Over the last year the Darebin Neighbourhood House Network (us, Bridge Darebin, Jika, PRACE, Reservoir and SPAN) has been working together on a climate action and resilience plan.

It has been a super process to go through and we’ve all learnt a lot.

The hard copy documents are available here for your reading pleasure and there’s also a little animation Lee made explaining all about it. It is pretty gorgeous.

DHNHN Climate Action and Resilience Plan

We just love it so much when people in our community share their talents and skills!

This term we’re running another one-off fabulous workshop with Serene that is sure to inspire you (Serene is a textile artist who makes the most beautiful things … you can check her out on instagram at thecraftreport) and also teach you a range of hand stitching techniques.

The workshop is called ‘Slow Stitch’ - encouraging you to mindfully take out time in your busy life to create something new (or something new from old) with a needle and thread.

It is on 10am-12pm on Saturday 20 August. The cost is $50. Serene will send you home with loads of knowledge and skills and a starter kit. If you are interested you can book in here.

We had such a great turn out to our visible mending class in Term 1 … and some requests for a regular opportunity to get together and chat and stitch … and learn new skills.

In response to this community interest, Serene (who ran the session last time) has offered to come along on the 1st Saturday of the month to run our new Visible Mending Club from 10-11.30am. You can bring along your clothes or pillows or towels or blankets that need mending … and tap into Serene’s skills and expertise to mend and perhaps even transform your beloved item(s) with beautiful stitching!

The slow art of visible mending is super rewarding and is a perfect way to relax. And these regular sessions will be a great way to get to know others in the neighbourhood who also enjoy the slow arts. The cost is $15 per session.

If you are keen to come along you can book in here.

The dates are:

• Saturday 6 August

• Saturday 3 September

• Saturday 1 October

• Saturday 5 November

If you are a local with young children you might like to come along and join the other families who hang out in our front garden on Wednesday mornings. Come hail or shine, Playtime in the Garden is running in the front yard near the cubby and under the pergola. Pop in anytime from 10am-12pm and catch up with other families in a Covid-safe way.

Please note this is an outside program - but our toilets and kitchen are of course available if you need them.

And … if you’d like to borrow some toys to take home for the week you can join our Toy Library which is open inside. You can borrow up to 4 toys at a time. So handy! And neighbourhoodly …

We had a lovely night last Friday for our opening. Around 60 locals came along which was fabulous, and more popped in over the weekend.

25 artists were part of the event, and we thank Sharyn Madder, Beatrice Magalotti and Wendy Roach for hanging the exhibition.

We’d also like to thank Yarra City Arts for the seed funding to get this regular event in our calendar up and running and also thank the Community Bank on Queens Parade for funding the gallery equipment install.

We have so many talented artists in our community. If you are keen to see more local art in real life or join us for another fun community event (being the opening night) keep an eye out for the Alphington Open Studios Weekend coming up on the last weekend in November!