Children's Week at the Whyalla Public Library.
Community Activation around Whyalla
Whyalla City Council’s commitment to engaging with the community and offering a range of programs, services and events for all ages is on display in a host of recent information reports.
Each month, several council departments submit summaries of their work for inclusion in Ordinary Council Meeting agendas, ensuring residents and elected Council Members are kept informed of the work being done by council in the community.
The library services and community activation teams were in the spotlight this month, highlighting a variety of successful initiatives focused on activating spaces, supporting youth, celebrating local culture, and offering diverse activities for the community.
‘’These services and events are very important to our city and residents,’’ Mayor Phill Stone said.
‘’Our library services and community activation teams – in partnership with local organisations – work hard to ensure we have opportunities that are not only fun, educational and engaging, but also address community needs, improve relationships and help residents feel more included in and connected to their community.’’
Some examples of recent community activation around Whyalla included NAIDOC Week – featuring an art expo, Elders’ lunch, kids’ disco and Dive into Culture Day – aimed at fostering meaningful connections with the Barngarla community; as well as a visit from the South Australian Sporting Institute, with the Talent Search event providing students from local schools the chance to explore their athletic potential for the next Olympics.
Council also actively supported the Breakfast Club, hosted by headspace Whyalla. The club offers free breakfast options for young people aged 12-25, helping ensure no students are heading to school without a healthy meal and therefore able to focus on their learning throughout the day.
The Whyalla Public Library has also continued its role as a community hub, extending beyond traditional library services. As well as the ever-popular children’s activities – like story time, games and early childhood literacy programs – they also assisted in improving locals’ digital literacy, covering topics like cloud storage, social media, and online security.
Library Coordinator Natalie Williams said the library was proud to offer a wide range of programs that go beyond services traditionally associated with libraries.
“Most people think all you can do at the library is read and borrow books, but we offer so many other services that all ages can benefit from,” Ms Williams said
“Whether it’s early literacy initiatives; assistance with new technology; access to online services; digital literacy sessions or fun family activities, there’s really something that can benefit everyone in the community.”
Head to the agendas page to see all of the recent information reports: https://bit.ly/3r4WF9E
