The Koonung Bushwalking Club

The Koonung Bushwalking Club schedules several bushwalks for most months throughout the year.  Go to their website here to see their latest planned walk

Visitors who have received double COVID vaccinations are welcome to join the walk. Please book with secretary@koonungbushwalkingclub.org.au

North Box Hill Tennis Club: a club for all abilities and ages

North Box Hill Tennis Club is a friendly club catering for players of all levels for social or competition play. The club has six porous courts with four under lights.  We embrace diversity and welcome people from all backgrounds and cultures.

The club’s setting in the beautiful surrounds of Frank Sedgman Reserve is perfect, with no traffic noise to distract classes. Plenty of free parking, plus a comfortable clubhouse with a wide verandah, make it enjoyable for parents, too.

The clubhouse provides disabled access and facilities. A playground is nearby. There is even a convenient bus stop in Station Street that leads to a path that follows the freeway reserve to the club, just a very short walk.

The club offers social tennis at various times plus night and weekend competitions. The club’s coach, Ian Peter-Budge, encourages and nurtures his students of all abilities and ages.

Take the time to visit us at 24 Elizabeth Street, Box Hill North. It’s a lovely family friendly environment where everyone is welcome. Also, check us out at https://play.tennis.com.au/northboxhilltennisclub. The club president, Dallas Newton can be contacted on 0401 990 013 and the secretary, Mark Langdon on 0419 560 506.

Line dance with Marie

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday.  Day or evening.

Classes are held at Forest Hill, Ashburton, Rowville, Camberwell, Vermont South and Keysborough.  They range from Introduction, Beginners, Improvers, Easy Intermediate to Intermediate

COME AND GIVE IT A TRY.  All ages welcome. A workout for your whole body with a thorough and patient instructor.

Contact Marie about specific class times and locations, how to register and any other questions by email at mariepietersz@hotmail.com or by phone on 0412 296 827.  If you pre-register, please pay online. Casual attendance available. If paying cash at the door, please arrive a few minutes early so as not to disrupt the class.

Whitehorse Activities Club

Whitehorse Activities Club is a not-for-profit club run by volunteers. It has the sole purpose of providing meaningful activities for people planning for, commencing or who have already retired.

Coffee Club

For more information or if you have any questions, please contact us at www.whitehorseactivitiesclub.org.au

Line Dancing at Balwyn Evergreen Centre

Diane Falzon

Balwyn Evergreen Centre is a community centre dedicated to ensuring that older individuals stay active, healthy and socially connected. The Centre is launching a new line dancing class aimed at promoting fitness, community, and joy through dance.

Line dancing is a fantastic way for both men and women to stay active while enjoying the camaraderie of a group activity. Led by experienced instructor Joanne Campbell, the class will commence on 1 May and continue every fortnight thereafter. Each class will run for one hour from 11:30am to 12:30pm.

Joanne Campbell, the performing arts teacher behind the program, and also an Evergreen volunteer, says, ‘Line dancing is not just about moving your feet; it’s about connecting with others, enjoying great music, and improving overall wellbeing, coordination, balance, cognitive function and fitness. I can’t wait to share the joy of dance with everyone at Balwyn Evergreen Centre.’

Tina Hogarth-Clarke, CEO Balwyn Evergreen Centre, emphasised the importance of introducing activities like line dancing to the community. ‘We believe in providing opportunities for our clients to stay physically and mentally active, while fostering a sense of belonging. Line dancing perfectly aligns with our mission of promoting holistic wellbeing and social inclusion. It’s an opportunity to laugh, move, and connect with others in a way that lifts the spirit and for our clients to simply have fun.’

For new student, Audrey, 88, this will be her first lesson in line dancing, and she simply cannot wait. ‘I fondly recall my brief encounter with line dancing over 25 years ago, a moment that left me captivated and intrigued. I look forward to stretching my legs, enjoying some brain-boosting fun, and immersing myself in the diverse melodies that I adore. I love all sorts of music and the opportunity to meet new friendly faces along the way.’

The benefits of line dancing extend far beyond just exercise. It provides a platform for social interaction, reducing feelings of loneliness and isolation, especially in older adults. The rhythmic movements and uplifting music also contribute to stress reduction and overall mental wellbeing.

To encourage participation, Balwyn Evergreen Centre is offering the first class for free. Subsequent sessions are priced at $15 for those approved under the Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) and $19 for non-assessed individuals. There are no up-front term fees; Evergreen runs on a simple pay-as-you-go system, ensuring accessibility for all interested participants.

Don’t miss this opportunity to pull on your cowboy boots, meet new friends, and reap the benefits of line dancing at Balwyn Evergreen Centre. Join us on 1 May to kick off this exciting new journey towards health and happiness.

For more information or to register, visit https://www.balwynevergreen.org.au/

From left to right: Audrey Eastgate, Joan Burnside and Fran Toussaint

The Women’s Woodwork Group creates a Community Library for Lusher Road

Community Housing Limited

The generosity of the Women’s Woodwork Group is on full display at Lusher Road Community Housing in Croydon, following their gift to residents of a community library.

After hearing about how the children and families at Lusher Road love books, the Women’s Woodwork Group decided to build a library that would enrich their passion. Heidi Butler-Moore, CEO of Glen Park Community Centre and Women’s Woodwork Member, helped develop the idea. She said, ‘It was great to see the skills of the Women’s Woodwork Group being utilised for the benefit of the community.’

Kate Daddo, Community Housing Limited’s (CHL) Victorian Community Development Manager, said partnerships between housing providers and community groups deliver great outcomes for people living in community housing.

‘The partnership between CHL and the Women’s Woodwork Group is a perfect example of how we can work together to build great communities and promote inclusion. CHL provides essential housing in local communities, but we also invest in the wellbeing of our customers through our partnerships,’ Kate said.

Steven Kline, a shed facilitator at the Women’s Woodwork Group, enjoyed being able to work on a such a meaningful project. He said, ’It was so good to be able to create something that was going to be donated. The ladies are all very generous, community-minded people who thoroughly enjoyed the process of creating and giving from start to finish.’

Stephen was delighted to see the library so well received, and especially the excitement of one little boy at being involved and able to paint a bookend provided.

Caz, a resident at Lusher Road, is grateful to the Women’s Woodwork Group and their thoughtfulness. She said, ‘The library is beautiful. It has enriched our lives and given us the opportunity of learning at our doorstep. It has invited us to connect and create joy within the Lusher Road Community.’

To celebrate the donation, the Women’s Woodwork Group met with residents for a day of soup and stories. ‘Such a beautiful day,’ Moore said. ‘The reward for us was far more than what we could have imagined. It was thrilling to see how much residents appreciated our gift.’

The library was stocked with books donated by Glen Park Community Centre, with genres ranging from thrillers to romance, children’s books to cookbooks, and more. ‘We have a great selection of books for all ages and readers. We appreciate all the hard work dedicated to us and the beautiful craftmanship of this library,’ said Caz.