A cloudless winter’s day greeted the GreenConnect Dementia Respite group as they set off with Murray Offroad Adventures for a memorable bus trip to Meringur and the Millewa Pioneer Village.

The GreenConnect community in Bendigo continues to grow, with six people attending for the first time at the group’s recent mid-winter morning tea at Omari Café in the Bendigo Botanic Gardens.

People living with dementia and their carers across the Loddon Mallee region will continue benefiting from GreenConnect after the Australian Government committed more than half a million dollars through the Aged Care Support Program to extend the program until 30 June 2027.

A cool, overcast winter’s morning set the scene as GreenConnect participants gathered at The Cottage on Cureton Avenue for another welcoming morning of friendship, conversation and connection.

GreenConnect Mildura participants recently enjoyed a delightful late-autumn outing to the Australian Inland Botanic Gardens in Mourquong, NSW.

GreenConnect participants recently enjoyed a beautiful late-autumn outing aboard a Murray Offroad Adventures bus trip, exploring hidden tracks, local history and the natural beauty surrounding the Mildura region.

GreenConnect participants recently enjoyed a morning of education, information and activities at Kangaroo Flat Bowls Club.

A recent GreenConnect gathering at The Cottage in Mildura brought together 30 participants, alongside volunteer care friends and staff, for a relaxed morning over tea.

With just a hint of an autumnal breeze in the air, the Bendigo GreenConnect group recently enjoyed their March morning tea at Omari Café, in the Bendigo Botanic Gardens.

Thirty-nine participants, alongside four Volunteer Care Friends and two GreenConnect staff members, gathered at The Cottage on what felt like a Far North Queensland summer morning – warm, humid and stormy.

Sixty-four GreenConnect Dementia Respite participants, volunteer care friends, Mildura Men’s Shed volunteers and clients, along with key community partners, recently gathered at the Gol Gol Hotel NSW on the banks of the Mighty Murray River to celebrate the end of a wonderful year of GreenConnect Dementia activities, connection, and friendship.

A joyful Christmas lunch marked the end of another fantastic year for the Bendigo GreenConnect group. In 2025, the Bendigo group has grown to more than 50 participants, and the Christmas gathering was a wonderful opportunity to celebrate and reflect on the support and friendships formed through GreenConnect.

A number of our GreenConnect carers recently attended an EDIE session, hosted by Dementia Australia. EDIE sessions utilise virtual reality to allow carers a greater understanding of what it’s like to live with dementia.

On the 11th day of the 11th month, GreenConnect Mildura participants enjoyed a memorable guided bus trip to Hattah National Park. Supported by Care Friend Trish, new staff member Julie, and tour operators Peter and Jeanie, the group set off from the Mildura Wharf under cool but gloriously sunny skies, ready to immerse themselves in nature.

On a mild late-spring morning, 21 participants from the GreenConnect Dementia Respite Project gathered at The Cottage in Mildura for a relaxed morning tea. They were joined by three dedicated care friends and the Mildura Respite Care Coordinator, Kaye Matthews.

The beautiful Bendigo Botanic Gardens played host to GreenConnect participants for our September morning tea.  Our group has grown substantially and while we were sad to say goodbye to Peppergreen Farm, our move to Omari café at the Botanic Gardens has provided an inclusive and comfortable space to create new connections.

With rain forecast for 3pm, GreenConnect Mildura participants cheerfully set off on a day trip through the Millewa farming region, visiting Werrimull before heading to Lock 9 for a riverside lunch. Our experienced Murray Offroad guides greeted us at the Mildura Wharf with a comfortable 25-seater bus, having already kindly picked up two participants from home—both no longer able to drive.

Under a gloriously cloudless winter sky, Green Connect Mildura participants recently enjoyed a memorable off-road bus tour, taking in the spectacular almond blossoms and sharing a riverside lunch on the banks of the Murray River.

“As the project continues to grow, it’s been heartening to see the way our community and sector partners have embraced GreenConnect,” says Catherine Hyett, GreenConnect Project Manager. “It shows there’s a strong need for more flexible, community-based support options.”

Participants of GreenConnect Dementia Respite gathered mid-winter for a morning of connections, information sharing and good company over morning tea.