Our Darebin Parklands posters have been flying out the door over the last week. Every time I go to ACC I print some more and refill the collection bin - but I can’t keep up!

So keep checking back if it was empty last time you looked.

And in addition … this week we’ve added an activity pack into the mix. We’re recycling some little plastic pencil cases and pencil packs that were donated to us. Our Darebin Parklands pack includes the map along with a find a word puzzle, an origami project (a tadpole) and the start of a bookmark (you might like to add some pizzazz and use it as a gift for Fathers Day).

Hi Kalimna here. How lovely are the APS lizards? I will be keeping a look out for them while I go for walks with our dog.

And to add to our collective community toolkit, I thought I could share a post from a dear friend who has a daily list for isolation wellbeing!

Imagine the following handwritten with little boxes beside them to tick off as you go :-)

• shower

• meditate

• drink water

• clean one thing / space

• tend to something growing / living

• be mindfully present to: a sound or song; a sensory feeling; something you see; a spiritual practice

• reach out to a human outside your home

• do one thing to get your heart rate up

• do one thing you will be glad you did later

• do one thing just because you want to

• get in at least one good laugh

This list reminded me of the happiness poster, gifs and video that Lee created last year when lockdowns were new to us all and we needed some good advice on how to care for ourselves and others with the new landscape of being at home all the time.

While not attempting to do everything on the list everyday (showering excluded) … I feel that this list is quite helpful … especially as we face this latest extension of our current lockdown.

Good luck everyone. Stay fit, stay happy, get laughing, get growing in your garden and talk to friends and neighbours when you can.

Make your own adventure in Darebin Parklands!

Lee has made a beautiful black and white map of the Parklands with all the walking trails and main features on it …and on the back of the map there is a place to write 12 things.

Take your kids on a trek through the wilds of our amazing collective backyard and make your own Parklands trail. Mark all the nesting boxes, find all the old fruit trees, highlight your favourite places to play - make some notes and share the adventure with another local family …

Or perhaps you could write a 12 part story … Or devise a treasure hunt … With a little creative thinking the world is your oyster!

Collect your copy from the bin outside our front door, grab a pen, some textas or pencils from home, and head off on your next family walk to make your own adventure in our lovely neighbourhood.

Hi Leanne here.

When I had my children I took some time off work (I used to work in the State Government on climate change policy). And when I took a break I started thinking about other things I’d like to do more … like hang out with super nice people in the neighbourhood each day!

I imagine that lots of people are in a similar place now … they’ve scaled up or down their work for one reason or another, are reconsidering their options due to the opportunities and challenges of working from home, and are thinking about the fact that this is it, their one life.

It seems a pandemic does have a tendency to help one reassess (if one has any headspace left after the mundanity of everyday worrying).

Also… did you know I have an identical twin sister? Who had a bit more perseverance for bureaucracy than me? She’s been leading the roll-out of a fabulous new program by the Victorian Government. Designed specifically for those who are thinking about a mid-career career change, and with an interest in digital jobs.

The appropriately named Digital Jobs program was officially launched a week or so ago and offers (in a nutshell) a 12 week accredited and industry recognised free training course followed by a 12 week paid traineeship.

What’s interesting about this (Elise and I have been on multiple walks a week and I have lived all her excitement with the program vicariously) is the scope of the opportunities. The program is for people who think they’d love to get into digital marketing AND people who want to code AND people who like to set up systems AND people with a whole lot of other interests and skills that are underpinned by digital literacy.

AND … you don’t have to have done anything like it before. You just have to have been in the workforce for 10 years.

AND the traineeships are in all sorts of businesses, from small businesses like ours that increasingly realise that they need a strong digital presence, to big banks, to companies building increasingly sophisticated online shops, government etc. etc.

It really is quite a unique opportunity.

If you are interested, as I understand it you put your name down, and then you do an aptitude test (confirming that you have the mindset needed for these types of jobs - which I think will give you peace of mind that you are capable of embarking on this type of career change). Then you get to choose the course you want to do … followed by a traineeship … hopefully leading to a pathway to a new career!

Well that’s my take on it (you might want to read the fine print because I am often slightly distracted in our walking conversations by my dog 🐶 pulling on the lead etc.)

So here’s the official spiel (and links) if you are interested.

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Do you have family or friends looking for a career change or looking to get back into the workforce?

Let them know about Digital Jobs - a new program to help 5,000 mid-career Victorians (from any industry) move into a digital career.

Applications for Round 2 of Digital Jobs (which starts 4 October) close this Sunday 22 August. Apply now for this round or future rounds.

Each round of Digital Jobs runs for six-months - offering participants a free 12 week course with a world leading training provider followed by a paid 12 week work placement with a Victorian business.

Some of Victoria’s leading businesses are offering placements including ANZ Bank, CarSales, MYOB, Swiss Wellness, Siemens, Infosys, AWS, NCS, Salesforce and many more.

Learn more and apply now at vic.gov.au/digitaljobs.

Thanks to everyone who has taken a block home to decorate. Thanks to those who have dropped them back already.

They are looking pretty lovely. It is super to see houses and people, and pets all included. Along with fabulous community messages. We’re looking forward to seeing all the other ones that come in. And getting the ‘set’ out for play.