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'Lismore Let's Read' program is an early literacy initiative to promote reading to young children. Free books, a DVD and information sheets about how to read to your children, can be obtained from the Lismore and Goonellabah Libraries.

Almost a third of all children starting preschool have literacy skills below a standard, expected of them. Unfortunately, 90% of these children will still have poor literacy skills at Grade 3 and will continue to struggle throughout their education and life.

Poor literacy leads to low self-esteem, the inability to educate and inform themselves about issues throughout life, including health and reduces their employment opportunities.

By reinforcing the importance of parents reading to children the 'Lismore Lets Read' program hopes to improve the literacy of young children, therefore improving their opportunities during school and later life.

It is being delivered as a partnership between, YWCA, the Rotary Club of Lismore and Richmond Tweed Regional Library. For more information about the project, contact Nicole Eldridge on 02 6625 1415

This initiative builds on the 'Books for Babies' project run by RC Lismore, which commenced in 1995 and ran to 2001. It ceased to run in 2001, as RC Lismore couldn't assess its effectiveness.

It was started once more in 2005 in partnership with the Richmond Tweed Regional Library. This time the effectiveness was gauged by the number of new library memberships in the target group.

In 2005, the YWCA received a $30,000 grant over 3 years for a childrens literacy program from the Department of Family and Community Services.

Rather than duplicating the "Books for Babies" program, the YWCA became partners with RC Lismore and the Richmond Tweed Regional Library.

It's effectiveness will be evaluated, not only by the number of new library memberships, but also by evaluating literacy competency, which will be performed by a Southern Cross University Research Group.

From 1995 to 2001 some 3,000 books were distributed.

Lismore Base Hospital now averages some 1400 births per annum.

BOWELSCAN - The Colo Rectal screening program (now called Bowelscan) was instigated by the late Doctor Bill Brand (RC of Lismore) in 1982 and has been run annually ever since.

Its purpose was early detection of colo-rectal cancers and pre-cancerous polyps by presence of blood in the bowel.

(Portrait of Dr Brand, St Vincents Hospital, Lismore)

The program has been coordinated by members of RC Lismore and has been taken up by many clubs throughout Australia. The club still provides assistance to clubs within District 9640 including the distribution of kits, advice, etc.

At present 200 clubs are involved and issue more than 80,000 kits. Since 1982 more than 500 people have been diagnosed with cancer and 1500 with polyps.

The program has even gone national as part of the Australian Rotary Health Research Fund (ARHRF). All people taking part in the screening are notified of the results (both positive and negative).

RC Lismore members are on the National and District Bowel Scan Commitees.