4 Sun Newspapers WEDNESDAY, October 24, 2012.
By DAMIEN McCARTNEY
HUNDREDS of notnormally-lycra-clad
Territorians left the cars at home and rode their pushies to work last week.
Ride2Work day saw roads quieter and bike paths become busier last
Wednesday morning.
Dingo Hall from K9 Cycles, Vicki Krause and Eric the Swapper at the RDH Ride to work Day Breakfast
Coconut Grove bike shop
K9 Cycles owner Dingo Hall donated his morning to
Royal Darwin Hospital.
Mr Hall said hospital staff regularly came into the shop, so he decided to give some time back to them.
He said the popularity of cycling in the Territory was growing rapidly.
‘‘There are more and more people riding to work in Darwin,’’ he said.
‘‘There is a growing bike track network around the city, suburbs and even
Palmerston.
‘‘It’s great that people are concerned about their health,’’ he added.
Mr Hall said he and other hospital staff members — and Eric the Swapper — were handing out spot prizes to staff for riding into work in the morning.
He said one staff member rode a whopping 22km into work — from the other side of Palmerston.
‘‘All you need is a good bike, and it’s easy,’’ he said.
He said many cyclists made the mistake of buying cheap bikes.
‘‘You can pick up a decent bike for under $500, so they’re not as expensive as they once were,’’ he said.
Mr Hall said he rode to work about three times a week, and encouraged all
Top Enders to do the same.
THEIR work is a laugh but the benefit of ‘‘clown doctors’’ is no joke.
Research to be presented today at a children’s healthcare conference reveals young patients improve physically and psychologically after encounters with specialised clown performers.
‘‘We found the impact of what they do goes beyond that actual moment of performance and interaction,’’ researcher
Leigh Tesch said.
‘‘Beforehand, the children felt excited and so there was this anticipation.
Afterwards they remembered what happened and felt good talking about it.’’
More than 50 performers are employed by the
Humour Foundation to visit
21 hospitals in Australia.
Foundation general manager Melinda Farrell said the interaction of clowns empowered children and took their minds off their treatment.
THE Territory Government has awarded a $48,000 contract to a CLP member to investigate a communications strategy.
Julian Swinstead is a ministerial adviser in the office of Chief Minister
Terry Mills.
The former journalist went close to being chosen as the CLP’s candidate for
Port Darwin in the 1990s.
The Government said Mr
Swinstead was just one party to the contract.
It said he was ‘‘eminently qualified’’ to carry out the consultancy as he had managed newspapers in
Australia and New Zealand.
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Every Sunday 10 am at Kormilda College
Auditorium, Berrimah Rd
1st & 3rd Sundays 5pm at Sattler Christian
College, Sattler Cres,
Fred's Pass
Ph 8945 7878
darwinpresbyterian.org.au
If you’re struggling with the loss of a job, a loved one, a relationship breakdown, loneliness, or for any other reason, Grow offers practical steps and peer support to help you recover your mental health and achieve your personal goals.
Grow is a caring and supportive community based organisation that has developed a unique program for improving and maintaining mental wellbeing.
Grow is a non-government organisation and was established in Sydney back in 1957.
Find a Grow group near you.
Call Free Call: 1800 558 268 or visit our website: www.grow.net.au
Where: Kezia Purich’s electorate offi ce
When: Tuesday 13th November 2012
Time: 10.00am – 12.00noon
Meetings are weekly for approximately 2 hours, and are free to attend!
Grow NT is proudly supported by the Northern Territory Government