Hi all, Happy New Year.

FOOD FOOD FOOD

With some new funding via the State Government ‘Community Food Relief’ program, we are creating more opportunities for our community to build social connections through food. Sharing a meal regularly is a great way for locals to get to know each other. And with our new kitchen up and running we are in the ideal position to build community food opportunities this year - so we feel super lucky that this fortuitous funding has come along.

We have five food related programs on offer in 2025, and we’d love for you to come along!

• Garden to Plate (NEW) - Learn to cook seasonal food and then enjoy sharing a meal, on Mondays from 11.30am 1pm. This is a free program, but you must book in online as places are limited.

• Thursday Supper Club (NEW) - Do you often eat alone? Are you tired of cooking and/or keen to make some local friends over a meal? Come along and enjoy a healthy weekly ‘family meal from 5-6.30pm (perfect if you don’t like to be out too late at night). Term 1 costs $40 (that’s $5 a week). ’ - food provided but as a group you will need to set the table, serve up, do the dishes etc. - just like you would a home. This program starts on Thursday 13 February. Click here to join up. If cost is an issue for you just call our office.

• Community Lunch - our Friday lunch continues in 2025, join in from 12pm, or come along earlier to catch up over gardening, craft and community shed activities from 10am. This is a free program, but please let know to expect you - call or email.

• Crunch - Like good food? Enjoy being creative? Thursday lunches are for you! Join us from 12.30pm -2pm for lunch followed by a creative arts activity - painting, drawing, 3D art … and more. Book in for the term or by the week here.

• Preserves Group - join us on the 3rd Tuesday of the month from 1-3pm to help us turn excess garden produce/ seasonal fruit and vegetables into jams, chutneys and pickles for fundraising. We use donated jars and ingredients (donations always welcome) … and we’ll thank you for your volunteering efforts with good conversations and a light afternoon tea (including a fancy coffee)! Email us here if you’d like to join in. This group is coordinated through What’s App.

ALSO on to other things … join a Book Club

We have a couple of spots in each of our Book Clubs in 2025. They are on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday evenings, with a daytime group meeting on Thursdays at 10am. Our Book Clubs meet monthly from February (when you come along and collect your first book) and finish up in December. You’ll read 10 books for the year supplied by Darebin Libraries. Our Book Clubs are a great way to meet other locals! Keen to join up? Book in here!

AND … there’s lots more.

• Op Shop Tours

• Sustainability/Repair Workshops

• Art Classes

• Access All Abilities IAAA) programs

• Playgroups

• Music and Dancing Groups and Classes

• Fitness Classes

Check out our full program here. And book in here.

I’ll highlight some of the other great things we’re super excited about in the coming few weeks.

I hope you are having a good break/relaxing summer.

Cheers Leanne

Hi all, a reminder that if you come to ACC we’d really appreciate if you could fill out our participant survey this week. Just click here.

Alternatively, you can scan the QR code below. Or you can complete a hard copy in the office … but ONLINE IS BEST.

The survey is about what you do at ACC, why you come along and how attending ACC makes you feel - particularly in relation to community connections.

Thanks so much for taking the time!

With Darebin Parklands around the corner, a raft of heritage buildings dotted through our streets, plane trees in their glory and the ultra urban grunge of a train line on our doorstep, the upcoming street photography workshop in October should be fabulous.

Starting at ACC, join photographer Suzanne Phoenix for a lovely, family friendly walk around our neighbourhood with your camera or phone on Saturday 19th October 10am-1pm. The cost is $48.

This workshop is suitable for all ages. Children will need to be supervised by their paying adult. Please click this link to learn more about Suzanne and join the walk in Alphington in October!

Please note that we need a minimum number of people to attend in order to run our workshops.

Looking for a chance to improve your fitness before summer? Join either our Family Fitness or Active Adult classes with Jess from Phase1 Performance in Term 4.

Join up here for four sessions at $60. Running on Tuesday mornings - 19 November until 10 December.

Perfect timing to get stronger so you can enjoy all the activities the outdoors have to offer over summer.

We are coming up to school holidays, which start at the end of this week - but we have a packed agenda before then. In addition to all the regular things we have:

• Preserves Group - Tuesday at 1pm. We’ll be cooking some tomato chutney and finishing off our lemons if you are keen to come along.

• Movie Club 🍿 - Tuesday 6pm we’ll be meeting at Westgarth Cinema to see Touch. It looks like a fabulous film and anyone can join our movie club!

• Meet The Candidates - Wednesday at 7pm to meet the local ward candidates for the Darebin Council election. Find out more here.

• Alphington Arts - Thursday 7.30pm. We have life drawing coming up. Clare has organised a model.

Last week we had a great time with our impromptu ‘Lemon Cleaner DIY’ workshop and a lovely visit from our neighbourhood house colleagues on Wednesday. We also had Jill Post, who is the Greens candidate for Yarra pop in for lunch on Friday. It is always great to share what we do.

For more information on all of these things check out the posts and photos below.

Term 4 starts on Monday 7 October - and we look forward to seeing you then.

I hope you have a lovely week.

Leanne