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Posts in sustainability
Project Stationary is back!

Project Statiionary is back these holidays.

They have a clear list of what they are and aren’t taking. So check it out and drop appropriate stuff off if you like. Such a great idea - we love supporting it in our community. Here’s the info they sent us …


Join us for our next FOUR day Pop-Up Collection Event at Alphington Community Centre from 10am -2pm, Sunday 5 July to Wednesday 8 July.

We are collecting:

  • Stationery (please check our accepted items list in the graphic below carefully)

  • Reusable shopping bags

  • Gift bags

  • Balls of wool (untangled, please)

  • Christmas gift bags and wrapping paper

  • Wrapping paper and ribbon in good condition

  • Reusable keep cups with lids

We can't accept:

  • Folders of ANY kind

  • Files of ANY kind

  • Document wallets of ANY kind

  • Used exercise books, notepads or notebooks of ANY kind

  • (New, unused exercise books are welcome.)

Help us keep useful resources in circulation and out of landfill while supporting local schools, kinders and community groups.

We look forward to seeing you.

This week

Hi everyone,

Ooops, I wrote this message last week but forgot to press publish … so our newsletter last week looked a bit different from usual, but I am more organised and on the job this week (hopefully).

Our big news is that Kalimna has resigned. After 9 plus years she is hanging up her neighbourhood house hat. I am sad. She is happy to have more time to dedicate to her family and her photography. This is her last week and she’ll be in Tuesday and Wednesday, so please pop past to say goodbye if you’d like to, and you can sign this ecard.

Onto more mundane things …

The Sewing Machine Maintenance workshop on last Saturday was full once again! Always popular. We love Gordon. Thanks Darebin Repair Cafe friends for roping us in to share this event - great to be working together on great things like this. Don’t forget the Overlocker Maintenance version is still the come in July (if you have one). You can book in at this link - it is on at 9.30am on Saturday 11 July.

Last week we had Preserves Group on Tuesday and Alphington Arts in the evening - both very productive. At preserves we made lime marmalade with limes from Megan’s garden, feijoa chutney with fruit from Kevin’s friend and greengage plum jam (I think perhaps using fruit from Fiona’s garden … but this could be incorrect as I wasn’t there right at the start as things were being discussed). Anyway … we have loads of preserves on offer if you need a little gift for someone or a little treat to pick yourself up! Only $7. Beautifully decorated with a fun little label written by Rose this time.

And we made some cute little weavings in Alphington Arts which was excellent - thanks Corrin from Work Play House for running this mini workshop for us! If you are interested in learning to weave Corrin runs courses - for kids and adults (visit the link to find out more).

And, we are coming up to the end of Term 2 and looking ahead to next semester. Our new brochures will be available soon and in particular we’re looking forward to running a new 4 week course nest term for people who might be interested in writing a novel … or already have one on the go and need some inspiration to keep on going! Fran Cusworth is a local author who has approached us to share her skills at the community level, and it should be terrific - she has previously taught writing at RMIT and LaTrobe university and has lots of expertise to share and is generally a super nice person! I’ll publish a post next week with all the details.

In the meantime, we hope to see you at our upcoming Ukulele Singalong!!! at 3pm this Sunday 28 June (should be fun - with afternoon tea included). Suggested and run by the talented members of our uke group The Flukes. Book in here and see the post from last week for further details.

And … this Friday, if you are into the World Cup (soccer) you will know that Australia is playing Paraguay at 12pm smack bang at Community Lunch time … soooooo … we’ll be having a suitable community lunch and a screen to watch the big game! Come along if you want to share in the excitement (and wear your green and gold!).

And then it’s holidays for two weeks … And then semester two starts. Yikes time flies.

Cheers Leanne

Village power launch

Come along to celebrate the official launch of the Alphington Community Battery and Village Power's Community Energy Program on Saturday 27th June from 10.30am to 1.00pm. The event will be held at the Melbourne Farmers’ Market, 2 Wingrove Street.

Activities include:  

  • Official launch of the Alphington Community Battery

  • Kids activities including face painting, treasure hunts, and boomerang bag decorating

  • Stalls from local sustainable and community groups

  • Coffee van on site

  • Free scones and tea from the Country Women’s Association

  • Battery artwork reveal and meet the artist

Please register at this link to attend so the CWA know how many scones to bake!

Graeme Martin, President of Village Power at the site for the Alphington Community Battery

Sewing machine maintenance … it’s back!

This winter we’re partnering with Darebin Repair Cafe to once again run two of Gordon’s workshops here at ACC.

Always fabulous! On Saturday 13 June, come along and learn how to keep your sewing machine in tip top shape and identify and fix common problems that are caused by simple things like threading, bobbin choice etc. The workshop starts at 9.30am, the cost is $35 and you can book in here. You’ll come away with greater knowledge of your machine, a small kit for ongoing maintenance and a renewed passion for sewing (🧵 hopefully).

Then on Saturday 11 July, come learn the basics of overlocker maintenance. How to get your machine humming along and keep it that way! This will also be a 9.30 start with $35 tickets. You can book in at this link. And, helpfully, there will also be a small cleaning kit provided to take home afterwards.




This week

Choko, choko, choko.

We had a week overflowing with choko this week … on Tuesday we used it to make a Choko Chutney in Preserves Group, and on Thursday we used it in a Thai Green Curry AND also as an ingredient in vegetarian spring rolls at Garden to Plate (yes my plans to cook from our own garden were waylaid temporarily - but next time for sure!).

Everyone loved them -.flavour absorbing and little bit crunchy … only Monika had some complaints as the sticky resin got stuck all over her hands when she peeled them (by Thursday we’d learnt our lesson and used gloves …).

Also this week we had a wonderful time celebrating all the people who volunteer at neighbourhood houses across Yarra at our shared afternoon tea event on Wednesday. Thanks to those who came along to the new Fitzroy Neighbourhood House! See the post below for some great photos taken my colleague Tony.

Councillors, council staff, neighbourhood house staff and volunteers all attended - and it was heart-warming to soak up all the goodwill from the lovely community minded people in the room!

This week I am pretty boring and in budget mode in the office (we’re getting our $$ plan together for the next financial year), whilst in other office news poor Kalimna has broken her finger! She’s all splinted up … and waiting to hear if she needs an operation. In the meantime she is soldiering on. Say an extra kind hello to her if you see her …

This week we have CRUNCH on Thursday at 12.30pm. Come along for some yummy food and an arty experience. Book in online. In the evening Keiko is back from Japan and running Sound Healing at 7pm. Book in with her directly.

And then there are all the usual things happening … Playgroup, Line Dancing, AAA Art, AAA Bowls, Community Lunch etc.

Hope to see you soon! Can’t believe we’re nearly at June (yikes).

Cheers Leanne