A personal and community update from Councillor Alex Givney

The following is a personal and community update from Councillor for Wynnum Manly, Councillor Alex Givney.

Hello Baysiders,

A Personal Update 💙

A huge thank you to everyone who has reached out with kind words, messages, thoughts and prayers over the past three weeks. Your support has truly meant the world to our family as we’ve navigated an incredibly difficult time.

With Ben’s blessing, I wanted to share that it is my husband who is unwell. A freak spinal infection has left him without movement in his legs and limited movement in his arms. He has started to make some progress with his breathing, but we still face an uncertain road ahead. We don’t yet have a formal diagnosis or prognosis, but we are incredibly grateful to the expert medical team at the Princess Alexandra Hospital who are guiding his care.

As you can imagine, this has turned our world upside down. I’ve made the decision, again with Ben’s full support, to gradually return to work around daily hospital visits and caring for our children. I won’t be able to attend everything I usually would, but my incredible team are here to support our community and help where needed.

Many of you know how much I love this job, it keeps my mind busy, and my heart connected. What’s helpful right now is understanding why I need to keep working. What’s not helpful are comments suggesting where I should be. Please trust that, above all else, my family comes first. We have a village of support around us and we’re doing everything we can to focus on recovery, whatever that might look like.

Please keep Ben in your thoughts and prayers. We are feeling the love from across the Bayside, and it’s been a great comfort during this incredibly tough time.

Spring is in the Air in Wynnum Manly! 🌸

As the seasons change, so too does our community spirit and there’s no better example of that than the upcoming Bayside Spring Festival on 12 & 13 of September.

We’re thrilled to bring this celebration to our beautiful Bayside, kicking off on Friday night in partnership with Brisbane Festival. George Clayton Park will be transformed into a hub of entertainment, with live performances, food trucks, rides, a bar and festivities set against the stunning backdrop of the bay.
Then on Saturday, the festival will focus on community connection. Enjoy local performers, kids’ activities, more food trucks and rides, a bar, fireworks 🎆 and a few surprise acts in the evening you won’t want to miss!

While we’re excited for what’s in store for the festival, I want to share that there won’t be a street parade this year. Our volunteer committee, and the Wynnum Manly Ward team who work tirelessly behind the scenes, are at full capacity to deliver a safe and vibrant festival weekend. We know how loved the parade is, and we’re disappointed too, but we’re hopeful it will return in future years as more community members get involved and lend a hand to bring this iconic tradition back.

Many of the activities will be free or low cost thanks to some very generous sponsors! A huge thank you to: Wynnum Commerce Inc, Brisbane City Council, Ampol, Brisbane Airport Corporation, The Waterloo Bay Hotel, Port of Brisbane, Bartons, Pearce Realty, Lipke Smash Repairs & Towing and Community Bank Wynnum Manly. Keep an eye out on the Bayside Spring Festival Facebook page for more festival updates, and if you’re interested in volunteering to assist with this event, please let us know!

Warm regards,
Alex

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*Councillor Alex Givney is a member of Brisbane Business and supporter of this site. This article first appeared on WynnumCentral