Free2b Girls in Westbury
Charlie, Talia, Stacey Tweedale, Amba, Elena and Amanda at Free2beGirls in Westbury. The program runs on Monday afternoons from 3.30pm to 5.15pm, for girls between 10-12 years of age.
Westbury Health Centre on Meander Valley Road has launched an exciting new partnership with Free2b Girls.
Free2b Girls is the brainchild of Tani Langoulant, a trained counsellor and social ecologist based on Tasmania’s east coast.
Tani developed Free2beGirls to help open up spaces in regional communities where girls can experience freedom, choice and creativity within the boundaries of safety, tolerance and respect.
The Free2b Girls program has been steadily growing over the past few years, and there are now groups in St Helens, Beaconsfield, Campbell Town, Youngtown, and Longford.
The girls themselves create each group’s activities with the support of women from the local community.
Westbury Health chairperson Dinah FitzGerald sees the far-reaching benefits that the program can offer girls.
‘We are delighted to partner with Free2b Girls and offer Westbury Health Centre as a safe place for girls to explore their creativity and freedom.’
‘The inclusion of Free2b Girls into Westbury Health’s existing programs adds the final link in showcasing a whole-of-life approach to the centre. We have programs for seniors and a reading program for toddlers, but we were missing the preteen years. With further success, we will be able to expand the program to teenagers.’
Volunteers run the program, with local resident Stacey Tweedale as facilitator.
‘We currently have one other volunteer assisting with the program, but to increase our number of participants, we require more volunteers. You don’t need any special qualifications, but you must have a Working with Vulnerable People’s card and be female. Training is provided to all volunteers,’ said Stacey.
If you are interested in your daughter attending or becoming a volunteer, please contact Stacey Tweedale at free2bwestbury@gmail.com or by phoning 0413 453 567. For more information on Free2b Girls, please go to www.Free2bGirls.com.au.
