We had a great but crazy community lunch on Friday … people who hasn’t been since before COVID came, and Yarra Deputy Mayor Sarah McKenzie came with Kathy who is our colleague on staff at Yarra Council … and there were also some new faces and friends of friends … and we ran out of food temporarily (yikes that never happens) … but it was fun.

And, in the morning the lovely crew from GenU Thornbury came to craft (first time back for the year) and because I was sitting down with them I made some little Valentine’s Day cards - that I then gave out to everyone at lunch - with a Ferrero Rocher chocolate (donated by Margaret - thanks Margaret).

And then, in the afternoon we ran the first session of AAA Arts for the year - it was lovely to see everyone - we had some newbies there as well!

This coming week we have lunch on Monday - Garden to Plate where we’re preparing and eating Asian food - smashed cucumber salad, garlic chicken with coriander and capsicum, rice and then fruit with coconut ice cream.

On Tuesday we’re cooking up a storm in the kitchen with Preserves Group. Zucchini Pickles and Tomato Relish are on our radar.

On Thursday night at 7.30pm we have our first Alphington Arts for the year - where Rob will be sharing how he draws and paints birds - and bringing along his parrot for some life drawing/painting. If you love being arty and want to make arty friends in the neighbourhood this is for you. Book in online.

Or come along at Thursday lunchtime for Crunch - our creative lunch. 12.30pm.

My Our Thursday Supper Club has 4 or 5 people interested now. Call us if you are keen to share a weekly dinner on Thursdays around 5.30pm … we’ll get started when we get 6-8 people signed up.

Also … book into our op shop tours. They’ll be fun. First one is early March - on a Saturday. Great for those working … and students etc.

See you soon.

Leanne

Week 3 has arrived quickly and it is always exciting … as it is the week that lots of our programs start up. This term we have:

• Garden to Plate (seasonal cooking and lunch) on Monday from 11.30am - we still have places if you’d like to join in this week… it’s free but you need to book so we know the numbers

• Beginners Ukulele on Monday from 7pm, $5 weekly

• Active Adults (exercise with Jess from Phase1Performance) on Tuesday from 11am, $15 weekly (pay by the 8 week term)

• AAA Bowls on Wednesday from 10am, free but please let us know you are coming

• Crunch (lunch and an art activity) on Thursday from 12.30pm, $15 weekly or book by the term

• AAA Arts on Friday from 1pm, $5 weekly

Please note that our Community Yoga classes will start next week and our Thursday Supper Club will start up next term. These are both $5 weekly.

We also have our first Thrift Seekers Op Shop Tour coming up on Saturday 8 March, $5 to book in - but we’ll shout you a coffee along the way - so you’ll get a return on your investment! We’ll meet at the station and head off on a train adventure to the op shops in Abbotsford and North Richmond. It will be lots of fun!

You can book in to all our programs on our website here.

Also, please read the post below … we’re asking anyone so inclined to contact the Yarra Councillors (contact details in the post) to ask them to support option 4 (or at least option 2) in relation to the Yarra Neighbourhood House funding decision that is going to a vote this Tuesday evening at Council - although we’ve already done lots of lobbying to Councillors we’d love you - our community - to also add your voice to our call for 3.5% funding increases (or CPI whichever is greater) to ensure that we don’t go backwards …or in other words to ensure that funding matches our projected costs over the next 4 years. Read on to find out more …

And after that pitch, a lighter note! Put the Alphington Show in your diary, Saturday 29 March -11am-2pm, we’ve got the pony rides coming back, we’re sourcing a lolly jar for guess the lollies, we’re looking forward to the crazy Alphington Dog Show at 1pm (start teaching your pooch some tricks!) and of course all the entries into the Show itself - start brushing up your cooking - homemade bread, chocolate cakes, biscuits, jams, preserves, and your gardening - garden produce, flowers, floral arrangements and your art and craft - knitting, crochet, sewing … and more! Such a lovely community event!!! We hope you can be part of it.

And I hope you have a lovely week. See you soon.

Cheers Leanne

Hi all

After a restful January for us (and a productive one we hope for the the amazing volunteers who ran Project Stationery from ACC over the last 5 weeks) we are back in the office from tomorrow (Tuesday).

And we are looking forward to seeing you.

We have an action packed agenda coming up for the first half of 2025 - which is all outlined in our new brochure. We will have it available to collect at ACC and at the Library, or you can check it out here.

We have a new cooking and lunch program on Mondays this year - Garden to Plate, where we will use seasonal food to cook a meal and sit down together to eat it. Come along to learn some new recipes and have a great meal. It is free but bookings are required as spots are limited.

We are also proposing a new night time dinner on Thursdays called The Supper Club. If you are a mum at home sick of cooking or any other carer who needs a break, if you live alone and would like some regular company for dinner or you are new to the neighbourhood this could be ideal for you! Come along weekly. We hope those attending will not just enjoy a nourishing meal but also the opportunity to make new local connections/friendships. Book in here.

For those of you interested in living more sustainably, we have some super workshops on in second term, including Sewing Machine Repair, Overlocker Repair and Clothes Mending. These workshops are partly funded by Yarra City Council’s Climate Emergency team. And they complement our new Thrift Seekers Op Shop Tours (we are hosting one a term this year thanks to some funding from our lovely friends at the Community Bank on Queens Parade). Our first one is coming up soon on Saturday 8 March at 10am when we’ll be heading to Abbotsford - it should be lots of fun! You can book into all these programs here.

This semester we also have the Alphington Show coming up - on Saturday 29 March. So … start baking your bread, nourishing your garden, making your jam and crafting your heart out. We look forward to seeing all your entries … we’ll have the paperwork for the Show - with all the official categories etc. - out in the next week or so (we hope).

We have a couple of spots left in our Book Clubs that will start up in February - 1 spot in our 2nd Monday evening, 2 spots on Tuesday evening and 3 spots on Thursday evening - if you are keen share books with others. You could even join up with a friend …

It is going to be a busy few weeks getting everything up and running but we are really looking forward to seeing you again. Our first Community Lunch starts up this Friday - come along to catch up - craft, gardening and community shed activities from 10am, and lunch is at 12pm.

See you soon.

Leanne

Keen to improve your artist skills? Clare is running Artful Painting and Drawing again this year on Monday afternoons and Tuesday evenings. She is a fabulous teacher and I personally am very jealous when I see everyone sitting down making amazing art on a Monday when I am in the office. If you are interested in joining her classes you can contact her on 0423 453 160 or check out her website Swirl Art here.

We also have Crunch coming up again for 6 weeks - enjoy a chat over lunch followed by a creative art activity with Lee on Thursdays from 12.30pm. Book in here.

And … we’re also running Alphington Arts again at night, on the 3rd Thursday of the month from 7.30-9.30pm. A great opportunity for anyone that is slightly arty and keen to get to know other arty people in the neighbourhood. Come along and share your skills and learn from other local artists - it’s really fun and friendly and community minded. Book in here.

Hi all, Happy New Year.

FOOD FOOD FOOD

With some new funding via the State Government ‘Community Food Relief’ program, we are creating more opportunities for our community to build social connections through food. Sharing a meal regularly is a great way for locals to get to know each other. And with our new kitchen up and running we are in the ideal position to build community food opportunities this year - so we feel super lucky that this fortuitous funding has come along.

We have five food related programs on offer in 2025, and we’d love for you to come along!

• Garden to Plate (NEW) - Learn to cook seasonal food and then enjoy sharing a meal, on Mondays from 11.30am 1pm. This is a free program, but you must book in online as places are limited.

• Thursday Supper Club (NEW) - Do you often eat alone? Are you tired of cooking and/or keen to make some local friends over a meal? Come along and enjoy a healthy weekly ‘family meal from 5-6.30pm (perfect if you don’t like to be out too late at night). Term 1 costs $40 (that’s $5 a week). ’ - food provided but as a group you will need to set the table, serve up, do the dishes etc. - just like you would a home. This program starts on Thursday 13 February. Click here to join up. If cost is an issue for you just call our office.

• Community Lunch - our Friday lunch continues in 2025, join in from 12pm, or come along earlier to catch up over gardening, craft and community shed activities from 10am. This is a free program, but please let know to expect you - call or email.

• Crunch - Like good food? Enjoy being creative? Thursday lunches are for you! Join us from 12.30pm -2pm for lunch followed by a creative arts activity - painting, drawing, 3D art … and more. Book in for the term or by the week here.

• Preserves Group - join us on the 3rd Tuesday of the month from 1-3pm to help us turn excess garden produce/ seasonal fruit and vegetables into jams, chutneys and pickles for fundraising. We use donated jars and ingredients (donations always welcome) … and we’ll thank you for your volunteering efforts with good conversations and a light afternoon tea (including a fancy coffee)! Email us here if you’d like to join in. This group is coordinated through What’s App.

ALSO on to other things … join a Book Club

We have a couple of spots in each of our Book Clubs in 2025. They are on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday evenings, with a daytime group meeting on Thursdays at 10am. Our Book Clubs meet monthly from February (when you come along and collect your first book) and finish up in December. You’ll read 10 books for the year supplied by Darebin Libraries. Our Book Clubs are a great way to meet other locals! Keen to join up? Book in here!

AND … there’s lots more.

• Op Shop Tours

• Sustainability/Repair Workshops

• Art Classes

• Access All Abilities IAAA) programs

• Playgroups

• Music and Dancing Groups and Classes

• Fitness Classes

Check out our full program here. And book in here.

I’ll highlight some of the other great things we’re super excited about in the coming few weeks.

I hope you are having a good break/relaxing summer.

Cheers Leanne