LIVING WITH friends CARED FOR BY

people experiencing financial hardship and having difficulty/ barriers in accessing mental health treatment in the primary care sector.

The PHN’s Head to Health service provides free and immediate support from trained professionals who work with a person on a short to medium term basis to find the best services to meet their needs.

People can visit the Head to Health service at either Tuggerah, Warners Bay or Cessnock or phone 1800 595 212 between 8.30am and 5pm to receive assistance. No appointment, referral, Medicare card, or Australian citizenship is needed.

The Telepsychiatry Service aims to increase access to psychiatry services for people aged 16 or more with severe and persistent mental illness.

The target groups include women with perinatal depression, First Nations people, people living in rural and remote areas, people on low income, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and people with a recent suicide attempt or suicidal behaviour/ ideation.

The PHN has recently commissioned a new children’s mental health service with the aim of increasing access for vulnerable children up to the age of 12.

Also, there is Wellbeing4Kids, a free program supporting families to raise happier, healthier children whereby a specialist child mental health team provides assessments and counselling for emotional, social and behavioural challenges.

There is also grief and bereavement counselling for children aged from three through to 17.

Sue Murray

Horticulture author and along with Pete Little, hosts ‘At Home with The Gardening Gang’

8 - 10am live every Saturday on CoastFM96.3

Cheralyn

cheralyn.darcey

Everyone’s doing it so why not you?

This weekend may be the perfect time for you to get your hands dirty and start gardening or perhaps you are experienced and have an area that needs a new garden?

I’ve created a bit of a blueprint to lead any gardener, newbie to those needing a refresher, through the steps to start or start again.

Creating a garden is one of the great joys in life that bring so much more to the gardener than produce and beauty.

The health benefits are well known, all that fresh air and a healthy dose of physical exercise but gardening is also a good for the mind and soul.

I can’t tell you how many times I have buried my problems, metaphorically, in the earth at Lake Munmorah! Gardening can sometimes seem hard, expensive, or overwhelming but if you plan, I promise, gardening will grow on you.

STEP ONE: Assess the Lay of the Land

What have you already got?

Grab a note pad and roughly sketch up a plan of your garden area as it is.

Note the plants that you already have including trees.

Also sketch in areas that are established and include utility elements as well such as sheds.

If you already plan to remove anything, note that.

Work out the available light to all areas of your garden space.

Full sun means at least 6 hours of direct sun, part-shade is between 4 to 6 hours of direct sunlight and shade will mean less than 4 hours of direct sun falling upon your plants.

The areas will change over the course of a year, so to get an accurate read you will need to create a sun map at least twice a season; around eight times a year.

To make things easier, there are phone apps or the free to use site - www.suncalc.org that will help you determine all the shadow and light areas right throughout the year in your garden.

Note other factors such as wind possibilities, the gradient, fences, other garden structures and the feeling you have about