We Now Provide Eftpos Payments!
Charity Variety Concert 14th September, 2024
RPAC Concert Hall, Saturday 14th September 2024.
All our programs including: Tap, Jazz, Singing, Dancercise, Drumming, Art Therapy and Buff Bones are now back in swing.
Extremely exciting news for People Living with a Disability about the Interactive Programs run by Here’s to Life.
All programs will recommence on Monday 13th July. YES….we’re BACK
Here’s to Life is a most unique organisation in that it caters to both able-bodied people of the Redlands community, and also those people in the community who live with a disability. And there is no restriction on what that disability might be: intellectual and/or physical.
Dancercise has been uniquely designed and developed as a health and wellbeing program encouraging movement, exercise and musicality. Even those who are confined to a wheelchair are able to participate! We have found over time – we’re talking 10 plus successful years here – that the carers and volunteers have as much fun as the participants, and thrive on the joy that the program brings to all.
Rebecca is Zoe’s carer and has this to say….I attend Here's to Life classes with Zoe, who participates weekly in the special needs Dancercise and Drumming/Percussion classes.
Zoe has been attending Dancercise for nearly 2 years and it is one of the most valuable resources in her life, both as a form of exercise and a social activity. Her strength and gross motor skills have improved tremendously over the time, as have her ability to follow instructions, work in a group, and focus her attention.
When I first attended Dancercise with Zoe, she had great difficulty remaining attentive for more than a few minutes and struggled with coordinated movements. She is now able to remain engaged for the entire one hour period as well as recall and perform choreography.
Zoe's success is due in no small part to the skills of Sue Harvey, who engineers a supportive and engaging learning environment for participants with a huge variety of needs and Kacey’s classes who gives Zoe a rare sense of autonomy and chance for independence & creative expression in the Art Therapy & Drumming Programs.
I have seen not only Zoe, but many other participants bloom in class, demonstrating before unseen confidence and joy.
The Here's to Life program also provides Zoe with a vital social resource. Zoe is non-verbal and highly social; H2L allows her the rare opportunity to spend time with her peers (with and without disabilities) and provides her with a large number of people who are both equipped and willing to interact with her according to her abilities. She has formed many strong friendships there, some of whom she spends time with outside of H2L activities. Without the program, I don't believe Zoe would have enjoyed these sorts of relationships since leaving school.
I couldn't possibly exaggerate the value of Here's to Life as part of Zoe's life and mine. Both of us have learnt an enormous amount there, have made lasting friendships, and have found community. I have the utmost respect and gratitude for Sue and her tireless team of staff and volunteers and look forward to our return in July.
Want to know more? Call Sue on 3809 0239 or 0407 154 993 to find out how we can get your friend, family member, or group involved in all the fun. www.herestolife.org.au
Here’s to Life certainly live up to their catch phrase of Fun, Friendship and Fitness…even during a worldwide pandemic! The spirit and comradery of the Redlands’ Not-for-Profit Organisation, that specialises in programs for those in the community living with a disability and for ladies and gentlemen aged 40+ seems to be unbreakable. Here’s to Life offers jazz dancing, tap dancing, drumming, singing, bone health, and art therapy classes Monday, Wednesday and Friday at the Cleveland Memorial Hall each week. And the gals and guys there are known for the sense of fun they inject into everything they do!
We asked Sue, how she and her staff of amazing instructors have been able to keep the organisation afloat during the Coronavirus pandemic.
‘As it was for everyone, the sudden closure of Here’s to Life came as quite a shock. The Here’s to Life members come to us for any number of reasons, but one common thread is for exercise and companionship. These two important factors are the two that are hardest to simulate in a non-face-to-face scenario; so just like so many other businesses we had to think outside the box to deliver programs.’
Sue and her Buff Bones ® instructor, Angela, quickly rallied before all travel and non-family contact was banned, to record all dance programs and routines, dancercise programs for those living with a disability, and bone health work. They then created private social media groups for members to enable them to access their weekly classes. For those who are motivated enough to use the arena, the fitness side of the organisation was sorted. Instructors, Graeme, Anita and Kasey who teach Drumming, Singing and Art Therapy have diligently been posting exercises or projects in the forums for members to access. Live feeds and impromptu stretch or technique sessions have also been offered. Sue laughs as she remembers the first couple of attempts at using her phone to host these. ‘Everyone got to either see just my legs from the knee down, or my face – you couldn’t have all of me at once. Several sessions were completely blurry but the feedback everyone sent me was encouraging, and I persevered so that I now could do it in my sleep! I think particularly the dancing ladies, got a better workout from laughing at my recording antics than from the actual dancing in those first couple of sessions.’
Thanks to the tech skills of a couple of Here’s to Life members, regular coffee catchups and the sneaky Friday glass of wine have also been a wonderful way for anyone who wanted to participate to just sit and chat. Just as we do when we’re in the hall we laugh together, cry together, celebrate milestones together, hug each other (virtually of course) and support each other as much as we can. ‘It’s important not to discredit the state of everyone’s mental health during the pandemic,’ Sue says. ‘I know that several times participants have come into a virtual class or coffee feeling quite down, and have left feeling positive and happy once again. And that means the world to me.’
Sue would like to thank all the Here’s to Life members who have so generously made donations to the organisation during this crisis. As a Not-for-Profit organisation, our ability to regroup and reopen when restrictions are lifted relies solely on the generosity of the community and our members.
If you would like to know more about Here’s to Life please contact Sue on 0407 154 993.
Term 3 commences on Monday 13th July, 2020. Wie will continue to practice the COVID-19 public health rules.
For more information, contact us on 07 3809 0239.
Due to the COVID-19 crisis, we've had to reschedule the Fashion Parade. Check back on our website or on the Here's To Life Facebook page for the new date announcement.
Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 crisis we have had to postpone our 2020 Variety Charity Concert scheduled for August.
We will be rescheduling our Variety Concert, so our members will continue to practice until a new date is announced. Please check back here or on the Here's To Life Facebook page to keep up to date with any changes to the Variety Charity Concert 2020.
Click Here to download our March, 2020 Newsletter and keep up with all things Here's to Life.
We would like to send a special thank you to our dear friends at Bennetts Carpets. Bennetts have been long term sponsors of Here's To Life and we appreciate their continued support.
If you're thinking of replacing your flooring, give Bennett's a call on 1300 653 314 or visit their website - https://www.bennettscarpets.com.au/
The wonderful volunteers at the Redland Bay Men’s Shed built more of the fun guitars needed for the H2L Annual Variety Charity Concert. While our own member Yvonne painted them for the performance.
Showband – the fabulous Redland City Showband aka South of the River Community Band did an amazing job at the H2L 19th Annual Variety Charity Concert.
Come and visit us or volunteer - Members wear your Here's To Life shirt and go in the draw to win FREE lessons.
Our dates and locations are:
- Thrusday 16th January & Friday 17th January - Capalaba Park Shopping Centre
- Thursday 23rd January & Friday 24th January - Victoria Point Shopping Centre
- Thursday 30th January & Friday 31st January - Alexandra Hills Shoppping Centre
- Thursday 6th February & Friday 7th February - Cleveland Central Shopping Centre (previously Stocklands)
More Articles...
- 2020 Here's To Life Open Days
- New Sponsor - Lady Fatima Personal Care Services
- Save The Date - Variety Concert 2020
- 2019 Here's To Life Christmas Celebrations
- 2019 Here's To Life Open Days
- 2019 4th Term Important Dates
- Annual Variety Charity Concert 2019
- Together In Concert Preparation
- 2019 Annual Variety Charity Concert Working Bee
- Singers Performing At Harmony Day At Redlands Museum
