The Innovation Centre Sunshine Coast is paving the way for clean technologies as host of the inaugural Clean Futures Workshop tomorrow, Friday, 22 October.

The workshop, a part of the two-day practical Clean Futures conference will be held at the University of the Sunshine Coast from 8:30am to 5:00pm and focuses on assisting established and emerging cleantech businesses and enthusiasts by providing practical ways to tap into and utilise multi-million dollar cleantech markets.

The day provides opportunities for B2B strategic networking and includes presentations from 12 industry professionals, experts and entrepreneurs from some of Australia’s most cutting-edge Cleantech businesses who will share their experiences and insights into building and sustaining a successful cleantech business.

“The Sunshine Coast is positioned to become one of Australia’s Cleantech hotspots and this conference will provide a practical forum for anyone looking at advancing their business in the emerging Cleantech sector,” Innovation Centre CEO Colin Graham said.

The presentations focus on offering financial and marketing advice, insights into national and international cleantech markets and practical strategies to accelerate business growth including ways to use innovation to ensure your Cleantech business maintains a competitive edge.

Among the long list of presenters are John O’Brien from Australian Cleantech, Bon and Christine Cameron from Rockcote, Gayne Emblin from Ritek, David Lumb from Clearmake and Mark Leckenby from Auzion, all cleantech specialists from areas of wastewater treatment, water recycling, nanotechnology and solar power.

The Clean Futures 2010 Conference is proudly sponsored by the Sunshine Coast Regional Council.

EVENT DETAILS:

WHAT:                     Clean Futures Main Workshop

DATE:                      Friday, 22^nd October

TIME:                       8:30am – 5:00pm

PLACE:                    Level 3, ICT Building (next to Art Gallery), University of the Sunshine Coast

RSVP:                     For any enquiries please contact Hayley Passmore on 0401 461 192.

It is predicted to be a spectacular day at the book launch of WOW books 4 boys this Saturday, 23 October with already over 100 people signing up to attend.

The event, hosted by Hot 91’s Todd, will be held from 2pm at the Maroochydore Library and promises to be a fun-filled afternoon for the whole family with plenty of free activities including face-painting, lucky dip prizes, temporary tattoos, side-walk chalk drawing and the chance to meet and have a photo taken with the life-size cheeky pair of monsters straight from the pages of the books, Scratch and Patch.

For the adults, a coffee van and Rotary gold-coin sausage sizzle. The short story series will also be available to purchase on the day for only $8.90 each or $26.70 for all three, with plenty of opportunities to get your book signed by the author.

Angela Bueti, the author and creator of WOW books 4 boys said the series was an outcome of her struggle to motivate her own son to read.

“My eldest boy found the readers from school boring and struggled to stay interested,” Angela said.

“After that, I was determined to find a way to make reading fun, rather than a chore,” Angela said.

The Scratch and Patch books are specially designed to assist with language development in boys aged between 4 and 8 and are full of colourful illustrations, humour, action and adventures that appeal to boys and make them want to turn the page.

“Everyone is welcome to come along, it truly is going to be a great day,” Angela said.

EVENT DETAILS:

WHAT:                      WOW books 4 boys official launch

DATE:                        Saturday, 23 October

TIME:                        2pm – formalities start promptly at 2pm with the activities to continue to 3.30pm

PLACE:                     Maroochydore Library, 44 Sixth Avenue, Cotton Tree

RSVP:                       Media Contact: Michelle Smytheman 0408 401 198

Bloomhill Cancer Help plans to highlight another successful year at their Annual General Meeting on Thursday, 25^th November.

Bloomhill’s President, Jenny Carroll said all Bloomhill’s achievements this year were a direct reflection of our management committee’s dedication and hard work.

The meeting will discuss general meeting agenda items including finalising the management committee for 2011, upcoming events, issues, OP Shop status and will provide a forum to highlight the outstanding contributions of Bloomhill volunteers and all the successful fundraising events held throughout 2010 and of course the services and assistance given to Bloomhill clients – the reason for the organisation’s existence.

Among the long list of successful 2010 events includes Blitz Week and Race Day. These two events proved very lucrative to the charity by not only helping to improve the day-to-day running of the Centre but raising a significant $76,000 for the charity including the generous contributions from Sporting Chance and the Sunshine Coast and Noosa Hash House Harriers.

This year also marked the launch of Bloomhill’s major fundraising campaign, Target 300, which aims to raise $300,000 to fund a desperately needed extension to the Bloomhill Centre. The campaign has raised  $60,000 so far thanks to a number of kind-hearted donations from Sunshine Coast organisations, businesses and groups, a wonderful start for the charity.

Bloomhill Cancer Help has been operating on Sunshine Coast since 1997 and has successfully improved the quality of life of many people affected by cancer and their families. Bloomhill provides a range of services and complimentary therapies including respite care, transport to appointments and counselling services.

“Bloomhill now supports over 800 members and the number continues to rise every year,” Bloomhill Vice President, Brett Graham said.

“Being apart of Bloomhill not only inspires you but also give you a sense of personal achievement. Knowing that you have contributed to helping improve the lives of those affected by cancer gives you a real sense of happiness,” Brett said.

The meeting will begin at 6pm, but it is requested that guest arrive promptly at 5:30pm. The AGM is open to all current Bloomhill members and will be held at the Bloomhill Centre at 58 Ballinger Road, Buderim.

As per procedure, some 2011 management committee positions will be up for nomination, so if you are a current financial member of Bloomhill and would like to be considered for a position, complete a nomination form by the close of business on Tuesday, 9 November.

The nomination forms can be downloaded from the Bloomhill Cancer Help website, http://bloomhill.com.au/newsite/, and must be completed and posted to:  The Secretary, Bloomhill Cancer Help, PO Box 319, BUDERIM 4556.

Self-promotion and personal selling are skills many of us aren’t confident with but for writers they have to be good at telling their own stories to sell their work.

With that in mind, the Sunshine Coast Literary Association has called on their promotions officer and Sunshine Coast PR consultant Michelle Smytheman, from Reflected Image Productions, to present a workshop designed to help writers to promote themselves.

At the workshop, on 13^th November at Millwell Road Community Centre, Maroochydore, Sunshine Coast, writers will have the opportunity to learn from a PR and communications industry insider about how to best promote themselves.

An experienced public relation consultant, business owner and university lecturer and teacher, Michelle Smytheman will share information on how to attract media attention, writing for the media and other avenues to increase awareness of an author’s work.

“Writers have so much to offer and it is important that authors can share their work, especially if they don’t have the backing of a giant publishing house and the PR campaigns associated with books by the world’s best selling authors,” Michelle said.

“Self-publishing is becoming more of an option for writers, but with that also comes full responsibility for promotion and distribution of the books.

As director of Reflected Image PRoductions, Michelle understands how important effective communication and maintaining positive relationships are with the media.

“In the media-saturated world of today, getting publicity and coverage may seem a somewhat impossible task. However, throughout my workshop I will share some simple skills and tools on how you can promote yourself in your local community or further afield,” Michelle said.

The 3-hour workshop will enable authors to develop their own Public Relations campaign from start to finish.

The workshop will help participants learn about:

v Developing a Public Relations campaign.

v Successfully writing for the media.

v Knowing who to contact with your story.

v Developing effective interview skills.

WORKSHOP DETAILS:

WHEN:            Saturday 13 November 2010

WHERE:         Millwell Road Community Centre, Millwell Road East, Maroochydore

TIME:               9.00am -12.30pm

COST:               Sunshine Coast Literary Assoc financial members $50,                                     non-members $60

Bookings:       Book and confirm by payment before workshop: phone 5450 2690 or email info@scliterary.org, or check the What’s On page on the SCLA website –    www.scliterary.org.

Numbers are limited so REGISTER EARLY!

This event is proudly supported by Reflected Image PRoductions.

Free face painting, lucky dip prizes, cake and real life book characters are just some of the excitement to look forward to on Saturday 23 October at the Maroochydore Library.

University of the Sunshine Coast students, David Anderson and Jaclyn Kiorgaard are organising this family event to celebrate the launch of a new series of books for boys.

Hosted by Hot 91’s Toddy, the book launch will blast off at 2pm and all are welcome, said author, Angela Bueti.

Students, David and Jaclyn have been working on the launch for Angela as part of their final year Public Relations studies.

“It is going to be a great afternoon of fun for kids and their parents and we have been working hard behind the scenes to ensure the day is full of fun regardless of the weather.

“Our activities will go ahead, come rain or shine,” David said.

Under the guidance of industry professional, Michelle Smytheman, from Reflected Image PRoductions, the students have organised this wonderful community event to get young boys reading.

The new series of books are full of action and adventure, designed to appeal to boys aged 4 to 8 years and to improve their reading skills.

“We have been provided an excellent opportunity to apply our knowledge and skills to a real-life project.  We have really enjoyed it,” Jaclyn said.

“It has been a really valuable experience, and it is fantastic working with author Angela Bueti,” David said.

Making a special guest appearance at the book launch will be the book’s characters, Scratch and Patch. Don’t miss the chance to get a photo taken with these cheeky, lovable monsters.

Please join us at the Maroochydore Library, 23 October at 2pm. It will be a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon with the children.

Wipe the dust of your motorbikes and join Coastline BMW and Nude Deli Café on their monthly bike ride to raise money for Bloomhill Cancer Help’s major fundraiser, Target 300.

The ride will be held on Wednesday, 20^th October and will begin at 11am from the Nude Deli Café, 2 King Street, Cotton Tree. For a $20 donation, riders will receive a famous Nude morning tea and will go in the draw to win $300 worth of rider apparel from Coastline Motorrad. The ride will kick off after the morning tea and will end at the Coastline BMW Dealership, 770 Nicklin Way, Currimundi by 4:30pm.

Bloomhill Vice President and Target 300 Coordinator, Brett Graham said Bloomhill was so pleased to see local businesses getting behind the Target 300 campaign.

Target 300 is a major fundraising campaign that aims to raise $300,000 to fund the desperately needed extension to the Bloomhill Centre in Buderim to enable it to cater for its constant growing number of members and help more people with cancer and their families throughout the Sunshine Coast region.

To reach the $300,000 target, Bloomhill is requesting the support of 300 Sunshine Coast businesses, clubs, organisations, groups or individuals to donate $1,000 each. Smaller donations will of course be accepted – every little bit will help this local charity support the local community.

“Bloomhill has needed an extension for more than a year,” Brett Graham said.

“At the moment, the Bloomhill Centre is at maximum capacity with our treatment rooms booked for more than a month in advance.  We now have over 800 members, a great deal more than last year, which is why we desperately need this extension,” Brett said.

Bloomhill Cancer Help is a Sunshine Coast based charity located in Buderim and provides support and assistance to those affected by cancer. Operated by a team of dedicated staff and hundreds of volunteers, Bloomhill offers counselling, transport to appointments, respite care and a range of complimentary therapies and other services.

“The services we provide at Bloomhill are only made possible by the kind-hearted support we receive from the local community and businesses,” Brett said.

Bloomhill doesn’t receive any government funding, so we rely on the money raised through our OP shops, donations, grants and our fundraising activities, like the October Nude GS Ride, for us to continue to provide our high level of care,” Brett said.

If you would like to be apart of the event and join the list of riders, please RSVP before Monday, 18^th October by contacting Matt Saunders on 5341 8315 or matt.saunders@coastlinemotorrad.com.au. If you are unable to attend but would still like to support a worthy cause and make a donation, simply visit www.target300.com.au and click on the link provided. All donations over $2 are tax deductible and are greatly appreciated.

To keep track of the Target 300 tally, visit www.target300.com.au or keep an eye on the local media for progress updates. Large Target 300 signs will also display the rising tally and can be found in all Bloomhill Op Shops and sponsoring businesses throughout the Sunshine Coast.

Finding new and exciting activities to occupy the kids in their spare time can be tedious, but Annette Sym thinks this can be the perfect time to get your kids into the kitchen and teach them how to cook nutritious meals that they will love to eat.

Low fat cookbook Queen and award-winning international author, Annette Sym said it’s a great chance for you to spend some one-on-one time with your children, teach them the importance of eating healthy and have some great fun doing it.

“With the popularity of Junior Masterchef, children have never been more motivated to get in the kitchen but it doesn’t have to be as competitive and ruthless as reality TV makes it,” Annette said.

Annette who struggled with her weight for years, started as a chubby child, which lead to becoming an obese adult. She knows first hand how difficult it is being an overweight child and now more than ever with more than one quarter of Australian children considered to be overweight and obese we need to show them how they can break bad habits that are learnt from an early age. Annette won the battle of the bulge at the age of 36 managing to lose 35kgs in 20 months and maintain a healthy lifestyle for over 18 years. She is on a mission to help children to live healthy lives and says “It all starts in the kitchen”.

Childhood obesity is on the rise and the results are of great concern to both parents and the community. The consequences of being an overweight child can include social difficulties such as feeling isolated and being bullied by peers, which can lead to poor self-esteem and depression and adverse physical health affects such as the increased risk of diabetes, heart disease and gastrointestinal problems. There are two main causes of childhood obesity, a lack of exercise and unhealthy eating patterns, both of which can be fixed.

“Unhealthy eating seems to be a result of a general lack of understanding of what constitutes a healthy snack. Parents need to educate their children that although a snack may claim to be healthy, it is probably full of hidden sugars and salts,” Annette said.

“I’m sure some children think milk comes from a carton, so getting into the kitchen and cooking with them can be a great time to share your knowledge about food, nutrition and how things are made. This way they can create life-long good eating habits,” Annette said.

“It is all too easy to opt for quick, ready-meal options rather than spending the time to plan and cook a healthy, nutritious meal but cooking can be faster than going for takeaways.

“And setting this example for your children, and by getting them involved in the cooking process can set them up with the healthy habits for a lifetime that they can continue once they leave home.”

Motivating children to turn off the video games and move away from the television can be difficult but here are some of Annette’s tips to get your kids in the kitchen and who knows you may discover you have a Junior Masterchef of your own:

1. Have a stool handy so the little ones can reach the bench easily.
2. Provide an apron to avoid extra mess.
3. Let them pick recipes that they like and help them to write a shopping list.
4. Work out the level of difficulty for recipes that suit the age group so they can be in charge as much as possible. Making cooking too hard can spoil the experience.
5. Provide oven gloves to protect their hands when removing food from the oven or microwave.
6. Explain hygiene – washing hands and chopping on different boards. For example, chicken on one and vegetables on another.
7. Make a reason for children to cook, such as a visit from Grandma or an upcoming birthday.
8. The cook never washes up; this may be a great motivation to get teens in the kitchen.
9. Don’t forget, praise is a mighty strong way for cooking to become a fun and pleasant experience.

“I also recommend getting your kids involved in the supermarket. Let them be the shopper and work out the money they need for their purchases. This will not only keep them occupied and out of trouble, but it’s also a great opportunity to encourage learning maths and also weights and measures.

“I have three daughters of my own, so I know sometimes it can be frustrating when kids get in the kitchen and make a mess, but try not to criticise or scold them, just forget the mess and have fun,” Annette said.

“Just remember, spending time cooking together with your children can build happy memories that last a lifetime.”

Annette’s latest book, Book 6, includes a selection of Annette’s newest and most delicious recipes, a step-by-step weightloss MASTERCLASS complete with DVD, a 28-day meal plan and a number of motivational testimonials from people who have lost weight “the Annette way”.

Selling more than 3 million copies due to their undeniable ability to help people lose weight, Annette Sym’s series, Symply Too Good To Be True are available at all leading news agencies and Borders Bookstores nation-wide. Books 1,2,3,4 and 5 are $13.95 and the bumper-sized Book 6 is $28.

Visit the Symply Too Good website, www.symplytoogood.com.au, for more great low-fat cooking tips and to see Annette cooking a new recipe each month.

Congratulations to our very own Public Relations Consultant, Jacinta Krause, on her graduation from the University of the Sunshine Coast.

Confirming just how brilliant we already knew she was, Jacinta took out an Arts Faculty Commendation for overall outstanding performance and achieving a distinction average throughout her Bachelor of Public Relations degree.