gathering around people who experience violence and supporting them properly. It means empowering women to leave unsafe situations when they’re ready. And it also means being honest about accountability." - Kathy Dickinson, GLCH Family, Youth and Children’s Services executive manager

If you or someone you know needs help, please call 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732).

Thanks to East Gippsland Shire Council, Youth Voice of East Gippsland and the Gippsland Community Legal Service for making sure the event happened.