Community & Business
20 October, 2026
Lung Health Screening at this week's GROW Gilgandra Day
The Royal Flying Doctor Services' (RFDS) popular initiative, GROW Gilgandra Day will return to Hunter Park this Friday.
The Guiding Rural Outback Wellbeing (GROW) program is a RFDS South Eastern Section initiative that strengthens community resilience by addressing mental health, alcohol, and other drug challenges in rural and remote areas.
GROW Gilgandra Day will create accessible, relaxed spaces where residents can connect with over 35 service providers, participate in health promotion activities, and engage in early intervention; helping to build stronger local networks and encourage help-seeking behaviours.
GROW program manager, Matthew March, said GROW Gilgandra Day is about bringing health, wellbeing and community support services from around the region face-to-face with the community, creating simpler access to the resources and referral pathways people would otherwise have to travel for.
“This GROW Day takes the distance out of it and puts the human connection back,” he said.
“We’re bringing together over 35 organisations offering different kinds of practical support, so people in Gilgandra can find the right help in one place, and those services can link up and support people together. Creative Community Concepts always put on amazing games for the kids, so come down, enjoy a free barbecue, have some fun, and help GROW wellbeing in Gilgandra.”
GROW Gilgandra Day will also feature a dedicated information space on the national lung cancer screening campaign, ‘It’s Good to Know’.
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death in Australia, claiming over 15,000 lives each year. People in rural and remote areas are disproportionately affected, but screening has the potential to save lives by finding cancer before symptoms even begin. When lung cancer is found early, more than 65 per cent of cases can be successfully treated. If you or your loved one is aged 50-70 with a history of smoking, you may be eligible for a free screening that could save your life.
Have a yarn with the Royal Flying Doctor Services' friendly lung screening team at GROW Gilgandra Day. They can help explain who is eligible, what the screening involves, and how to take the next step.
