Ashburton Courier: October 29, 2020

NEWS
22 Ashburton Courier, October 29, 2020
www.ashburtoncourier.co.nz
Dave gets creative with sewing machine
Ashburton granddad Dave
Stewarthas got creative and
handy coming up with aunique
gift for his grandson.
He hasused aSinger sewing
machine bodyasthe main
component for ahand­crafted
mini traction engine andthe
wheelshave beenrecycled
from an old lawn mower. It has
acopperaxle, acoal bin, and
thehub caps feature penny and
half penny coins.
Thewhole thing has been
carefully lacquered.
Theenginewill be presented
to hisChristchurch­based
grandsonTobie on his seventh
birthday next month.
Tobie received an impressive
hand­made pedalcar in the
shapeofavintage plane from
hisgranddadfour years ago.
Dave said he had spotteda
similar tractionengine at afair
in Geraldine andhad been
inspired to findcomponentsto
build his own.
He hasenjoyedthe project so
much that he waspartway
through asecond and
considering athird.
He boughtthe pedal­powered
1902 Singersewingmachine off
Trade Meand it was built into
an ageing cabinet with drawers.
Thecabinet has beensanded,
re­varnished and brought back
Dave Stewart working on his second traction project in a
workshop at Ashburton Menz Shed, right, the traction engine he
has made for his grandson on top of the refurbished Singer cabinet.
to life.
Dave, aformer electrician, is
afoundingmember of the
AshburtonMenz Shed and
enjoyspottering about in a
workshop at thegroup’s
William Streetheadquarters.
Fellow shedmember Dalvyn
Burrowes has lent ahand with
thewheels on Dave’s second
engine, which is still aworkin
progress.
Free bowel screen
Mid Canterbury people between
the ages of 60 and 74 willbegin
receiving freebowelscreening
kits frommid­November.
It is part of the national bowel
screeningprogramme and in
Canterbury some 90,000people
will be eligible to takepart in the
firsttwo years.
Underthe programme,thosein
the 60­74 age group with a
birthdayonaneven date (2, 4, 6
etc ­ofthe month)will receivea
test kit on or neartheirbirthday.
People with odd­date birthdays
will receive theirtest kit during
the second yearofthe
programme.
Thetest kit itself is about the
size of alargeUSB stick,iseasy to
useand accompaniedbyclear
instructions.
It is designed to pick up tiny
traces of bloodinyour faeces
(poo)and to catchcancersbefore
they becomeadvanced and more
difficult to treat.
Dr AndrewBrant, acting
CanterburyDHB chief, said
investigations prompted by
returnedtestswouldenable the
treatmentofaround 1000 precancerous
growths and 100 or so
cancers in the firstyear.
Finding and removingthem at
an early stage will dramatically
increase people’s chance of a
successful outcome.
DELIVERYPEOPLE
wanted
to deliver the Ashburton Courier
and Realty every Thursday in the
Hampstead (Beach Road) area.
Phone Mary on
308 7664 or email
mary.summerfield@ashburtoncourier.co.nz
2326054
Speaker shares advice
on dealing with suicide
Suicide and prevention
specialist Dr Annette
Beautrais wasinAshburton
last week to speak at aLives
Worth Living­organised
emergency services
workshop.
Dr Beautrais is considered
aworld authority on suicide
and prevention and has spent
many yearsresearching best
practicedealing with suicide.
LivesWorthLivingsuicide
prevention co­ordinator Paul
‘Pup’ Chamberlain said as a
result of her considerable
experience, the programme
had adopted Dr Beautrais’s
material as asound,effective
approach to post and
prevention education.
More than 120fire,
ambulance, police staff and
partners gathered at the
workshop, held at the
AshburtonTrust Event
Centre, to listentoanevening
of facts and best practiceon
how to look after the public
they serve, he said.
Mr Chamberlain
specialises in prevention and
is available for grouptalks
and specific training for
workplaces andother groups.
‘‘Large or small, this
training canbeplanned to fit
topics and time restrictions
involved. Topics covered
include wellbeing, how to
have conversations with
people you are concerned
about, mental first­aid on
keeping well, usefultools,
resilience, online risk, where
to get help, self­careplans
and more,’’ he said.
Emergency crews at the
workshop werereminded
that in their roles they were
dealing with situations many
of the public were protected
from and, as aresult, they
Suicide and prevention specialist Dr Annette Beautrais at last
week’s workshop.
had aresponsibilitytolook
after their own health and
wellbeing.
Mr Chamberlain said the
post workshop evaluation
showedanoverwhelming
appreciation of the
informationpresentedand
DrBeautrais’s ability to
answer the audiencesmany
questions.
Lives Worth Living (Safer
Mid­Canterbury) has been
operatingfor twelve months
as aresult of generous
fundingfrom many groups,
especially TheLion
Foundation, McKenzie
Charitable Foundation,
TrevorWilson Charitable
Trust,CommunityTrustof
MidandSouth­ Canterbury,
Advance Ashburtonand the
Mayfield Lions.
Mr Chamberlain’s
colleagueissuicide
preventionco­ordinator
Connie Quigley who
specialises in navigation of
services, and Post­vention
wrap­aroundand response.
Shealsoruns andcoordinatesprogrammes
such
as OCEANS whichdeals with
grief andloss and WAVES
which is an eight week
programmefor those
directlyimpactedby
Suicide. Theservices are
freetoMid Cantabrians.
Anyone wantingtocontact
theco­ordinators candoso
eitherbyphoneoremail.
Connieisat027 4500742 or
email connie.
quigley@safermidcanterbury.org.nz
andPaul
(Pup)Chamberlainat027 382
6501 or emailpaul.
chamberlain@safermidcanterbury.org.nz
Anyone in need of help can
contact their GP, or phone or
text 1737. In an emergency
contact the Ashburton
Community Psychiatric team
on 0800 222 955or111 for
emergencyservices.