Picnic for tots and teds

WEDNESDAY’S the day the teddy bears have their picnic… with some special friends.

Celebrating Children’s Week, Ballarat Neighbourhood Centre is hosting a Teddy Bear’s Picnic in the Park on 23 October from 11.30am to 1pm.

Children are welcome to bring their teddies along to Victory Park on Vickers Street, Sebastopol to mingle with new friends and furry faces.

In line with the week’s theme, ‘children have the right to be healthy, safe and happy,’ Ballarat Neighbourhood Centre has partnered with Ballarat Community Health’s dietitians to provide fresh, healthy snack recipes, soups, sandwiches and fruit to picnic goers.

Maria Jones is organising the picnic, which includes catering from Ballarat Neighbourhood Centre’s Social Enterprise kitchen and a visit from an SES truck.

“It’s going to be a huge hit, I imagine,” she said. “It’s great for the children to have that social interaction and a fun time together.

“We hope they all remember to bring their bears, but we will have some spares.”

Member for Buninyong, Michaela Settle said Children’s Week is a wonderful opportunity for people to get out and do something new with the kids in their lives.

She’s looking forward to meeting more tots and teds from her electorate at the picnic.

“The Ballarat Neighbourhood Centre have done a wonderful job in this area, bringing community together, and this is a wonderful chance to get together and enjoy a day in the park,” she said.

If interrupted by bad weather, the event will move over the road to the Sebastopol Early Education Centre.