The Pool Day held in Walgett 30 November 2019 had many purposes.
Walgett Aboriginal Medical Service (“WAMS”) and Dharriwaa Elders Group (“DEG”) – both long-standing Walgett Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (“ACCOs”) value the swimming pool highly for health and wellbeing and recognise the important activity for children that the pool provides. Most Walgett services for children and families try to organise pool activities over the hot summer months to “beat the heat”.<p>
WAMS Goonimoo chose to conduct a Pool Day to launch a new child injury prevention program it is undertaking in 2020 with UNSW School of Public Health and Community Medicine. Dharriwaa Elders Group and its Yuwaya Ngarra-li UNSW partnership team chose to conduct a Pool Day to continue its Community Data gathering activity, building on a successful pool day conducted in 2018. The two strong local ACCOs combined resources, and Goonimoo invited Mission Australia and Walgett PCYC to join in. The day was attended by 388 people from 11am – 5pm and a really positive vibe was experienced by all.