Hi friends, well we’re all back to appreciating our local neighbourhood for a week hey?

At ACC we’re primarily working from home, but are still here to help. Feel free to give us a call on 9499 7227 or send us an email if you need anything. We’ve got some meals in the freezer we’d be happy to deliver etc.

Also note that there is a whole network of support infrastructure that is now well-established in our neck of the woods if you need a hand.

This guide published by Darebin Council outlines services for food relief, shelters and support for families experiencing violence, community legal service links and more.

You can also call Council on 8470 8888 and ask for the Community Navigation Service to access in-person help.

If you need food support another good place to start is Darebin Information Volunteer Resource Service (DIVRS) on 9480 8200, Monday – Thursday between 9.30am -12.30pm. You may need to leave a message with your name and contact details but you will receive a call back the same day.

You can also contact:

• Encompass Care, Bundoora: 0422 461 847

• Northern Community CareWorks, Preston: 9484 4788

• Salvation Army – Emergency Relief, Preston: 9471 9111

• St Vincent de Paul - Call Centre: 1800 305 330

We look forward to seeing you back at ACC on the other side.

Look after yourself.

Our paving completed … why not pass by and admire it on your lockdown 4 walk! You could also grab a book from the book library or check out the seeds in the seed library and do some autumn planting.

Local artist Nicole Van Dijk’s show “Saviour” at the Gleeson Centre, Darebin Parklands was due to open this weekend, but has been postponed until the end of lockdown.

She has created a series of work focusing on the Parklands and the role it played during the 2020 lockdown.

“For me, and many others, natural, public space was our saviour during lockdown.”

The show includes original artworks, with prints and cards for sale. A percentage of the proceeds will be donated to the Darebin Parklands Association. Check it out - it looks amazing, and so familiar to us all!

This week was Education Week and we were thrilled to get a grant from the Victorian Department of Education to run a couple of podcasting workshops here at ACC to help mark the occasion. Alphington Primary School embraced this opportunity, and on Wednesday sent 12 grade 6 students along to have a crack at using our new equipment under the guidance of local podcaster and author Tony Wilson.

It was a super fun day and the students walked away having made two podcasts each. We’re looking forward to the next group coming on Friday (fingers and toes crossed).

Masks are back! Please remember to wear yours when come along to ACC programs (unless you have an exemption). And please remember to use the QR code if you are onsite for more than 15 minutes. Thanks.

After COVID, and a year of not running the ever popular Alphington Open Studios weekend in the last week of November, the artists involved are keen to get going again this year (scheduled for 28-28 November for anyone who likes to diarise such things), but are also rethinking the event somewhat and contemplating new possibilities… and as such they are seeking new artists to join in.

So, if you are:

• a local practising artist (2D or 3D artist or photographer) with a studio in Alphington and would like to have your address on the map,

• a practising artist who lives nearby in surrounding suburbs who would be interested to joining in, or

• a local emerging artist keen to join in a group exhibition over the weekend,

please email us here. And someone from ACC or an artist already participating in the Alphington Open Studios weekend will be in touch. Be brave. How exciting!

Fred Colla was one of the artists exhibiting at ACC as part of the Alphington Open Studios weekend in 2019