It is the last week of Term 2 and we have been busy.

• Jill and the amazing volunteers from the bowls club who support her, have once again done a fabulous job running an engaging and well attended access all abilities bowls program down at the Alphington Bowls Club on Wednesday mornings. The program generally runs for 6 weeks a term but we always take a break in Term 3 due to the cold weather (that has been even more noticeable this year right!). Rest assured, it will back up and running in Term 4. Register your interest online and Jill will be in contact.

• Clare, with the help of our lovely Friday volunteers Corrado and Hazel, has had a super term with our access all abilities artists on Friday afternoons, and they finished the 8 week program off by inviting all the participants to join us for lunch on Friday, followed by some bingo and karaoke. Everyone had lots of fun! The AAA Arts program will continue in Term 3 and 4. Register your interest online.

• CWA food has been amazing this term at Community Lunch. Thanks in Margaret for organsing … and for the sweet items - they are much appreciated. Thanks also to Silvana, Mish, Miranda and Anne who cooked for us!

• Our gardens are looking great and Clare and Corrado (along with a host of other volunteers) have worked to get the compost from our nature strip onto the beds around our centre over the last few weeks. They finished off the front garden on the corner on Friday. Our pile is getting smaller! With our annual bulbs popping up, fresh compost on the beds and new plantings in the ground and in the raised beds our garden is starting to look colourful (after the dry of summer). Next term we’ll be embarking on the annual pruning of our fruit trees. If anyone would like a little lesson on tackling fruit tree pruning keep an eye out for when we will do it here. You will be very welcome to come along and learn from Clare.

Clare and Sandra getting into the karaoke on Friday.

We’ve got lots of new things starting up in term 2, and the brochure is nearly complete. We’ll put it up on our website as soon as it is done. We’ll also print some and put them out the front for collection if you are passing by.

Please note that we are on holidays from this Friday for 2 weeks. We’ll be back on deck from Monday 15 July.

The Clean Bin Project Film is screening here at ACC on Wednesday 26 June.

Find our more and book tickets at humantix here. There’ll be food and drink - it should be a fun night!

Thanks Village Greening for organising this event.

Village Greening, a volunteer group dedicated to enhancing sustainability in Fairfield Village, is launching a Plastic-Free July campaign and we would love for you to help. 

With a fabulous donation of Tahitian limes this month we’ll be exploring citrus based recipes in preserves group. In particular we’ll be:

• Dehydrating limes to add a fancy twist to a cocktail/mocktail

• Cooking up a batch of marmalade, and

• Packing some preserved limes.

Join us this Tuesday afternoon in the kitchen from 1pm. It’s great way to meet other locals - and help us fundraise.

Join Alphington Arts … it’s sort of like a book club, with meetings twice a term … but instead of reading books (and talking) we’ll get together and make art (and chat) …

Starting in second semester the cost is $40 to join, and we’ll run 4 sessions on Thursday evenings from 7.30pm. Dates to be confirmed - but we’re aiming for the first and last week of each term.

At these sessions we will ask someone in the group to share an easy skill as a taster for everyone to have a go - like block printing, still life, basket weaving etc. - obviously the skills shared will depend on the people who come along - but don’t be put off thinking you have to offer something straight away, we have this years sessions lined up so you wont be under pressure!

If you are interested in joining in email us here. We will add you to the Whats App group for ongoing communication.

Note there may be some additional material costs associated with particular activities - depending on what we are doing. But we’ll try to keep these minimal.

And … please do let us know if you have a skill you could share yourself. It could be anything … painting, drawing, floristry, felting, weaving, card making, printing, paper folding …. we’re very keen to build a community of artists and create casual and friendly opportunities for creative peer learning and sharing into the future.