The site of iconic Victorian heritage house, Burnham Beeches will play host to a female health-check roadshow, to be orchestrated by local women’s support group, Mums of The Hills, and co-delivered by Women’s Health East and Phoenix Australia Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health, on Sunday 8th October.
Mums Of The Hills Founder, Belinda Young, was inspired by the 2020 Jean Hailes’s Women’s Health Survey which revealed one in three women aged between 25 and 44 did not have enough time to attend health check ups when they decided to prioritise their health concerns.
Driven to help the community and provide an efficient and easy solution to time-poor mothers, Ms Young has been working with local providers and community members to create this local initiative with a holistic goal of encouraging woman to take their health seriously.
“Our busy schedules and mental load mean that health and wellness is put in the ‘too hard basket’.
“This roadshow includes child minding facilities so mums without care options take advantage of it here and re- prioritise their health.
“Our health professionals are skilled in female health and will offer valuable general advise to visitors on the day.
We will also be supplying healthcare provider ‘cheat sheets’ of services available in the area as a way of reducing the mental load and making following through with your health plan easier,” she said.
Ms Young said following the Covid19 pandemic and the storms experienced in the Hills in 2021, there may have been big delays for women to get on top of their own health.
“This is a chance for women, and those assigned female at birth, to taking some time to sit down and see what reviews have you not done.
“Have you had your glucose testing? How’s your BMI? When was the last time you checked your blood pressure, or had a mammogram?
“These are reviews we should be doing annually or biannually, or asking doctor whether it’s required,” she said.
For most mothers, Ms Young said they tend to be more focused on their family or careers, and tend to be juggling a lot of different things at the same time.
“Often we find women put those boundaries of family and financial situations ahead of their own health.
“We’re helping to remove those boundaries by providing health care providers for general questions.
“Sometimes we don’t know what we need, why we need it, whether we need to do something if we’re in a risk group, or don’t know differences between services or what we need – which can add to our mental load,” she said.
On Sunday 8 October, mothers, women and those assigned female at birth (AFAB) can visit the Burnam Beeches Estate in Sherbrooke for a day dedicated to getting their health back on track.
Ms Young said anyone can attend, bring their families along or come by themselves, and make a day of it.
“It’s a beautiful venue with lovely lawns out front, so people can bring along picnic blankets and enjoy a delicious morning or afternoon tea.
“There will be a wide range of health care providers including nutritionists, counsellors and a midwife to name a few,” she said.
The day is to support people in all stages of being a woman.
“We want to recognise that it’s not just women, it’s also non-binary people and those assigned a female at birth (AFAB).
“The services are all there to ask general questions, and provide services and support for all age brackets,” said Ms Young.
Alongside the healthcare providers, there will additional activities taking place for families and individuals to enjoy.
“There will be hikes and walks around Sherbrooke Forest to meet with other like-minded individuals and make a full day of it.
“It’s a whole day of giving yourself a bit of love, and putting yourself first,” said Ms Young.
For Ms Young, the Mums of the Hills Group is close to her heart, including the community of women that make up the group.
“Mums of the Hills is a community group I started after realising how isolating and vulnerable living in this area could be.
“It is a beautiful place, but I knew we needed a village to support the women living in this unique Melbourne community,” she said.
In partnering with Mums of The Hills, the Burnham Beeches ownership consortium is signalling its intent to support the immediate local community as well as the wider Yarra Ranges Council, through assisting in the delivery of social wellness initiatives while the historic estate grounds are currently not in use, in preparation for the site’s transformation into a wellness-focused eco resort.
The day kicks off from 10am at The Piggery, and will conclude around 4pm.
Bookings for this event are essential, and can be made at mumsofthehills.com.au/all-events/check-me-out-sherbrooke
