By now we hope you have wandered past ACC on your daily walk and noticed the new art on our fence in the Alphington Neighbourhood Gallery.

If not, you should! The artist we are featuring this month is local Steph Briggs. The works on the fence include illustrations from a book that documented lots of familiar scenes from 2020, called ‘The year we stayed at home’. She also has some delicate sketches of houses from the neighbourhood and beyond (some done on commission if you are interested in documenting your own lovely house).

You can find out more about Steph here.

This community arts initiative is supported by Yarra City Council (thanks!).

Steph’s fur baby Leo is one of the stars of the exhibition.

Steph, Leo and Angus popped past on their lockdown walk to check it out.

Our Women in the Shed program is one of the local activities you can vote for down at Grilld Fairfield for the month of June. If we win we get $300 to buy some more tools!

Look out for us if you are in there and get the chance to vote (I’m not sure how it works in lockdown?!).

Last year we made a little rhyming series of animated pictures (GIFS) with some funding from the Community Bank on Queens Parade … and then put them together with a voice over … and turned them into a poster that loads of locals collected from ACC on their daily neighbourhood walk.

It seems timely to pull them out again.

Here are the GIFS.

Here is the poster (we trust it is still gracing many a fridge or toilet door around the neighbourhood).

And here is the animation with voice overs if you’d like to watch it (it is pretty cute!).

Lockdown telly … are we back to that again? Perhaps, perhaps not. We don’t really know yet do we? In any case I have been discussing TV etc. with my family and colleagues more than usual lately and I thought I could share some recommendations.

My partner Clive raved about It’s A Sin (along with everyone else on Twitter a month or so ago) - it’s on Stan.

Also on Stan, my sister Elise noted that Paperback Hero is up … for a cheesy, nostalgic Hugh Jackman/ Claudia Karvan hit.

Mum just watched A Very English Scandal on Netflix (with Hugh Grant) and recommended it to me.

Jill at work went to the cinema and mentioned that Nomadland was great a few weeks ago … and I meant to see it at the movies. I notice you can now rent it from Optus Movie Box (and presumably elsewhere).

I have been recommending the first series of Lupin (watch it in French with subtitles, not the dubbed version) which is on Netflix to everyone because it is easy viewing, and I see that the second series will be released on 11 June … that will be fun.

If you have a recommendation or two you can add them to the comments below or send us an email.

And settle in … maybe? I’m writing this on Tuesday 1 June and a lot can change quickly …

STREAT is a food-system social enterprise that offers work readiness and employment programs for disengaged young people who want to work.

Thay are based in Cromwell Street in Collingwood. Programs coming up include:
 
Taste of STREAT - a two hour interactive workshop for young people (and accompanying workers) who are interested in STREAT’s Ready to Work program and keen to learn a little bit more to help them decide if it's right for them. 
Date: Friday 25th June 10:30am - 12:30pm
RSVP by: 18th June
 
Intro to Work - an eight week individual program for people wanting to access hospitality
or horticulture focused work experience with weekly individual support. This is a roll-in/roll-out program that runs throughout the year.
Accepting referrals now!
 
Ready to Work - a 20 week fully supported group program for young people seeking work in hospitality. It includes on-the-job training, accredited training (Cert II in Hospitality), work readiness workshops, creative and social engagement, individual case support and referral. Plus guaranteed employment opportunities for graduates through the Paid to Work program!
Commencing: Tuesday 27th July 2021
Accepting referrals now!
 
Paid to Work - a six-month program offering Ready to Work graduates an opportunity to transition into 20-25 hours a week of paid employment facilitated through one of our partner employers.

Job Club - a weekly drop-in session for young people wanting individual assistance with looking for work (eg. help with resumes, cover letters, job search sites). No booking necessary – just drop in! Every Friday 1pm - 3pm.

If you are interested in finding out more you can visit their website here.