Reconciliation family fun day

IT WILL be a case of reconciliation in action this Sunday as Lismore's mayor and Aboriginal elders join Mr Bumsqueak the Clown for a family day at Kadina Park.

(L to R) Lismore mayor, Jenny Dowell joins Mr Bumsqueak the Clown and Community Services Officer Lee-Ann Emzin getting into the spirit for this Sunday's Reconciliation Family Fun Day at Kadina Park. If wet, festivities will be shifted to the Goonellabah Sports and Aquatic Centre.

UPDATE: Due to the continuing wet weather, Lismore City Council has unfortunately been forced to postpone the National Reconciliation Week event planned for Kadina Park this Sunday, June 3.

Lismore City Council will hold the event at a date to be advised in the next eight to 10 weeks and apologies for any inconvenience caused.

IT WILL be reconciliation in action this Sunday as Lismore's mayor and Aboriginal elders join Mr Bumsqueak the Clown for a family fun day at Kadina Park.

National Reconciliation Week is about bringing people together and this is the first time Lismore City Council has celebrated the event.

Community Development Officer Lizette Twisleton has a fantastic family fun day planned from 10.30am to 3.00pm with a huge line-up of entertainment for kids and adults alike.

The day kicks off with a Welcome to Country by Aunty Thelma James and official opening by local dignitaries, and then the fun begins with performances by Indigenous entertainer and educator Dhinawan, singer/songwriter Laura Nobel, busker Billy Smith and young hip hop crew Supafresh.

The Creative Peoples Collective will be holding circus and arts workshops while Mr Bumsqueak the Clown will lead people in an interactive community-building exercise using a huge inflatable ball!

People will also have the chance to hear the beautiful voice of Lismore Youth Week female Songwriter of the Year, Siobhan Corcoran, and Council is putting on a massive free BBQ plus a jumping castle for the little ones.

Ms Twisleton said in order to help genuine reconciliation occur within communities people need to show their support through actions and not just words. She said attending a family fun day is something simple families can do to help build connections in their local community.

"Grab your family and a picnic rug and come and enjoy a sunny Sunday afternoon in the park with the people who live and work in your neck of the woods," Ms Twisleton said.

"There is so much for kids to do all day, lots to eat and it's all free. Sharing time with others, laughing, talking and having fun are the best ways to break down barriers and create a real sense of belonging to one's community."

National Reconciliation Week is held each year between May 27 and June 3 as those two dates commemorate two significant milestones in the reconciliation journey - the anniversaries of the successful 1967 referendum and the High Court Mabo decision.

The National Reconciliation Week family fun day is a joint initiative of Lismore City Council and the Goonellabah Community Plan, a federally-funded project with various aims including building strength and unity through community interaction.

The National Reconciliation Week family fun day is a free event on Sunday, June 3 at Kadina Park from 10.30am to 3.00pm. For more information phone Council's Customer Contact Centre on 1300 878 387.

Originally published as Reconciliation family fun day