Kalimna here. This year I’ve changed my working days and I am looking forward to meeting and getting to know the children and parents/carers that come to our Wednesday Playgroup.

It has been a great start to the year already, with lots of new families coming along and quite few families from last year continuing to attend.

Here are some snaps to show some of the playful activities that carers and family enjoy with the children as part of the program.

Wednesday Playgroup runs 10am til 12pm during school term here at ACC. Gold coin donation. All welcome!

Leanne here. At the outset I will say that I am not sure we can top this week …

We’ve been in both cleaning and construction mode and we’re a little bit exhausted. But also pretty excited! Very excited in fact.

So much has happened in 5 days …

Monday - the framing arrived for our new backyard building.

Tuesday - the frame went up! All in one day. This new space is being built to help boost our capacity to run creative arts programs for and with you - our lovely community.

Wednesday - we implemented the interim plan! We moved things around, emptied cupboards and shelves, vacuumed, dusted, sorted and organised (and laid carpet tiles) so that our community shed out the front could become more multifunctional - a space for all our users whilst internal works are disrupting access inside.

Thursday - we cleared out inside. It was a huge job (especially our messy office! Aagh. So exhausted! But happy 😃).

Friday - the asbestos was removed inside our building. Specifically the ceiling in the office and foyers and the lino flooring in our two main rooms. And … why … hello beautiful floorboards. We’re pretty thrilled to see you!

So … next week??? That should actually be a ripper too. Demolition for doorways and framing for new walls, installation of lintels … and I think I need to order a kitchen!

We’re super grateful to our local State MP Kat Theophanous for her advocacy that resulted in a $100,000 election commitment to support ACC to keep doing the things we do (but better!). This funding is enabling us to do the internal works - rearranging rooms and access to make the most of our spaces, and most importantly upgrading our kitchen so we can do food related programming more easily.

And the new building in the backyard is also funded by the State Government through a Living Local grant that is aimed at building and strengthening the social infrastructure in our suburbs.

What better place than a neighbourhood house to invest in community infrastructure that will be appreciated, utilised and maximised … right?

So … our renovations are powering along. Eastern Property Services have been super lovely and efficient to work with.

This week the slab was poured for the new building in the backyard. And the frame for the building is being delivered on Monday. So this week should be exciting out there.

Inside we are busy sorting and organising … because on Thursday the asbestos will be removed from the ceiling in our office and in the foyers (and we have a LOT of stuff in our office and the foyers). There is also asbestos in the lino under the carpet tiles in our two main rooms that will come out.

So we need to clear everything out and … after the asbestos is removed, and until the ceilings are reinstated and the carpet tiles go back down, we’ll have our main rooms closed and we will be using the desk in room 3 for our office during the day (where we usually have podcasting/counselling/music lessons). To compensate for the closed rooms we will be reorganising the community shed space - so it can be used for a wider variety of programming.

Kalimna and I are in the process now of contacting all our users that will be impacted by the works, to ensure they (you) have an alternative plan. If we haven’t spoken to you yet we’ll do it early this week … but if you are worried please feel free also to give us a call!

It’s all going to be fine … it is all a bit up in the air, but the focus is on keeping things running … and we don’t want anyone to feel concerned.

In this light, please note that our outside programming, including playgroups and our Friday community program should not be impacted by the ongoing works … we’ll use the kitchen by the community shed and the shed itself if we need indoor space … and we’ll have access to the toilet through room 3 … and it will be exciting and different and fun!

(Hopefully).

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?

Local counsellor John Byrne is holding a weekly men’s group at ACC on Tuesday evenings.

If you are a man interested in talking with other men about self care, including things like community and connections, boundaries and loyalty, intuition and improvement and mentoring and empowering others, please come along.

You can contact John on 0439 899 352.