2023 News
DECEMBER
A garden party fundraiser on 2nd December rounded off a busy and successful year for the Centre. The week leading up to the event was chilly and wet, but the rain retreated and the sun came out just in time for Bryon Beggs and Nev Shaw of Gray to open their home and gardens for their annual TLLTC fundraising event. Now a regular event in the St Marys social calendar, the event was well attended, with well over 120 visitors coming through the gate. A great range of stalls added an excellent market vibe with all stallholders donating their takings to the Centre. Many visitors took the opportunity to buy books, plants, Christmas cards, and handmade items from St Marys Repurposing and Upcycling. Garden party attendees were treated to performances by the With One Voice Break O’Day choir, and most indulged in a decadent morning tea, all donated and served up by volunteers. Most return visitors were yet again amazed at what their hosts, Nev and Bryon, have achieved on their beautiful property. In only about 12 years, they’ve transformed a rocky, sandy bush block into a bespoke, handcrafted home and outbuildings, hothouses, orchards and vegetable gardens, water features, and garden paths that encourage visitors to spend time being lost among the colour of lush flowering trees and other plants. Combined with artistic mosaic creations and other unique artworks, the gardens have an immersive and meditative effect on all who wander them. Nev and Bryon have generously opened their home for TLLTC fundraising events annually since 2019 (with the exception of breaks due to Covid-19). Many Fingal Valley locals have attended most or all of these events, giving them the opportunity to see and be inspired by the evolution of this off-grid property. Jak Isaksen has attended and volunteered at nearly all the TLLTC fundraising events since 2019, and said she’d noticed huge changes in the gardens. “The immediate change I noticed was how much more established the garden felt – deciduous trees are more advanced as well as the smaller undergrowth shrubbery. It feels more intimate with age.” She also noted that Bryon and Nev, together with the TLLTC committee, have continued to build an engaging and successful event. “The events involve community in the true sense and the fundraising feels like an added bonus. The TLLTC committee and lots of other volunteers offer their time and energy to co-ordinate this event and bring it all together.”
Since the last fundraiser in November 2022, Bryon and Nev have mostly been collecting and planting more flowers and shrubs. And their work isn’t finished yet. “Our next project is a small orchid house. Once we’re done with that, we intend to start on a sculpture trail,” Nev said. With their regular events including participation in the Bay of Fires Winter Arts Festival Arts Trail, and occasional open homes, there’s a lot for attendees to look forward to – and plenty of reason for regular visitors to keep coming back. The event raised $3220 for the TLLTC, a not-for-profit organisation that relies on donations and grants for equipment purchase, servicing and maintenance, provision of some patient subsidies, and other ongoing costs.
The staff at the TLLTC, and the volunteers on the TLLTC Committee, would like to thank all who have supported the Centre in 2023, and look forward to continued support in 2024. To stay up to date with events, follow the Centre on https://www.facebook.com/TasLymphoedema)
NOVEMBER
Interstate Experts made a visit to the clinic!
The TLLTC welcomed a return visit from Professor Neil Piller, a lymphology expert from the Department of Surgery at the Flinders University School of Medicine (South Australia), on 13-14th November 2023. Professor Piller and his wife, Toni, have a long association with the TLLTC and visited the centre annually until 2019, when staffing changes and the COVID-19 pandemic prevented their travel. Hence their recent return was a much welcomed and celebrated reunion of long-established colleagues and friends. The visit was partly funded by a generous grant from the St Helens and St Marys Community Bank (Bendigo Bank), awarded in 2019, but extended to support the visit when it was finally able to go ahead. During the 2-day visit, Professor Piller gave talks to patient groups to provide information and resources about management and self-care for lymphoedema. Patients were also screened for lymphoedema and fibrosis using the In-Body Analyser, a specialised body composition assessment machine that was purchased for the TLLTC under a Tasmanian Community Fund Grant. Patients also had consultations and received personalised treatment and management plans. TLLTC staff said the visit was of great value to the practice. “Neil sees both old and new clients and conveys self-care advice, and he’s up to date with the latest research findings. He brings measuring devices we don’t have, and provides more specific assessments”, practitioners Katrin Alexander and Bree Piscitelli said. Nev Shaw, who volunteered during the visit, said he heard many positive stories about the effectiveness of treatments at the Centre. “Some patients have kept their lymphoedema in check using the exercises they’ve been shown. Neil was wonderful as he is very caring and practical in his approach to patients”. Overall, the visit was a great success, and staff, volunteers and patients all welcome similar future visits and collaboration.
JUNE
The Tasmanian Bay of Fires Arts Trail has just offered us another round of Amazing artists and pretty special places. Bryon Beggs is one of those artists, he and partner Neville have once again opened their home and their hearts to all that attended over the three days and they generously donated the entrance fee to the TLLTC. They have done so much for this centre, we love these guys! THANK YOU Bryon & Neville
The St Helens Neighbourhood House Op Shop in May had offered the local community a chance to apply for their community grant. Our very clever secretary Sarah, worked her awesome grant application writing skills and we are now ever so grateful to the St Helens Neighbourhood House for accepting our application! They have one of the best Op shops in Tasmania, where you can even get fresh fruit and veg from the community garden!
2022 News
November
September
Bicheno Community Health Group inc. have generously accepted our Grant application for funding assistance to run our 2023 Lower income subsidised laser treatment pilot program. In January our program begins by offering subsidised treatments to clients who find it financially difficult to attend the clinic for treatments. More info next year to let you know how it is going!
February
NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
The Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Tasmanian Lymphoedema and Laser Therapy Centre Inc will take place at 5.30pm on Monday March 21, 2022, in the Day Room at St Marys Community Health. Business to be conducted is to confirm the minutes of the preceding annual general meeting, to receive the association’s financial statements and reports, and to elect officers of the Association and the ordinary members of the committee.
This year, due to the retirement of two members of the committee of management, we are keen for community members to get involved and nominate for the positions of President, Treasurer and Secretary/Public Officer.
Members of the community are encouraged and welcome to attend the AGM
Videoconference attendance may be available; to register your interest in attending by Zoom please contact us at lymphoedematas@gmail.com.
For general enquiries about the AGM or committee vacancies, please contact Gayle Smythe (outgoing President) on 0400576616 or Bree Piscitelli (Lymphoedema Therapist) on 0484130442.
2021 News
March
NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
The Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Tasmanian Lymphoedema and Laser Therapy Centre Inc will take place in the Day Room, St Marys Community Health Centre at 5.00pm on Monday March 15, 2021. Business to be conducted is to confirm the minutes of the last AGM, to appoint office bearers and ordinary members of the committee and to receive the association’s financial report. Potential new committee members are welcome to attend. For enquiries contact Lynne Fitzgerald on 0437462406.
2020 News
March
NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
The Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Tasmanian Lymphoedema and Laser Therapy Centre Inc will take place in the Day Room, St Marys Community Health Centre at 5.00pm on Monday March 16, 2020. Business to be conducted is to confirm the minutes of the last AGM, to appoint office bearers and ordinary members of the committee and to receive the association’s financial report. Potential new committee members are welcome to attend. For enquiries contact Lynne Fitzgerald on 0437462406.
2019 News
March
The Centre was awarded a Community Small Grant from the St Helens-St Marys Community Bank branch of the Bendigo Bank to support Professor Neil Pillar’s next visit, to be held in 2020.
June
Mr Nev Shaw and Mr Bryon Beggs generously donated proceeds from an open house and garden, held at their home in St Marys as part of the Bay of Fires Arts Trail weekend.
October
Donations of beautiful, unique hand-made quilts were received from Ms Ann Luttrell, and the Bicheno Busy Fingers group, as raffle prizes for fund raising.
Mr Bryon Beggs kindly donated an original oil painting also to be raffled for fund raising.
These were raffled through October-November, with prizes drawn at the Open House & Garden held in November (see below).
November
Mr Nev Shaw and Mr Bryon Beggs, long-time supporters and past long-serving committee members for the Centre, opened their unique, environmentally sustainable home and spectacular gardens to the public. This Open House and Garden was attended by several hundred people. The St Marys District School Entrepreneurial Group, led by Ms Rachel Hodge, provided morning teas and donated time to support the event, and Ms Merril Gough managed a plant stall, selling a wide array of home-grown plants. All proceeds from the event (admissions, plant sales, morning tea sales, and raffle ticket sales) were donated to the Centre. Many volunteers were there on the day to support a fabulous event!
Tasmanian Lymphoedema and Laser Therapy Centre 