While COVID-19 has changed the way in which we all go about our daily lives, the Warrnambool City Council is coordinating a series of home-based activities that highlight the things everyone can still enjoy.
The 20 Days for 2020 program will involve everything from poetry to playdough making and sewing to signwriting.
It’s part of the Warrnambool 2040 (W2040) plan to help realise the community’s vision for the city in 2040.
Warrnambool baker Will Jane will host the first activity on Monday May 4 with an online video explaining how to make the perfect pizza dough at home.
Mr Jane said that no special cooking experience was needed to take part.
“People can get the ingredients, watch the video and follow the instructions to make the pizzas themselves,” he said.
“I haven’t used any specialised equipment and anyone without any prior knowledge would be able to take care of it.”
Mr Jane said that while the wholesale side of his business, Jane Dough, was beginning to pick up again after a sharp drop, he used the quieter time to experiment with new products.
“The last three Thursdays we’ve been putting out gluten free donuts, which we’ve never done before,” he said.
“We’ve also got a purple carrot sourdough coming out, so the actual crumb of the bread is purple, which is a bit different.”
Mr Jane hasn’t been the only one looking to try new things over the past month, with his business seeing an increase in customers shopping for ingredients such as flour and sourdough starters.
“They’ve got the time on their hands and they want to try and do things that they haven’t done before,” he said.
“I think at this stage of the lockdown, mental health is important because people have been isolated for so long.
“To focus on what we can do right now is important so we can all move forward.”
Warrnambool Mayor Tony Herbert agreed, thanking everyone who took the time to offer support to a friend, family member, neighbour or stranger.
“On the one hand, I’ve been blown away with how caring our city has been over the past month, but on the other hand, it’s not surprising. Part of what makes Warrnambool Australia’s most liveable city is the sense of community connectedness we place a high value on,” he said.
“W2040 involved input from thousands of individuals over 100 clubs and businesses to create a plan of what Warrnambool should be like in 2040.
“It’s an ambitious plan, and we need to work hard every day if we are going to get there. That’s what the 20 Days for 2020 activities are about – fostering a caring, culturally rich and connected community both now and going forward.”
For each activity, five lucky people who pre-register their participation will have a box dropped off at their house that includes everything they need to take part.
Everyone else can still get involved, with most activities making use of common household items.
Once they’ve finished, everyone who joins in is encouraged to share what they’ve made on the Warrnambool 2040 Facebook page.
Anyone who completes at least one activity will go in the draw to win a $300 gift voucher to the locally owned business of their choice.
And in answer to the number-one pizza-related question everyone wants to know: yes, Mr Jane thinks that pineapple a perfectly acceptable pizza topping.
