Hi everyone, we’re back on deck today (Monday). We hope you had a lovely Easter and school break. If you sent enquiries through over the holidays that we haven’t answered already, Kalimna will get back to you tomorrow (Tuesday) when she’s in the office.

Over the next couple of weeks I’ll be working on some of the bigger picture things - including working with Lee on our next feature artist for the Alphington Neighbourhood Gallery (on the fence), finalising the podcast studio, and getting the raised gardens up and running (I need to head out to Bulleen Art and Garden for a dwarf lime for the centre of the new round garden as a starting point). Also I need to line up a time with Darebin Council to deliver some fresh tanbark for the front garden … and I must order the new cubby house, deck and sandpit to complete the toddler play space out there as well.

Yikes, I feel busy already! We’ve got lots of exciting new plans for term 2 and we’re looking forward to sharing them with you over the coming weeks. Stay tuned.

And don’t forget that we have morning tea on the corner every Friday at 11.30am. Come along for a cuppa and cake and chat. We’d love to see you.

Join us for morning tea on the corner every Friday morning from 11.30am.

A few weeks ago I knitted a little purple square and am feeling quite proud when I see it incorporated in our lovely yarn bombed handrails out the front of ACC.

Of course I do realise that it is only one of many … but it’s nice to have contributed!

Thanks Anne and Glenda for taking the time to add a bit of home crafted love to our centre.

If you are keen to join in low key yarn bombing or to learn how to sew and stitch - Anne’s is a willing teacher if you need some advice … we’d love to see you at ACC on a Friday morning. Come along and join in from 10-11.30am, and then stay for morning tea on the corner at 11.30am.

At ACC we offer a range of regular musical experiences. If you are keen to share music making and make neighbourhood friends along the way, you can join up for lessons or group experiences …

Choir - because our venue is too small in COVID times the Alphingtones Choir is now meeting at St Andrew’s Church in Duncan Street just behind Station Street. If you are keen to join up just click here to email them.

Harp - Jane’s harp group is for people wanting to have a go. No experience is necessary. Jane will lead you through a group music making experience with this beautiful instrument. Please contact Jane here if you are interested.

Ukulele - our uke group is an experienced group that plays together for practice and fun each Monday evening. And they sometimes do performances! New members are welcome. You can join up here.

Guitar - Matthew teaches in schools by day and then shares his love of music with locals at ACC in the early evening. If you are keen to learn guitar give him a call. He is very nice!

Okay. Hooray! We think the mural for our new podcasting studio, The Cupboard is finito. Finally (surely by now we’d know that these things always take longer than expected).

So … when we get back from holidays we’ll buy the podcasting equipment … build a webpage for bookings etc. and then officially launch what we know will be a fabulous community resource.

If you think you might be interested in using The Cupboard for a one off recording or a more regular gig you can register your interest here.

Thanks Clifton Hill and North Fitzroy Community Bank for supporting this. It’s going to be great and we are super excited!

Well, we’ve done quite a lot in what feels like a very short first term. In particular we:

• Opened (then closed for a bit then reopened)

• Ran 3 Women in the Shed programs

• Restarted playgroups

• Consolidated our Friday community mornings

• Yarn bombed the ramp

• Made good progress with setting up up The Cupboard - our new podcasting studio

• Featured our first artist in the Alphington Neighbourhood Gallery - Ross O’Meara

• Officially met the new mayor of Yarra

• Moved choir and CWA offsite (due to our small space and their numbers and corona and all that … we’re sad not to see you guys regularly but happy you could find great venues nearby)

• Reorganised the front yard and paved the Community Shed seating area

• Started some new programs such as Drawing in the Shed and Matthew’s Guitar Lessons

• Restarted old favourites like Line Dancing, Ukulele and Lego Club

We’re all feeling so pleased that things are getting back on track again, and that so many new ideas are starting to come to fruition.

And we’re a bit exhausted. That’s quite a lot for our little community organisation to manage in only two months … So, we’re looking forward to the Easter break and a little down time. And then we’ll be raring to go once again!