Our Semester 2 schedule for the Embracing Life and Death Discussion Series is here! Join us over afternoon tea on the last Thursday of each month at the Alphington Community Centre as End-of-Life Doulas facilitate conversations focussing on a different theme each month  — in a space that's warm, welcoming, and open to wherever the conversation takes us.

27 August: Voluntary Assisted Dying: Dignity and Choice

24 September: Funerals and body disposal: Options  and new approaches

29 October: Bereavement: Living with grief and loss

26 November: Dementia: Your voice, your wishes, your future

📅 Last Thursday of each month
🕡 1:00 - 2:30 pm
📍 Alphington Community Centre, 2 Kelvin Rd Alphington 3078

🎟 Free, but registration is essential via e-mail to eoldoulasinmelb@gmail.com

Hi everyone,

We are running the first sessions of some of our new programs this week, including Heart-Centred Breathwork with John from the Men’s Breakfast on Tuesday morning at 7.30am - should be a lovely way to start the day! … and Cook by the Book on Thursday morning from 11.30am-1pm. Feeling super excited about these programs and seeing both fresh and familiar faces … if you haven’t yet, don’t forget to book in online here at our website!

On Thursday from 12.30pm-2pm we will also have our first session of CRUNCH for the term, and at 1pm-3pm we will have our monthly session of Embracing Life and Death.

Our novel writing workshop The Momentum to Write has been pushed back a week, so it will now be starting on the evening of Monday 10th of August - giving you an extra week to book in.

Looking ahead, we have an event with Dementia Australia coming up in August (read on for more…) and some events for Senior’s Month happening in October (info coming soon…). And we are getting ready for our Winter Arts Salon weekend running from the 14th to the 16th of August. Save the date! And encourage your arty friends to join in.

So we are busy, busy, busy - in a good way!

Cheers Leanne

We were recently contacted by Dementia Australia to see if anyone in our community would be interested in more information about memory loss, what’s normal and what can be signs of early dementia. And … we though that perhaps some people in our community would be interested in this topic, whether they are the children of older parents, older people themselves, people experiencing memory loss, worried about memory loss and/or partners of people who are experiencing memory problems etc. etc. So …

Join us for afternoon tea and a conversation on Thursday, 17th September at 1.30pm.

'Worried About Your Memory?' with Leigh Mankey from Dementia Australia

This interactive information session provides an overview of:

• Understanding the brain and how memory works

• Common memory changes and the difference between normal ageing and dementia

• Factors that can affect memory

• Looking after your brain and maintaining brain health

• Practical tips to support memory

• When to seek help

• Where to access support and services

Leigh is a Dementia Support Specialist with Dementia Australia, who provides individual and group education, information and support for people living with dementia, their families and carers.

This is a free activity - but we do need you to book. Please book in here.

Hi all it has been lovely to be back at work and see lots of people this week. We’ve been getting very organised - programs, admin, supplies, ideas … all the things! And thank you so much to Akimbo Bakery for their awesome donation of bread dropped off this week.

We’ve got one more week until all our short courses and such things kick off. So please enrol. Here’s some things to think about …

• Cardboard Playgroup - Thursdays 10.30am-12pm. Lee is in the process of making some cute things from cardboard for our Thursday playgroup session. Each week she plans to add something new - at least for a while. Come along and check it out.

• We’ll be doing printmaking this term at CRUNCH … how fun! All welcome. Join us on Thursdays for lunch at 12.30pm before we head out to the Community Shed for some creative fun. Only $75 for 6 weeks, including lunch - what a bargain! Book in online here.

• Cook by the Book - this term we are going to explore Charmaine Soloman’s Complete Asian Cookbook. It is a favourite of mine and has great recipes, many of which were written back when ‘all the things’ were not readily available in Australian supermarkets - so the recipes are delicious but are often made with a handful of staple ingredients and include ideas for how to swap things out if you can’t find them easily. Her recipes are sorted by country - so we’ll explore a different one each week. It is going to be super! And delicious. YUM. Book in online here.

• The Momentum to Write - have you got a story brewing in the back of your mind? This a great opportunity to begin the writing process, or if you have already started something, to get a bit of a boost. Fran is lovely and very talented. Book in online here.

Also of note … we’ve got Preserves Group coming up this week on Tuesday at 1pm … and with a donation of lemons from Wendy’s tree (thanks so much Wendy) we’ll definitely be making some preserved lemon. If you have any produce you could send our way please let us know … we love thinking that our preserves come straight from neighbourhood gardens! If you’d like to join in Preserves Group please come along!

Also … we’ve opened up the artist registration form for the Alphington Winter Art Salon at this link here. If you are an artist please enter some works! It’s a fun and friendly event open for anyone, and it showcases 2D and 3D artworks.

And we’re asking for donations of tiles for a new mosaic project (read the post below for the details of what we are after).

Hope you have a great week. See you soon I hope.

Cheers Leanne

Calling all artists!

Join in our Winter Art Salon show … coming up on the weekend of the 14-16 August.

It is FREE to enter up to 4 works.

Enter your works here.

Neighbourhood friends .. save the date and come along to our opening night … or pop in over the weekend!