Record uptake of Active Kid vouchers

Fantastic to see parents taking advantage of sports program to help get kids active, says NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian

More than half a million parents in NSW have downloaded an Active Kids voucher since the program launching on 31 January, proving the programs overwhelming success.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian said she was thrilled that parents were using the opportunity to download their $100 voucher to cover the cost of sports and active recreation fees.

“It is fantastic to see mums and dads taking advantage of this program to help get their kids active,” Ms Berejiklian said.

So far more than 500,000 vouchers have been downloaded since Active Kids launched 31 January which is a phenomenal result. More than 315,000 vouchers have been redeemed, meaning a collective saving of $31 million in sport registration fees for parents.

“We know the cost of kids sport and activities can often stretch the family budget. Active Kids is one of the ways the NSW Government is easing cost of living pressures on parents,” she added.

Sports Minister Stuart Ayres said parents can now register online with Service NSW to receive their $100 voucher to provide to their approved sport or physical activity club or organization.

“If we can change the habits of many kids, get them off their devices and out in the sunshine and kicking a footy or playing a sport they love then we are helping to give young people a healthier start in life,” Mr Ayres said. “Almost 9,000 sport and activity organizations have already registered, and we expect a range of sports to continue to sign-up across the state. Along with traditional sports, there are physical activities such as swimming, dance lessons, athletics, Scouts and PCYC that parents can use their vouchers on,” said Mr Ayers.

“Active kids are healthy kids and as long as their program is more than eight weeks long and involves a moderate to strong degree of movement—it will qualify,” he added.

Parents have until 31 December 2018 to claim and use their voucher.

For more interesting news do visit: Healthy Lifestyle, Indian Community in Melbourne, Indians in Adelaide, Bollywood in Melbourne

Source: http://www.theindiansun.com.au/health-lifestyle/

How Young Indians Play an Important Role in Preserving Ethnic Culture in Australia

Ethnicity is more than just a state of mind.  It is the social organization of cultural differences. It is the future of Indian ethnicity that rests on the wise shoulder of young Indian people in Australia. Till today cultural cohesion of India is promoted in Australia by maintaining strong link with extended family and giving high priority to Indian tradition for generations.

The Indian community is committed to keep alive the future of Indian ethnicity in Australia by creating awareness about Indian culture, tradition, beliefs and practices and in promoting contact with extended family, choosing life partners etc. These are all a part of the family’s roles and responsibilities among the Indian Australians.

In Australia there are encouragement for those migrants who share their culture with the mainstream culture of Australia. Australia promote the languages of migrants by way of Ethnic school. Government funding to the Multicultural Communities Council shows that Australia fully support cultural diversity in the country. Thus, the future of Indian ethnicity is in balance.

On the other hand, Indians has ability to retain, reconstitute and rejuvenate their cultural aspects  overseas by holding on to their cultural differences of race, religion, fellowship  and  language as cultural persistence. Young Indians in Australia seems to be genuine to retain their belief in Indian culture, even though the impact of Australian culture is big.

Indian Newspaper in Australia

The Indian – Australian cultural and lingual diversity is retained by the Indian newspaper in Australia published in Sydney, Melbourne and in various parts of Australia.  Indian ethnicity and diversity is preserved with the help of Indian language program on radio and television, Hindu language schools, temples etc.

Australia and Indians share a common love of cricket. Australians also love Indian spiritual influences and the practices of yoga and meditation. There is nothing short of mutual respect between the two sides and lots of Indian traditions are a part of Australian life now. Indian born Australian have helped contribute to Australian diversity and are shaping Australian cuisine and sporting tradition.

India and Australia share political, economic, security, lingual and sporting ties. Before Independence Australia and the Republic of India were both part a of British Empire and both are the members of common wealth of Nations. Cricket has emerged as a strong cultural connection because of British colonization.

What will retain Indian ethnicity is the awareness of those who call themselves Indian Australians. Their way of life is truly Indian and it depends on the way young people were raised and the very existence of India and its prospective to provide channels for revitalizing Indian values and providing the mystique that motivates the generation to regard themselves as Indians. Keeping alive links with India benefits the community. 

In spite of the influences around the respect of Indian Australians for the family and the typical traditional Indian values and an admiration for the wisdom of the older generation transmitted by parents and extended family to their children supposedly should be preserved. The surprising tenacity of Indians have retained regional, cultural identity and linguistic influences in Australia.