Join us to celebrate the organisation’s successes in 2024/25, and hear more about our strategic direction and ongoing commitment to community.
Date Wednesday 5th November
Time 5:00pm for a 5:15pm commencement
Venue 12 Lilburne Street, Lucas, 3350
RSVP By Wednesday 29th October
Welcome to the Ballarat Mental Health Collective Art Exhibition, where local artists use their creative genius to raise awareness about mental health in our community.
Entries are from people making artwork and using creativity to practice and promote positive mental wellbeing. Lend your support for our artists and vote for your favourite work.
Using the form at the bottom of the page, type in the name of the artist and the title of their work you wish to vote for. Artworks that are for sale all have a price detailed in the description. Please contact the artist directly to arrange your purchase.
Name Willow Groten
Title Angelic Whispers
Medium Mixed Media, watercolour, feathers, lace
Price Not for Sale
Contact N/A
Artist Statement My name is Willow, I joined an art class at BHC about 8-9 years ago due to receiving a diagnosis of MS and needing to reduce my stress load. I find that art really soothes me and brings me back into the moment while distracting me from the symptoms of my condition.
Name Wendy Walker
Title Black Dog
Medium Digital
Price Not for Sale
Contact N/A
Artist Statement Turning their back on the Black Dog of depression and taking small steps toward a brighter future. There is no set path on the way out, only a hope that things can get better. The dead trees represent bad days. The dark trees extend into the light as a reminder that some bad days will still occur but we can still struggle back from those into better days.
Name Tunde
Title Manifest
Medium Watercolour
Price $30
Contact [email protected]
Artist Statement Small things can manifest big things in the universe. Never underestimate the impact small acts of kindness can have.
Name Tim Spriggs
Title Evolve or Devolve
Medium Blackpoint pen and pencil.
Price Not for sale
Contact N/A
Artist Statement This piece delves into the cost of progress, the weight of expectation and the structure of society. Gratitude and ambition. No stance, only observation.
Name Teresa Foster
Title of Work The Path to Potential
Medium Watercolour
Price $15
Contact [email protected]
Artist Statement Mental health is lived in everyday moments. Healing doesn’t have to be dramatic; it can be quiet, steady, and deeply human. The lakeshore walk reminds me that no matter how heavy things feel, there is always a path forward.
The Ballarat Mental Health Collective 2025 Art Exhibition will be displayed at the ArtBox Gallery at the Ballarat South Community Hub. The exhibition can be viewed daily from 1st – 31st October 2025.
Ballarat Community Health and the City of Ballarat have teamed up to launch the Eat Well Feel Good campaign at the Ballarat Aquatic and Lifestyle Centre (BALC), making it easier for visitors to choose healthier food and drinks.
With over 60,000 visits each month, BALC is a busy community hub — and the Afloat Café plays a big role in helping people refuel with nutritious options.
A recent survey showed strong interest in healthier menu choices. People asked for; more fruit and fresh salads, healthier sandwich and wrap fillings, yoghurt and granola options and fewer fried foods, sugary drinks, and confectionery.
Based on this feedback, the café is making some great updates with support from Ballarat Community Health and the City of Ballarat; healthier drinks now fill the fridge, confectionery has been moved and reduced, popcorn is promoted over chips, a “green zone” in the display cabinet highlights nutritious options and new menu items include healthier meals, snacks, and a kids’ meal deal.
The campaign is being promoted throughout BALC with; posters and digital screens, colouring competitions for kids, nudge cards at the counter, shelf labels to highlight healthy choices and email updates for members.
It’s working! Early feedback shows the new healthy options are popular and selling well — a great sign that the community is on board.
World Hepatitis Day, held on 28 July 2025 is a chance for us to raise awareness of this health condition. It is estimated that there is currently just under 69,000 people in Australia living with hepatitis C and 19% of these people are unaware they are living with the condition. The WHO global target is hepatitis C elimination by 2030.
Hepatitis B and hepatitis C are viruses that cause damage to your liver. They can be chronic, which means you could have them your whole life. Without treatment, they can lead to liver disease or liver cancer. Hepatitis C is easy to test for and treat.
The treatment for hepatitis C is 98% successful and comes with minimal to no side effects.
Ingrid, BCH’s Integrated hepatitis C nurse for Ballarat Community Health will be out and about the region, from Bacchus Marsh to the SA border. She can travel to clients. Ingrid is ready to take on referrals for hepatitis C treatment, or alternatively support GPs and Nurse Practitioners wishing to treat hepatitis C.
Ballarat Community Health have become part of a POCT (point of care testing) research program through the Kirby Institute, this will lead to faster diagnosis and access to treatment. As the machine for POCT is portable Ingrid will be taking it regional.
Ingrid offers hepatitis education sessions to organisations. For more information and to request a call from Ingrid you can fill out the enquiry form at Hepatitis Education.
We are proud to publish our statement of commitment to the public which was endorsed at BCH.
At Ballarat Community Health (BCH), our focus is to sustain healthy communities through the provision of accessible, affordable and quality health and wellbeing services. The healthiest communities are the ones where everyone is included and treated with respect.
At BCH we know that discrimination, income, education, access to healthcare, and social support (collectively referred to as the social determinants of health) can significantly impact a person’s health outcomes and their overall quality of life.
At BCH we promote accessibility for all to support both individuals, and broader communities, and we seek to address the social determinants of health through all our health promotion, prevention and advocacy work.
You can download our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Statement of Commitment by visiting BCH Statements.
In partnership with VicHealth and Stockland Wendouree BCH worked with young people to co-design a suite of health promotion material to deter young people from vaping and to let them know that support was available.
A series of workshops was held at Stockland Wendouree over a six-week period where the teenagers worked alongside a local graffiti artist to develop the concept of the artwork, with the corresponding messaging drawn from conversations during the process.
The artwork was showcased at Showbiz cinema (DTC), Stockland Wendouree and Central Square Shopping Complex during the month of April, 2025. To receive a complementary pack of A4 flyers for display at your club or organisation you can email [email protected]
For further information and resources visit smoking and vaping support.
Messages from the participants.
“It’s not too late to change”
“Don’t start, it’s harder to stop”
“It’s not worth it”
“Control it before it controls you”
As a provider of primary care, health and wellbeing programs, and specialised services, BCH has a responsibility to provide all community members with culturally responsive, inclusive and evidence-based care.
We can only achieve this through meaningful collaboration between our organisation and diverse communities, not least Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples who are over-represented in every way in the determinants of poor health.
BCH is committed to improving and strengthening our services to meet the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community members in our work towards closing the gap in health disparity and life expectancy.
BCH began its Reconciliation Action Plan journey in 2018, with the development of the Reflect RAP. A RAP Working Group (RWG) was established to oversee its development and implementation and continues to have representation from across the organisation, as well external representation from local Aboriginal communities, including representatives from the Ballarat and District Aboriginal Cooperative, Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation, Mirriyu Cultural Consulting, Victoria Police Proactive Policing Unit, and Catholic Care Vic/Tas.
The 12-month Reflect RAP was formally endorsed by Reconciliation Australia in January 2020.
Innovate RAP provides a valuable framework for BCH to deepen its commitment to reconciliation and enable us to have better engagement across the communities we serve.
It offers a valuable opportunity for our staff to gain a deeper knowledge of, and respect for, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, histories and Cultures, Truth and Justice, and in turn, embed consideration for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples in everything we do.
Working in partnership with Ballarat and District Aboriginal Cooperative, we will strive to ensure a complete offering of medical and allied health services for local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander residents, rather than duplicate existing services. Moreover, we will aim to drive reconciliation through our business activities by forging mutually beneficial relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander suppliers, wherever possible.
In Position Statements 604 downloads
Our second, Innovate RAP (Reconciliation Action Plan) provides a valuable framework for BCH to deepen its commitment to reconciliation and enable us to have better engagement across the communities we serve. It offers a valuable opportunity for our staff to gain a deeper knowledge of, and respect for, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, histories and Cultures, Truth and Justice, and in turn, embed consideration for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples in everything we do.
In Position Statements 641 downloads
Our commitment to reconciliation is about enhancing our knowledge and awareness of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, history and ongoing connection to Country. It is also about continuing to engage meaningfully with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, Organisation and Communities to provide improved opportunities and services to reduce the significant gaps in health and wellbeing and working together to advocate for changes in structural discrimination and other determinants of health that perpetuate inequalities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and Communities.