From this month all parents of school-aged children will have help with sporting and fitness-related costs.

No parent should have to second guess if they can afford this year’s fitness activity fees. We want to get kids moving and remove barriers to playing sport.

Active Kids is one of the ways the NSW government is easing cost of living pressures on families. It has allocated $207 million over the next four years to help parents with the costs of getting their kids into sport.

Active Kids will contribute $100 for every child for the cost of sports registration, membership expenses and fees for physical activities such as swimming, dance lessons and athletics.

Active Kids is a key initiative of the 2017-18 Budget and will not be means-tested. It supports the Premier’s priority to reduce overweight and obesity rates in children by five per cent over 10 years.

Parents have until December 31, 2018 to claim and use their voucher at sport.nsw.gov.au/activekids or call Service NSW on 13 77 88.

Seniors Card Short Story Competition

If you have a way with words and an active imagination, why not enhance your writing skills and enter our short story competition.

The NSW Department of Family and Community Services and FAW will collect and publish the top 100 stories in the anthology Seniors Stories Vol. 4 to be launched in October 2018.

The stories should show how the later years of life can be rewarding given the right attitude.

Tap into your memories, and ask family and friends for their anecdotes.

Perhaps you are witness to others who love living every day to its fullest and can tell their short story.

For an entry form go www.fawnsw.org.au.

For further information please contact Colleen Parker 6583 3997 or email parkerpattionson2@bigpond.com