Making a Difference in our Community

ChillOut has a great history of contributing to local worthy causes, groups and charities and many people have said it's one thing that makes ChillOut unique. We think it’s important for the festival to be an important member of our broader community in Hepburn Shire.

Over its eleven-year history ChillOut has raised more than $75,000 for local community groups ranging from the hospital to women’s health care; local primary schools, youth services and Scouts; to important civic projects like the development of the new recreation centre.

In 2008, ChillOut joined The Alannah and Madeline Foundation (www.amf.org.au) as a Community Partner to raise awareness about bullying in primary schools and to assist with the introduction of Better Buddies Framework into local primary schools in Hepburn Shire.

According to the Foundation, 1 in 6 students in Australia is bullied on a weekly basis and 85% of children who observe school bullying do nothing. With the Better Buddies Framework children learn the values of friendship, respect, care and, importantly, accepting differences in others to create safe and caring school communities where bullying is reduced. With help from McKenzies Foods and Hepburn Council more than $27,000 was raised for this important appeal.

Our nominated worthy cause for 2009 is a new shared project combining the resources of Wildlife Victoria and The Alannah and Madeline Foundation called Buddies for Wildlife. This important initiative in Hepburn Shire will create a new activity focused on wildlife and the environment and delivered within the Better Buddies Framework. Research shows that many children will learn the values of empathy, respect and care when expressed within the context of caring for animals.

Wildlife Victoria regards this initiative as an important way to create lasting bonds with children and connect wildlife with local, school communities. We believe this project will deliver unique and lasting benefits within our wider Hepburn Shire community.

Between now and ChillOut in March 2009, our community goal is to raise the $12,000 that’s needed to deliver Buddies for Wildlife in Hepburn Shire. A number of fundraising activities are planned including the highly successful ‘The Slowest Lunch’; a charity lunch and auction and kick-off to ChillOut held at the beautiful Sault restaurant.  We're also selling raffle tickets between now and ChillOut with the first prize of a $1000 BP fuel voucher.  Tickets are $2 each and books may be arranged through Michael Brady. For Terms and Conditions of the raffle please scroll to the bottom of the page.

All money raised with this community appeal will remain within Hepburn Shire to support the Buddies for Wildlife project. All donations of $2 or more are fully tax-deductible and Wildlife Victoria will issue a tax receipt.  Money that is raised over and above our goal will go directly to Hepburn Wildlife Shelter to support their general operations.

The logo for Buddies for Wildlife is meant to communicate important messages around building buddies for life within our school communities, supporting wildlife in our community and building lasting ties between wildlife and children.

ChillOut, Hepburn Council, Wildlife Victoria and The Alannah and Madeline Foundation support this important community project in partnership.

Contact:

Michael Brady
ChillOut
Mobile: 0412 177 669
Email: m.brady@macedon-ranges.vic.gov.au

About Wildlife Victoria and Hepburn Wildlife Shelter

Wildlife Victoria is dedicated to the care and protection of Australia’s native wildlife through the pursuit of the highest standards in wildlife rescue, rehabilitation and care, with continued commitment to carer support, education and training, wildlife advocacy, research, promotion of partnerships and the preservation of natural eco-systems.

Hepburn Wildlife Shelter is a self-funded volunteer wildlife rescue, treatment and recovery centre, established to assist and care for injured, orphaned, sick and distressed wildlife in and around the Shire of Hepburn. The shelter is an incorporated non-profit association run by the founders Gayle Chappell and Jon Rowdon from their home on the outskirts of Hepburn under license from the Department of Sustainability and Environment and in conjunction with Wildlife Victoria. It provides 24-hour rescue, treatment, care, rehabilitation and repatriation for a wide diversity of native wildlife caught up in human activity.

In addition to the caring for injured animals their thriving orphanage raises young who have been lost or abandoned, usually as a result of the death of their parents on roads, by shootings, dog and cat attacks, caught in fences or through disasters such as bushfires. Amongst the young ones raised at the Shelter are kangaroos, wombats, koalas, wallabies, possums, gliders, bats and a wide variety of birds.

Hepburn Wildlife Shelter also plays a key role in educating the community about living with and advocating on behalf of local native wildlife.

The services offered by the Shelter to the local community include:

• Responding to all manner of wildlife enquires
• Training and coordinating a network of wildlife rescuers in the region
• Community education about living with wildlife
• Scientific research programs on wildlife and their health
• Offering support and advice to other wildlife carers around Victoria
• Training and education for local agencies dealing with wildlife
• Wildlife advocacy in community and government planning processes
• Organisation and coordination of response to emergencies such as bushfires

Contact:

Sandy Fernee
Wildlife Victoria
Mobile: 0431 478 081
Email: info@wildlifevictoria.org.au

About the Better Buddies Framework

One of the most common forms of violence in the lives of children is bullying, with one in six children being bullied each week. Bullying can have a devastating effect on a child. In addition, children who portray bullying behaviours are more likely to commit anti-social behaviour and criminal acts.

The Alannah and Madeline Foundation’s key prevention program is the Better Buddies Framework, an initiative designed to create friendly and caring primary school communities where bullying is reduced. In Better Buddies, children in their first and last year of primary school buddy up and learn the values: caring for others, friendliness, respect, valuing difference, including others and responsibility through formal weekly activities and informal interaction outside of the classroom. Better Buddies enables younger children to feel safe and cared for while older children feel valued and respected.

Better Buddies is designed to enhance existing buddy programs or introduce a buddy program to schools for the first time. The evidence-based framework complements existing school welfare programs, is easy to implement and links to national curriculum initiatives. Other benefits of Better Buddies are that it teaches social skills, incorporates a wide range of buddy activities, provides training for older buddies, has understudy buddies, and aims to reduce bullying.

More than 200 schools across Australia are enrolled in Better Buddies including 12 primary schools in Hepburn Shire with over 900 schools being involved in some way since 2000.

Contact:

Maree Stanley
The Alannah and Madeline Foundation
Tel: 03 9697 0666
Email: maree.stanley@amf.org.au

2009 'Buddies for Wildlife' Raffle - Terms and Conditions

• Raffle tickets will be available for sale from 1 February 2009 to 12.00 noon on 11 March 2009 unless sold out prior.
• There will be a maximum of 5,000 tickets available for sale.
• Total value of the prize pool is $1,250.
• The raffle will be drawn on 11 March 2009 at 3.00 pm at Daylesford Town Hall.
• First prize shall be allocated to the first ticket drawn, and a consolation prize to the second ticket drawn.
• All winners will be notified by telephone and mail. Winners will also be published in The Age newspaper on 13 March 2009.
• All prizes must be claimed by 31 March 2009.
• Unclaimed prizes will be redrawn and winners notified by telephone and mail.
• Prizes are not transferable and are not redeemable for cash or exchange.
• First prize is a BP petrol voucher - value $1000.
• Second prize is a Daylesford IGA and Liquor voucher - value $250.
• The promoter is ChillOut Daylesford Inc, PO Box 424, Daylesford Victoria 3460.