The Alphington Toy Library has been reinvented online. You can now scroll though all the toys, book them at a time that suits you, then pop past to collect them on Tuesdays.

Find out more and join up here.

This week Sarah (our volunteer who comes along to fill the orders) has put together some borrowing ideas for the theme

‘Do you want to come to my party?

Toys in our library that fit in with this theme include:

• costumes - pirate, fairy, ballerina etc.

• outdoor games - stilts, tunnels, parachute for group activities etc.

• wooden birthday cake

• party set (great for sustainable parties)

• tea set

• board games

We’ve got some super new art on the fence - created by our Access All Abilities artists who attend on Friday afternoons.

Over the last financial year the program has been supported by the Community Bank in Queens Parade at Clifton Hill. Thanks!

Clare runs a fabulous session weekly that explores different mediums and follows the interests and skills of those attending. Last term they explored weaving and collage. This term they are looking at printmaking.

Hooray! Hard rubbish collections begin in June.

Darebin’s hard rubbish collection is being rolled out area-by-area starting after the long weekend … moving south to north every two weeks.

You will receive a brochure in your letter box before your collection - it will include everything you need to know!

It is super important to note that Council can only actually recycle e-waste, mattresses, car tyres and scrap metal … so the rest (that isn’t collected by neighbours etc. as part of the joyful informal hard rubbish swap that inevitably happens!) goes to landfill.

BUT … this year there is someplace to take those great-for-someone-else things that don’t get redistributed before the truck comes by … Darebin Hard Rubbish Heroes is once again setting up ReLove - the PreLoved Pop Up … a friendly recycling shop!

So if you have items that someone else might love - or if you just like to rifle through other people’s junk in a friendly shop environment (rather than - or perhaps in addition to - on the street), pop on down to the old Kmart Tyre and Auto at the back of the Plaza (should be a super venue) and check out what’s in stock.

And … it is ALL run by volunteers SO … to volunteer yourself just click here. And … if you want to find out more about these passionate and committed locals (and pick up bargains year round) you can join Darebin Hard Rubbish Heroes on Facebook.

Hard rubbish season is THE BEST season!

Here are the photos as promised from our recent Yarra Neighbourhood House Network volunteer lunch.

Thanks to everyone who came along. We hope you had a great day!

It’s National Volunteer Week, and the Yarra Neighbourhood House Network held a lovely shared event at Fitzroy Learning Network on Saturday to thank a range of volunteers across our network and enable them to come together and meet each other. Even in our own house, sometimes our volunteers don’t cross paths, so it is lovely to have an occasion to catch up.

We were thrilled that 10 volunteers from ACC could come along, from our committee members to knitters and jam makers to people who help each week to run our AAA Arts program and gardening group etc. etc. We really couldn’t run all the things we do without wonderful support from people like Shirley who runs line dancing, Phil who offers computer support, Sarah who sets up the toy library, all the people who put their hand up to coordinate the book clubs, ukulele, choir etc, And then there are the cooks and crafters and makers … people who help out at our events, and our lovely committee. Also the wonderful partners at the Alphington Bowls Club, who help out regularly with our AAA Bowls program and the CWA ladies who are cooking our morning teas for us … The list goes on (and I hope I haven’t missed you in this quick summary).

Here is a lovely photo of Clare at the event! And some of the great food …

These photos were taken by Tony who runs Carlton Neighbourhood Learning Centre, but Kalimna took lots of photos too, so I will share them next week.