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The Wollongong retail and business community will all come together to celebrate many achievements on Friday.
And this year the 2015 Wollongong City Centre Retail and Business Awards at the WIN Entertainment Centre will showcase the many new businesses in the CBD.
Destination Wollongong general manager Mark Sleigh said the new business category boasted more finalists than any other category because it had the most entries.
"The 11 finalists represent a range of industries, including homewares, restaurants, bars, beauty, fashion accessories and female fashion," Mr Sleigh said.
Among them is the new bar in Kembla Street called The Throsby.
Owner/operators Maddie Sullivan and Erick Zevallos said it was great to be in such a strong field and it was the whole city of Wollongong that was the big winner.
"It is really exciting ... and there is such great community support around new businesses that are opening and wanting to help each other," Ms Sullivan said.
"We have been here for six months and we have always wanted people to walk away saying they have had a really good experience here. We have four staff at the moment and we are looking to add someone else."
There are 87 finalists in 17 categories for the 2015 awards.
Mr Sleigh said the annual celebration of success was coming off the back of the GPT Shopping Centre development opening late in 2014, which had not only created a great retail precinct, but a greater hospitality precinct.
"It has added diversity to the city centre and that is bringing more people in," Mr Sleigh said.
"The food and beverage offering is of an international standard now. And what we are celebrating on Friday is the excellence in business and the people," he said.
"It is not just about the infrastructure. This is about the fantastic customer service and personality of Wollongong."
Wollongong Lord Mayor Gordon Bradbery said it was great to see so many people still willing to invest and be adventurous in business.
That is exactly what Georgia Cohan did when she opened her Just For You health, beauty and wellbeing beauty spa and salt cave sanctuary nine months ago.
She has attracted so much business she has increased her staff numbers from one to three.
Zoo impersonations
#Zookeepersasanimals is back by popular demand at Symbio Wildlife Park.
The humorous concept of staff impersonating animals continues to be a regular Friday Fun Facebook Feature at the family-run zoo near Stanwell Tops and Helensburgh.
The latest image is of zookeeper Ryan shaking his tail feather and doing his best interpretation of a peacock.
Vietnamese help
The Vietnamese community in Wollongong continue to raise money for the community.
Wollongong Legacy is the latest recipient of just over $11,000 raised at a Vietnamese community dinner held at Dapto. Illawarra Vietnam Veterans Association president Ian Birth said the community was led by people such as Teresa Tran, who works hard for both the Vietnamese and Wollongong communities.
Ms Tran recently wrote a letter to the broader community thanking it for helping them by supporting the Nepal Earthquake Appeal dinner at Fairy Meadow Community Centre on May 16.
"We are a small community with only a few hundred members but always giving generously to the call for help whenever we can," she said.
"Within less than two weeks, we have raised a total of $17,186 for the victims of the earthquake in Nepal. "
Cancer Link lunch
Community Cancer Link is hosting a Q&A lunch with 2013 Australian of the Year Ita Buttrose at the Novotel Wollongong Northbeach on June 13.
The event includes an auction and proceeds will go to Wollongong Hospital for equipment to help treat women suffering cancer during and after pregnancy.
New Outlook event
The New Outlook, a mental health program run by Richmond PRA, is inviting businesses to an Illawarra SOUP event at Station Street Wollongong on Friday.
The New Outlook had been supporting people with mental health issues in the Illawarra since the 1960s.
The New Outlook addresses mental health needs in a variety of areas, such as communication and interpersonal skills, preparing for work or further study, physical activity, healthy eating and cooking skills, men's and women's social groups and other activities designed to help facilitate community participation and recovery.
The SOUP event on Friday is designed to showcase skills and abilities and promote the value to business of employing a person with a disability.
People with a disability participating in such programs will share soup, salad and bread with the community.
Their hospitality and cafe skills have been developed with support from Kiama Community College. Registrations can be made by emailing newoutlook@richmondpra .org.au.
THE DIARY
May 27 – Rotary Clubs of the Illawarra showcase their work at CBD Centro. PhD students speak about their research: Catherine Kubel on dementia, Jeremy Lum and Tara Hunt on mental health and Anthony Espinoza on prostate cancer.
May 29 – 2015 Wollongong City Centre Retail and Business Awards at WIN Entertainment Centre.
❏ Wollongong City Prayer Breakfast at City Beach Function Centre.
❏ WHY Documentaries private screening in Sydney of its documentary The Dalfram Dispute 1938: Pig Iron Bob.
❏ Minnamurra Café hosts local artist Jamie Cole’s exhibition Wavelength.
May 30 – Wollongong Eisteddfod begins.
❏ Paddle Like an Angel at dawn on Lake Illawarra followed by Angels at Work Markets at Reddall Reserve.
❏ Rotary Club of Bulli and Northern Illawarra’s annual Kitchen Klutter Event at Bulli Community Centre from 8.30am till 3pm. Donations close May 29 at 9am. Further details on 42674305.
June 2– The Illawarra Connection dinner with leadership expert Peter Baines. ❏ IRT Foundation lunch with guest speaker Ian Barker QC.
❏ Illawarra Business Chamber workplace relations breakfast update seminar at City Beach Function Centre, from 7.15am.