Sorry for the pause in our news last week … we were flat out getting organised here at ACC and I barely sat at my desk early in the week … and then I went to a conference on Thursday and Friday with all the other neighbourhood house managers from the north-east Melbourne region, which was great. But I wasn’t in the office.

And … sometimes when I haven’t got to the newsletter I do it on Sunday night … but … I went to the Northcote Rise festival on High Street and … see the photo below! … I got distracted.

What a great event though! Nothing better than dancing to a Latin themed oversized jukebox in the middle of a closed off street with neighbourhood friends on a Sunday afternoon right?

We’re so lucky to have such great things on locally! Did you go too?

It was super lovely to welcome our colleague Kathy Vrettas from Yarra City Council to our community morning on Friday. And we were delighted that she brought along Cr Edward Crosslands who is the new Yarra Mayor.

The Yarra neighbourhood houses have such a great relationship with Council, and we are always thrilled when staff and councillors come along so we can show off all the exciting things we have been up to - and that deliver on our shared strategic objectives to create great services for our local community.

And … to mark the occasion … I FINALLY took a photo of some of our crafting friends who come along on Fridays with GenU. They have been coming for at least 6 months now, and we really look forward to them attending each week. Such nice people!

If you are interested in craft or gardening - with a good dose of socialising thrown in - our community mornings might be just right for you too! Come along from 10am. All welcome. Lunch is at 12pm.

There are still a few spaces available in Tuning in to Teens programs for parents/carers of children aged 10-15 in the City of Yarra.

These programs are organised through Yarra Communities that Care (the collaboration of local agencies and schools).

Tuning in to Teens™

The Tuning in to Teens™ program is for parents/carers of children aged 10-15 years who live or study in the City of Yarra. This 6-session, interactive, small-group program is a great opportunity to better understand and help your child as they navigate high school and adolescence. The program helps you reflect on how you can strengthen your relationship with your child and build their emotional intelligence.

When: Thursday evenings 6.30-8.30pm from 15 February to 21 March

Who for: Parents/carers of children aged 10-15 who live or study in the City of Yarra

Where: Online, via zoom

Cost: $110 each, $170 for a caregiver pair, free for health care card holders

Registrations required: https://tint-yarra.eventbrite.com.au

These are small-group discussion programs with approx. 7-10 participants.

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Hello book readers,

We have three spots available for anyone that would like to join a Book Club.

• Monday 3rd book club - one spot available

• Tuesday 3rd book club - two spots available

As the names suggest, these book clubs meet on the third Monday and the third Tuesday of each month respectively. The book clubs meet here at our centre at 7pm and take home a book for the month - 10 for the year.

There is an annual fee of $60 to cover book hire from Darebin Libraries and administration from our end.

You can join here.

What a lovely, connected community we live in!

Another fabulous year of carol singing last night - Jan (our unflagging and entertaining host) and Jan (on piano for the first time) led a packed out Alphington Bowls Club audience through nearly every song in the ACC songbook once again. You never miss out on your favourite carol at this event - because they all get sung 🎵.

And it was just lovely to hear our local choir The Alphingtones perform. They sounded gorgeous.

Thanks David for your bagpiping … and Anne - always a powerhouse behind the scenes. And Mish for her running around! And Geoff (secret Santa business).

And everyone who comes along every year and contributes by leading a carol etc.

These carols have been running for around 40 years … and have been hosted at the Scout Hall, in the outdoor amphitheatre at Kate’s house (1 View Street) and now at Alphington Bowls Club. Last night I heard someone say they typed up the original songbook! Amazing.

And we raised about $275 through our gold coin donations. This year we’ll support some people doing it tough through The Salvos.

Merry Christmas.