Bellingen Chamber of Commerce | Community organisation

Bellingen Chamber of Commerce

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25.01.2022 Last weekend saw lots of Halloween dress-ups and neighbourhood connection. It also marked the opening weekend of Tish Faco Cantina! Luke & his team celebrated their opening weekend with food & drink specials and DJ’s playing funky tunes to not dance to, but rather to sit and social distance and enjoy Luke is a Bellingen local whose been feeding folk with his food truck (also called Tish Faco) at festivals and markets for years. He felt it was about time he opened a restaur...ant here in town, commissioning local artists, designers and potters to bring together the logo, murals, crockery and custom made furniture from locally milled timber The meats are all locally sourced, and a lot of the produce Luke grows himself, with an aquaponic system getting installed today for the greens! If you weren’t lucky enough to get in for the grand opening, check it out and do make sure you book in advance! If tacos aren’t your thing, you can’t go past the chicken wings! (With a Hyde St Paloma cocktail on the side )

25.01.2022 This Shire; DORRIGO the mountains BELLINGEN the valleys URUNGA the seaboard and surrounds...... is diverse and very beautiful. Perhaps this accounts for the high number of extraordinarily talented and creative people who live here. Arts Week will be a chance for them to share their work and lives with you Bellingen Shire Arts Week Organizing Team is made up mostly of artists from across the Bellingen Shire. When we heard that Bellingen’s big event, Camp Creative, usually held in January, was postponed until 2022 because of COVID19 we decided to fill the gap by reviving the original, highly successful Arts Week, held in 2013. The main aim is to give a much-needed boost to the shire’s creative industries plus local commerce and tourism after an extremely difficult few months. Local artists and community groups are hungry for creative events so necessary for healthy social and economic wellbeing. The response has been enormously positive. We have over 100 participants so far and growing. The support from our local Chambers of Commerce, Bellingen Shire Council, Camp Creative Bellingen, I love bello shire and several other local groups are proving really helpful. We will be asking local shopkeepers to allow artists to exhibit in their shop fronts throughout the shire. Offers of support in any form e.g. publicity, venues, would be greatly appreciated. The website gives comprehensive information for artists and tourists alike. www.bellingenshireartsweek.com contact: [email protected] The big question: If Arts Week January 2021 should be impacted severely by COVID19 restrictions it will be postponed not cancelled. The decision will be made in November 2020

23.01.2022 Day 28 - FACIALS! Because filters don’t follow you around in real life You’ll have to excuse my extremely late post for today, I had the pleasure of getting pampered this morning at Poppy & Rose Beauty Co. and have been in a state of absolute bliss ever since Poppy & Rose was born from a dream of Haylee and Sam coming together in this very location, bringing our skills and knowledge together. ... We can now share our passion for giving everyone the opportunity to look and feel beautiful, and provide high quality personalised treatments. Join us in our simple, yet elegant new studio in the main street of beautiful Bellingen. Nestled in the laneway between Weave Bellingen and Bellingen Pet and Vet Supplies, we also have rear carpark access for your convenience and privacy. Don’t just gift it to others - give your own skin a little love too

20.01.2022 Day 26 - Gift a conscious book or three! The greatest gift is the passion for reading, passed on through books that harness genuine meaning. It is cheap, it consoles, it distracts, it excites, it gives you knowledge of the world and experience of a wide kind. It is a moral illumination. Dark Emu and Young Dark Emu are both written by Bunurong man Bruce Pascoe. Both books invite readers to reconsider the historical accounts of early European settlers, and provide in depth ...accounts of what Australia was before European settlement - a different version of history. Gumbaynggirr Yuludarla Jandaygam - Gumbaynggirr Dreaming Story Collection provides dreaming stories from the east coast of NSW in both Gumbaynggirr and English to assist with learning the stories and the language of the indigenous peoples whose land we live, play and work on. All three of these books you can grab from The Yellow Shed and Dorrigo Rainforest Centre. The Bellingen Chamber of Commerce recognise and commend our schools and early education centres which are including units on Indigenous history, particularly the Bellingen Preschool to whom we proudly donated the Dreaming Stories book to support their teachings

20.01.2022 December for most is a time of exciting chaos, connection, and the spreading of love... but for some people it can stir feelings of loneliness... 2020 has been a difficult year in so, so many ways... let’s flood our town with one thing that can hold us together and help us through - KINDNESS . Follow along for a daily reminder on some actions of happiness you can spread to make not only your days brighter but everyone around you too Today is the first of December and you can start right now by sharing this calendar!

18.01.2022 Day 24 - Candles! You can never go wrong with gifting a candle! Even during the snotty seasons when we lose our sense of smell, just looking at this Bello inspired label is enough to bring a smile and remember that amazing friend who brought you that stunning candle Bellingen Candle Co are NEW! So new that you can’t actually even buy one yet. So make sure you follow Rae on her journey to creating an abundance of these beauties... then when someone tells you about an awes...ome candle company they heard about, you can say yeah, I’ve followed them from the very beginning As a child the forests and backroads of the Bellingen Valley were my playground, surrounded by hippies I ran wind and free to the soundtrack of Fleetwood Mac and the Eagles. There is magic in the forest and spirit in the mountains here, a kind of magic that never leaves you. Inspired by Stardust, Woodland and the River’s Song our fragrances are created to capture that magic while raising a glass to a time when mood rings were cool, and you danced near the fire as Janice Joplin poured her heart out through oversized speakers. Rae x

16.01.2022 The authentic local tour guide - Bellingen Kombi Tours Meet Arlo & Olive, two unique Kombi’s that are like no other; purposefully designed to pay homage to the bygone era in the Bellingen Shire during the 60’s and 70’s when the hippies roamed free. Bellingen Kombi Tours have been launched by the Northcott family, who have been a part of the Bellingen Shire for well over 100 years. Who better to take you on a tour of our region than the people who have family roots here da...ting over a century!? A family full of Kombi lovers, one a qualified Volkswagen mechanic, have given life to the almost 50 year old buses, calling on local’s Gary and Lucus from Bellingen Auto Electrical to rebuild the engine in Arlo and a custom designed braking system for smooth sailing (or driving) up & down the Dorrigo mountains! The artwork on Arlo & Olive is the result of weeks of throwing around ideas between Joel and Mr Ian Moule, an artist hailing from Valla. We think they’ve done an absolutely fantastic job at capturing the vibe of the Bellingen Shire and the Kombi experience within the artwork! You may have already seen the Kombi’s getting around town for some special events, make sure you don’t hesitate on making yourself a booking before the waitlist gets too long! Follow their socials to keep up-to-date on which tours are on offer, or reach out to the team to discuss any custom tours you have in mind and availability Keep your eyes out for an article in the Coffs Coast Coffs Coast Focus for a more in-depth back story on the Kombi Tours journey

16.01.2022 Hey guys, My name is Joshua Matheson (AKA LTTLE KNG/ Funk Thieves ) and I am a full-time musician. When COVID19 hit I had 45 shows within 3 months vanish. Being a full-time musician at the best of times is tricky, so this felt like a hard kick in the guts. Having no work and not a whole heap to do, I created a streaming playlist called Play A Mates Music with the idea that we can try play local music in our business and homes while musicians have no work The idea then bec...ame a radio show with 2 Triple B FM and now I do a little segment every week with ABC Coffs Coast. It was so great to see the community get behind that initiative, with so many reaching out to say they loved the local music, that they had no idea how much talent was in this area, and that they enjoyed the interviews and hearing the local artists story Since June small gigs have been starting to come back which is exciting , and I am looking forward to getting back to playing live regularly, but that initial response to get behind the streaming initiative really meant a lot when it seemed the world was against the arts community, so Bellingen, THANK YOU for being you!!! J

16.01.2022 Come along to the next meet-up of the Coworking Group to help celebrate the remarkable business success of one of our local entrepreneurs. Last month Melissa Richardson sold her software-based company, The Art of Mentoring to an ASX listed company, after only 3 years since start up, during the toughest economic climate any of us have known. The process was gruelling and exhausting but clearly rewarding. In an air-conditioned-chat style, we will hear from Melissa what the proc...ess was like, what she learnt about her business in the process, the ways that COVID influenced the sale and what we can all think about regarding running our businesses better, whether or not we want to sell. When: Tuesday November 24th, 2020. 5 pm - 6.30 pm Where: Youth Hub - informal gathering area near the kitchen Fee: $5 to cover venue & nibbles. Booking: Please Book at link below. Restricted Numbers . https://events.humanitix.com/successfully-selling-your-busi

16.01.2022 Here are some of the friendly faces you’ve probably seen around town before, or hidden behind a mask at Bellingen Dental Thanks to the Bellingen Dental team for showing resilience and being here for our community We want to thank all of our valued patients for all of your support during these difficult times. As a community we have endured first drought, then fire, now pandemic Despite all this we have continued provide exceptional care for our long term patients and a...lso the many new faces we have had the pleasure of welcoming into the Bellingen Dental community. We want to thank you for your understanding during our brief closure in April and for accepting our Covid-19 screening tests and social distancing measures with understanding and grace. We genuinely appreciate everything you do to help keep each other safe. We ourselves will continue to do everything we can to keep our patients safe through this pandemic also. We are here for you, helping you move into this next season of uncertainty with confidence. - Bellingen Dental

16.01.2022 It takes big hearts to shape little minds, and we are so lucky our Bellingen Community Preschool is full of old and new staff who are an absolute asset to our children. Say hello to the Bellingen Preschool's new director, Tia, who started this year and has brought a lot of experience and excitement along with her! Tia is 4th gen Bello, and attended the preschool herself in 1984. It doesn't get more 'local' than that! "Giinagay! We are a community-based preschool for childre...n aged 3-5 years old. We are situated on the leafy outskirts of town and our boundary defined by a fence however we see our school as very much of this wonderful community. Our approach, philosophy and curriculum nurtures ‘otherness’ Connections with each other, our beautiful land, our community and its rich Gumbaynggirr culture. Like all early learning services in our area, we have remained open throughout the pandemic, despite the additional weight of frequent changes to health-related policies and practices and demands on our educator teams to manage and minimise risk. COVID highlighted an economic focus on early education as a means for families to get back to work and although this is important, it is high-quality education and supporting positive wellbeing that is always our impetus; the child’s right to education FOR education and wellbeing continues to be at the absolute front of everything we do. Darrundang! (Thankyou). We sincerely thank our educator team and colleagues, our preschool families and children for working together to keep our learning community and wider community strong, safe and supported during this time. The Bellingen Community Preschool Educator Team" - Jay And the trees photography

14.01.2022 "SafeWork NSW has a $500 'Small Business Safety Rebate' available for all NSW small businesses. Rural Business Support Counsellors - Northern Region are able to help you apply. DM us if you'd like some assistance. Temporarily eligible to support business hygiene measures during COVID-19: * Sneeze/ cough guards * Portable hand sanitiser stations*... * Fixed hand sanitiser stations* * Fixed disinfectant wipes dispenser* * Safety signs for COVID-19 workplace arrangements e.g. fixed hand sanitiser stations and disinfectant wipes stations * Bins with hands-free lid operation (foot pedal or sensor)* * Roller cleaning buckets, and more* Click through for more info https://bit.ly/35gkXjt "

13.01.2022 Day 30 - Cushions! These beauties from Tribe & Temple make gorgeously colourful gifts. They’re handmade here in Bellingen in very limited runs, offering an alternative to mass produced homewares Tribe & Temple uses ethically sourced fabrics, supports independent designers and local sewists, and reuses vintage treasures! ... # Hot Tip: cushion covers are light so they’re super easy to send in the post. Inserts with feather or eco poly filling also available.

12.01.2022 "It has been such a difficult year with drought, bushfires, floods and COVID. Bellingen Shire has shown itself as a very resilient community, able to cope with stressors and to recover quickly. However, there are those amongst us who have struggled with stresses such as fear, loneliness and trauma. We are pleased that Bellingen’s Bushfire Recovery and Resilience funds will be channelled into projects and grants that will provide the opportunity for community-led activities an...d innovation that can help make us all more resilient in our day to day lives and readier to cope with and recover from disasters." If you've got an idea you're keen to get the ball rolling on, you can find more information about community grants on the council's Create website (https://create.bellingen.nsw.gov.au/). Resilience hub employees Clare Danby and Liz Hull have made themselves available for absolutely any questions or clarifications you have at all and their contact details are on the Bushfire Recovery & Resilience Program project on the create website too. If you're unsure if your idea would fit into any of the categories, just ask! If you have an idea and you have no idea how to write a grant you can register yourself a free account through Nonprofitready https://www.nonprofitready.org/ where there is an abundance of free resources covering the basics in video and file formats.

12.01.2022 RUOK? Hi! My name is Phillipa Castle and I have recently moved to the beautiful Bellinger River Valley and set up a psychological practice in Bellingen Today is RUOK? Day. While this is a special day that raises awareness about the mental health of our community, every day is a day to check in with yourself and the people in your life and ask that simple, beguiling question - RUOK?. ... The RUOK? website has intelligent, clear guidelines on how to approach someone you may be concerned about and what to do next. The key is to listen, not minimise or solve the concerns. Your role will be one of many important steps toward the person getting the support they need. The Bellinger River Valley has numerous well trained general practitioners to talk to and they have a network of professionals to refer to. Once someone is ready help is available I hope everyone has a good day. It is particularly meaningful in these unusual times. - Phillipa

11.01.2022 BUSY At Work applications are now open for the Commonwealth Scholarship Program for Young Australians. If you are aged 15-24 residing in the Bellingen Shire (or Coffs Harbour) you can apply to receive $14,500 of vocational education! If you are a business, you can get involved by hosting a young scholar as an intern and receive a $1500 placement fee with all wages for the scholar reimbursed! ... If you are keen to study a course you can fill out your application form here https://www.busyatwork.com.au/scholarship-program-for-youn/ The eligible occupations can be seen through the link above. If you have any questions or need some clarification please feel free to reach out and we can connect you or assist with your application

10.01.2022 THANK YOU to our beautiful followers for tagging along on our Alternative August and conscious gift guide campaign! We just love how much the local community supports our local businesses Watch this space over September for our next campaign... saying thanks to our services who have been navigating the chaos of COVID and staying open for our little community ... openhomeonline

10.01.2022 What’s going on with the Memorial Hall refurbishment? The Bellingen Chamber of Commerce hosts weekly zoom meetings and yesterday we welcomed guest Michelle McFadyen, Deputy GM of the Bellingen Shire Council. Michelle shared with us the plans for the redevelopment of the Memorial Hall and the vision for the part that this building will play in the future of our community. You can read the backstory on the cost increase and why there was an increase here - https://www.bellinge...Continue reading

10.01.2022 Small businesses are the heartbeat of our neighbourhood, the spine of our local economy, and the spirit of our town "At the Thora General Store we see ourselves as here to serve the community as best we can. It's been a big year for everyone in the Bellingen Shire and we've ridden the wild ride alongside our local customers. The past year has proven extremely difficult for a lot of people in the Shire and we like to think that we've been able to help our community in many ...ways. We're an essential service and so right through the fires, floods and now COVID-19 we've been open. We've listened to what people want and have started to have more hot food options, different groceries and some fun entertainment events are just around the corner! We want to thank the local community for their ongoing support. Your willingness to shop local is heartwarming. We look forward to continuing to work with the people of Thora and the wider Bellingen Shire community.

09.01.2022 Yesterday was a special day. When our current president of the Chamber was first elected (Libby) a few years ago, she queried an account with some funds in it named Faerie Emilie and the board did some investigating to find out what the funds were to be used for. An online blog mentioned a butterfly chair which we later found out was manufactured smaller than was intended and had exposed sharp edges that caused concern for installation, so never came to fruition. An ad was ...put in the newspaper to find any of faerie Emilie’s friends to see what they wanted to do with the remaining money. With no luck, the Chamber decided it would be fitting to create a plaque and have a fairy door placed at the Youth Hub. The rest of the funds have been donated to the Bello Youth Hub to be used in any way the hub needs to support the mental health of youth. Yesterday through her friends, we learned what the original funds were to be used for, and a little bit about Faerie Emilie **the story** Faerie Emilie was a face painter and body artist, sharer of love and joy, bringer of magic, amazing healthy conscious cook, Kundalini yoga teacher, a beloved soul in our community and around the world. The original idea was to raise funds to create a butterfly bench where people could sit and feel transformed as if they had wings. It was to be painted rainbow with fairy dust, inscribed with instructions for life from Emilie's recent writings; BE A LIVER! Grow vegetables. Giggle often. Pick and eat lettuce leaves straight from the garden. Swim naked in the ocean. Walk in the forest with bare feet. Write letters to friends and family with a pen and paper. Crochet. Put flowers under the windscreen wipers of random cars. Sing to the full moon. Watch the sunrise at least once a week. Take long beach walks with bare feet. Put glitter on your eyelids. Write love letters to yourself. Run around naked in the rain. Take your clothes off and roll in the mud. Have SNUGGLEPUDDLES! We hope this plaque is a fitting memorial for faerie Emilie with the funds that were raised. Vale Fairy Emilie If you or anyone you know are feeling distressed or overwhelmed, Beyond Blue mental health professionals are available 24/7 on 1300 22 4636 or at beyondblue.org.au/getsupport for email (24h response time). For immediate support call Lifeline on 13 11 14, and in an emergency, always call triple zero (000).

08.01.2022 Day 27 - A hug in a mug Coffee is a cup of hope in a world full of chaos and Monday’s! What a better way to let someone know you get it than to make their life a little more convenient! Zoe at Sunny Corner Coffee has her super cute coffee van set up and open next to Norco on Mon - Fri 6am - 11am and Saturdays 8-12! She doesn’t only have coffee, she’s got brekky muffins and delicious treats ... Order ahead for a friend to show an act of kindness OR buy a gift voucher to contribute to many days of good moods by going onto their website! You’ve probably seen Zoe around before at Hyde Bellingen, Old Butter Factory Cafe, Bellingen or Cedar Bar & Kitchen! Let’s support her new business venture and take advantage of not needing to cut laps around the cenotaph to find a park in town #lifehappenscoffeehelps

06.01.2022 Happy Hump Day The Bellingen Cellars Bottle Shop family would like to thank all of our loyal customers during these strange and testing times. We really want to stress how much we appreciate you all working with us with shortened operating hours, for adhering to social distancing in store and for patiently lining up when the store has hit its ‘covid capacity’. We are so thankful to live and work in a community such as ours, where everyday we can come to work and enjoy a chat and share a laugh with all of our customers- at a safe distance of course. X Bellingen Cellars Family

04.01.2022 Day 31 - Jigsaw Puzzles! Puzzles teach patience and are totally for ANY age! (Well, almost) Check out these designer puzzles you can grab from Hyde Bellingen ... Journey of Something is a small Melbourne based brand that has grabbed the attention of Aussie’s everywhere with mass publicity in Belle Magazine The Sydney Morning Herald The Age Frankie Magazine Broadsheet Melbourne & Concrete Playground Melbourne just to name a few! Head down to Hyde to grab one to gift before they’re all gone such a great gift that can be reused, passed on, or framed for the wall

02.01.2022 Day 29 - Gift yourself some deep breaths by spending this coming week preparing for Father’s Day! Don’t leave it until next Saturday when you’re panicking and unsure what to grab, it’s okay we’re all guilty of it Cedar Bar & Kitchen have posted a quick read blog on their website to help you make up your mind with some amazing gift ideas that also help you support our local businesses like Libertine Liquor Bellingen Canoe Adventures Habitat Indoor Nursery and the Bellinge...n Golf Club! https://www.cedarbar.com.au/bellos-top-fathers-day-activiti Pssssst... Father’s Day is next Sunday the 6th of September

02.01.2022 LiveBetter is offering 12 month traineeships to 2020 school leavers who are 18 or turning 18 on the Mid North Coast. If you or someone you know is interested in a traineeship in either Individual Support (Disability or Ageing) or in Business Admin to further their education while gaining on the job experience within the region - head to livebetter.org/school-leaver-traineeships/

01.01.2022 Day 25 - Give the gift of yoga! A regular Yoga practice not only improves your physical wellbeing, it enables you to harness emotional vitality, intellectual wisdom, mental clarity and spiritual bliss. YogaBellingen is a stunning purpose built studio right in the heart of Bellingen, located behind the Gelato Bar. The studio offers a full timetable of classes ranging from very gentle to more dynamic physical practices, meditation and breath work. YogaBellingen is a CO...VID safe registered business but also offers livestream and online options for those of you who would prefer to practice from home Gift vouchers are available for all membership and pass options, and private or small group classes are also available- in the studio or in your own home - simply contact Amelia through the website yogabellingen.com or message her over at Yogabellingen

01.01.2022 If you haven’t been out to Raleigh Coffee and Eats you’re missing out Di and the team serve up pies and sweets, seriously mouth watering breakfasts lunches AND dinners, as well as juices, smoothies and coffee they’re open Monday to Friday 7am - 230pm and Tuesday to Friday they reopen for dinners from 430pm - 7pm! Positioned perfectly to ring ahead and order to grab on your way to or from work, or pick up on your way to a twilight picnic! Make sure you follow thei...r page at Raleigh Coffee & Eats, even just to drool over the food porn! We have been open just over 2 years, August was our 2nd Birthday. We didn’t think we would be in unprecedented times as a business, the drought, we had to reconsider our water usage, then fires, we all remember the thick haze over the shire, then who would believe now we are in a pandemic. When this occurred and restrictions and closures were put in place and my husband was also not required within his workplace, we had to adapt quickly to the then situation, due to pubs, clubs etc closing so we opened longer, we opened for dinner as we only opened during the day, as most cafes. By doing this we found that the older, single and family needed a best value alternative to takeout, doing this we have gained so many supportive customers. If we didn’t have that support our doors wouldn’t be open, listening to the stories of the way it has affected and different views of this pandemic, one was Barry who passed recently, found it difficult not seeing his beloved wife in care but still travelled hoping to see her and taking his beloved dog Robbie with him. COVID has had a significant affect on all, but we will keep adapting for our customers. So we would like to thank you our customers for being there for our family and theirs.