Community
1 May, 2026
Doors open for connection
CAMPERDOWN’S David Newman Centre filled with conversation and morning tea as residents were invited to a special open day.
The day saw 19 people attend, enjoying tea and coffee alongside a morning tea and lunch served during the event.
South West Healthcare coordinator social support group Maureen Bond said the staff of the David Newman Centre were the ones behind the idea of an open day.
“We wanted to allow other community members to come and visit to see what we do,” she said.
“We hope to build on from the open day and will ask our members for their feedback and ideas about how could we do something similar to meet people’s needs and also encourage new participants.
“We do have some ideas and plans for future days including a ‘come and try’ day, a ‘bring a friend’ day and, in just a few weeks, we have scheduled another morning tea to celebrate and recognise our valuable volunteers to coincide with National Volunteers Week 2026.”
The open day saw attendees hearing from Corangamite Shire Citizens of the Year 2026 Gary and Marilyn Kimber, who spoke about their volunteer work, the award and other highlights in their lives.
Ms Bond said everyone in attendance was interested in the presentation.
“It was great for our regular members to be able to enjoy the informative presentation by Gary and Marilyn Kimber of Cobden – who are the Corangamite Shire Citizens of the Year for 2026,” she said.
“It was also fantastic to see some new faces in the crowd as well, who really enjoyed the day and the friendly atmosphere.
“Gary and Marilyn alternated parts of the talk that provided insights into why they continue to volunteer and give back to the community.
“The other interesting part of the talk was about their time spent in the United States of America on a teaching exchange program in about 1990.
“It was very interesting to hear how different things were in America and what has changed over time.”
The talk concluded with a question and answer session, which saw strong engagement.
Ms Bond encouraged anyone who was considering signing up for the David Newman Centre to reach out.
“It is a friendly and welcoming place to come and meet new people, enjoy social connections and to remain active within the community,” she said.
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