Beach Street Family Practice supports community

Connection to community is a fundamental component of health workforce capability and it supports, and enables, health professionals to thrive. Thriving rural communities need thriving rural businesses and when the opportunity presented itself for Beach Street Family Practice, Woolgoolga, to support an important community event which celebrated multiculturalism, connection (and food!), the team were quick to jump on board. 

The Practice was one of several organisations to sponsor the 2022 Woolgoolga Curryfest festival which brings major social and economic benefits to the local Woolgoolga and Northern Beaches region. The festival also celebrates the region’s ethnic heritage and community pride, whilst aiming to further build respect and understanding of social diversity. 

Now in its 16th year, the event attracted over 12,000 people and injected more than $2million into the local economy. With a record two-thirds of spectators coming from outside the local government area, and 11% attending from interstate, many visitors to the event stayed locally, spreading the economic benefit throughout the broader region. 

Furthermore, the event continued the tradition of sharing part of the gate takings with community groups who volunteered to help, including Woolgoolga Red Cross, Woolgoolga Athletics Club, Junior Surf Lifesaving Club and Woolgoolga Art Group. 

Beach St Family Practice prides itself on its connection to community, having looked after residents and their health for more than 30 years.  

The Practice’s founding owner, Dr John Kramer, said Beach Street Family Practice was happy to play its part in sponsoring the event. 

“Curryfest has become part of the Woolgoolga Calendar, along with the annual Vaisakhi Parade around the streets of the town,” Dr Kramer said.  

“Multicultural Rural NSW is a significant theme here. We have a Sikh doctor at our practice and hope to attract another doctor soon to further serve the needs of our community even more effectively. 

“As a business owner and as chair of NSW Rural Doctors Network, supporting local events and the community is so important. The continuation of multiple challenges for the rural health workforce… has only increased our determination to support better health access and build the capability and wellbeing of rural health professionals.  

“A strong connected community helps enable capability. We are happy to support events such as Curryfest and we are thrilled this year’s event was such a success,” Dr Kramer said.  

RDN is focussing on the capability of rural health professionals and posits that improving a rural health practitioner’s capability could help to retain them working rurally for longer. Understanding the factors that make up a health professional’s capability and the motivations or cues to act to build or maintain their capability may have a positive effect on their retention in a rural location. 

Image Credit:  Woolgoolga Curryfest festival