GLEN EIRA | GELSS | 4 Weeks Free Swimming Lessons for Children and Adults | enrol by 30 June 2025

[Edited extract from public address]

Ready to make a splash? There’s never been a better time to jump back into swim lessons!

For a limited time only, Glen Eira Leisure Swim School (GELSS) is offering 4 WEEKS FREE to all new enrolments and returning students — but be quick, this offer is only available until 30 June 2025!

Why Join GELSS?

• Unlimited access to both Glen Eira Swimming and Aquatic Centre (GESAC) and Carnegie Memorial Swimming Pool for your child and a supervising adult (even outside of lesson times).
• Weekly lessons year-round (48 weeks).
• Small class sizes matched to your child's level.
• Only $23/week after your free period ends. 

Whether your child is learning the basics or developing more advanced strokes, our Swim School offers a safe, encouraging environment to develop their skills.

 

Interested in lessons for yourself? We have adult lessons too!

Spots fill fast enrol by 30 June 2025 to claim your 4 weeks free!

 

We’d love to welcome you and your swimmer to the Glen Eira Leisure Swim School family!

MORE:

Glen Eira Leisure Swim School (GELSS)

• Glen Eira Sports and Aquatic Centre, 200 East Boundary Road, Bentleigh East
• Carnegie Memorial Swimming Pool, Koornang Park, Moira Avenue, Carnegie
• Caulfield Recreation Centre, 6 Maple Street, Caulfield South

Website

Glen Eira Leisure acknowledges the Boon Wurrung/Bunurong and Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung peoples of the Kulin Nation as Traditional Owners and Custodians, and pays respect to their Elders past and present.

We acknowledge and uphold Traditional Owner’s continuing relationship to the land and waterways.

Council extends its respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

GLEN EIRA | GECC | CELEBRATING | Cultural Diversity Week and Harmony Week | Friday 21 March 2025 | 9.30-10.45am (Booking essential)

[Edited extract from public address]

Join us in celebrating Cultural Diversity Week and Harmony Week (17-23 March 2025).

A free, fun-filled Indian dance fusion class followed by a complimentary morning tea at Glen Eira City Council's newest facility, Carnegie Memorial Swimming Pool. 

• Where: Carnegie Memorial Swimming Pool ( Koornang Park, Moira Avenue – Carnegie VIC 3163)
• Cost: Free. Limited spots. Booking Essential
• Bookings: close 5pm Friday 14 March 2025. Online via Trybooking

MORE:

Glen Eira City Council

Address: PO Box 42, Caulfield South 3162 

Website | Facebook | Instagram

The City of Glen Eira acknowledges the Boon Wurrung/Bunurong and Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung peoples of the Kulin Nation as Traditional Owners and Custodians. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present. 

CoPP | GOV | CELEBRATING | Cultural Diversity Week 2023

[Edited extract from public address]

Let's celebrate the rich cultures that are represented in our wonderful community. activities and events for Cultural Diversity Week with Harmony Day on the 21 March 2023. 

Come Southside and take your taste buds on a tour around the world

Join us in celebrating Cultural Diversity Week with our online map of restaurants and cafes serving cuisine from across the globe. Visit old favourites and discover new flavours.

Support our multicultural communities and share the important role that food plays in preserving traditions. This event is presented by City of Port Phillip’s Multicultural Advisory Committee.

Enter to win
Snap and share a photo of your favourite food spot to Instagram using #SouthsideFlavours and #CulturalDiversityWeek from 11 March to 9 April and you’ll be in with a chance to win a meal.

You can use the map: Global flavours of the Southside - Google My Maps

Multicultural seniors’ groups recognition award

Hosted by the Mayor, this event on 15 March recognises the considerable contribution of our multicultural seniors’ groups who enable and support a dynamic diverse community.

The Mayor is presenting certificates of thanks to twenty-one multicultural seniors groups from across the City at a morning tea featuring choir and dance performances.

Welcome postcards

Know anyone new to the City? Share our new Welcome postcards, available in four languages, to welcome new residents and citizens to our wonderful City. Available from Port Phillip Libraries and Assist counters at the Town Halls.

Do you know about the City of Port Phillip’s Multicultural Advisory Committee?

Fourteen local residents from diverse backgrounds provide advice and advocacy to Council on multicultural issues and present a program celebrating for Cultural Diversity Week, Refugee Week and Welcoming Week.

The Committee welcomes feedback and ideas from the community. Contact the Diversity Officer

Multicultural Peace Day | Saturday 11 March from 11.30 am to 3 pm at St Kilda Town Hall

Multicultural Peace Day is a celebration of the diverse cultures and backgrounds in the community celebrating Cultural Diversity Week and the commemoration of Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War (DPCW). The event will showcase a range of cultural performances, including music, dance, as well as cultural booths where people can learn about each other’s traditions and promote peace and harmony within our community. Brazilian, Oromia, Indian, Hazara, Sudanese, Belgian and many more communities will share their cultures. Supported by the City of Port Phillip’s Multicultural Advisory Committee.

• Multicultural Peace Day, St Kilda - What's On St Kilda & Southside (whatsonstkilda.com)

Space2b Social Design

The amazing community group Space 2b supporting newly arrived migrants and refugees and local, community based designers to come together to exchange knowledge, ideas and skills. Located at 144 Chapel Street, St Kilda.

Laneway Market | Sunday 26 March 2023 | 10.30am–3pm 

Laneway Market 2023 – Space2b Social Design

Exhibition | Morganna Magee: Distant Shores | 16 March to 12 May 2023

With paintings by Anahita, Howah, Rahila and Tadros

MORE:

City of Port Phillip (CoPP)
Address: 99a Carlisle Street, St Kilda, VIC 3182
Email: news@portphillip.vic.gov.au

Website: www.portphillip.vic.gov.au

CUIN | UPDATING | Building Global Harmony in Australia | March 2022

[Edited extract from public address]

This month we look at what Harmony Week means post-Covid, visit Lake Mungo, hear Indigenous stories and discuss blended learning. We also share our April reasons to celebrate.

Harmony Week | 15-21 March 2022

At Cultural Infusion, March is our busiest month. Harmony Week, celebrated around Australia, and Cultural Diversity Week in Victoria are popular dates for schools and early learning centres to recognise the many cultures that make up our multicultural country. 

This year, as we slowly emerge out of the pandemic, it will be a different kind of celebration as these past two years have highlighted that we are not in it together.  

Not everyone starts from the same place and cultural differences not only impact your experience but even your chance of survival with a death rate three times higher for migrants compared to those born in Australia. Supporting our community members, regardless of what language they speak, the colour of their skin or the way they dress, is our only way forward as a multicultural society. 

It also allows us to learn and understand different perspectives and discover cultural celebrations from all around the world. 

• Explore our Cultural Calendar

Unearthing the treasures of Lake Mungo     

Last month, around 25 educators participated in a webinar on our online learning platform Mungo Explorer. 

Based on the founding work of the respected scientist Jim Bowler, in consultation with Elders from the Willandra World Heritage Elders Site and provides a rare opportunity for students to access the work and knowledge of a scientist who has worked alongside Traditional Custodians for more than 50 years. This inquiry based resource is aligned with the Australian curriculum and covers Year 4 First Contact and Year 7 Ancient History. It also allows teachers to share Indigenous perspectives, historical and scientific thinking to teach students about the remarkable story of Mungo Man and Mungo Lady.

Through Mungo Explorer, students can access personal narratives, photos, videos, graphs and evidence of occupation as they journey through a window into Australia’s past. Teachers are supported with lesson plans, teacher reference sheets and student study sheets. Cultural Infusion hosted two webinars with Jenny Bowler, Jim's daughter, who helped create the program. This deep and personal exploration of Australia's past and the ancient lifestyles of Indigenous peoples helps and supports teachers. 

"This is everything we have been wanting to do but weren't able to do ourselves, and the interactive technology also engages the students which is great." 

Rebecca McClure from Irymple Secondary

• Discover Mungo Explorer

   

Gene Blow visited the Cultural Infusion Collingwood office recently

This Indigenous Elder and Cultural Infusion presenter shared stories and sessions with the team including the story of how the kangaroo was named, the origin of Melbourne's Moomba festival and this tale about fishing at Moreton Bay.

• Book an Indigenous Presenter

Blended learning and prioritising music education

Our Education Strategist Nisha Feik explains why policymakers should prioritise music education in this piece written for the industry publication Education HQ.

As students head back to school and debate continues over the content of Australia’s new curriculum, a blended learning approach needs to be prioritised to ensure intercultural understanding is instilled as a core value and key competency of global citizenship among our school communities. 

"Blended learning – especially in the context of music education – involves using technology to enhance musical skills and provides music teachers with a balanced approach to curriculum planning and content delivery. This allows challenging lessons to be taught without taking away too much practical application, while providing extra depth and ensuring we prioritise music." 

• Read more

April Dates to Celebrate

April is packed with significant dates from our Cultural Calendar, including Ramadan. To celebrate, we invite you to enjoy Cat Steven’s Ramadan moonshadow and learn the significance of the moon in Islamic storytelling.

There are also many more celebration dates to look forward to next month:

• Kha b-Nisan (Assyrian New Year), 1 April
• Ramadan, 2 April to 1 May
• Fan Dance Day, 3 April
• Children’s Day (Hong Kong and Taiwan), 4 April
• World Art Day, 15 April
• Easter Sunday, 17 April
• Chinese Language Day, 20 April
• World Creativity and Innovation Day, 21 April
• Spanish Language Day, 23 April
• Orthodox Easter, 24 April
• International Dance Day, 29 April

• Find out more

MORE:

Cultural Infusion (CUIN)

Address: Suite 2, 273-277 Wellington Street, Collingwood, VIC 3066

Email: info@culturalinfusion.org.au

Website: https://culturalinfusion.org.au

MIN | EXPERIENCE | Taste of Faith | An Interfaith Cooking Workshop | Saturday 17 March 2018 | 10.30am-2.30pm

[Edited extract from public address]

A delicious opportunity to learn cooking skills from a variety of cuisines: Greek Orthodox, Hindu and Buddhist. A fascinating cooking demonstration followed by a tasty vegetarian lunch.

Where: Janssen Spirituality Centre, 22 Woodvale Road, Boronia, Victoria 3155

Cost: Free

Bookings: Online through EventBrite, or email Philip Hughes: maroondahinterfaith@gmail.com

MORE:
The Maroondah Interfaith Network
Email: maroondahinterfaith@gmail.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Maroondah-Interfaith-Network-300818307099478/

G/ARRCC | TALK FILM | Peninsula in Peril & movie screening ‘An Inconvenient Sequel - Truth to Power’ | Sunday 18 March 2018 | 5-8pm

[Edited extract from public address]

Rabbi Jonathan Keren-Black (member of ARRCC, The Australian Religious Response to Climate Change) discusses why all Faiths urge us to care for our environment. 

Together, watch Al Gore’s new film: ‘An Inconvenient Sequel - Truth to Power’.
Where: Uniting Church, 6 Murray-Anderson Rd, Rosebud 3939

Who: All welcome whatever your faith or beliefs

Inclusions: light tea and film screening

Cost: $10/$5 Full/Concession (Proceeds to assist the work of GreenFaith ARRCC)

Bookings: RSVP to contact details below.

MORE:
Greenfaith and Australian Religious Response to Climate Change (ARRCC)
Bronwyn Pryor
Mob: 0412 301450
Email: robron@pryor.org.au

JCCV | DEBATING | Arranged marriage is better than dating | Monday 19 March 2018 | 7-8.45pm

[Edited extract from public address]

The Third Jewish-Muslim Comedy Debate proving Jews and Muslims can get together and have fun! In fact, a lot of fun!

With the witty and very cheeky Father Bob acting as Moderator, and including the very clever and hilarious panelists Justine Sless (Melbourne Jewish Comedy Festival), Rana Hussain, Michael Shafar (Melbourne International Comedy Festival and Kosher Bacon), Louise Baring, Hamsa Farah and Jacob Sachar (Melbourne International Comedy Festival).

Where: Swanston Hall, Melbourne Town Hall, Swanston Street, Melbourne Vic 3000

Cost: $12.64 – $18.41

Bookings: online through EventBrite

MORE:

Jewish Community Council of Victoria (JCCV) 

306 Hawthorn Road, Caulfield South, Victoria

Tel: 03 9272 5566

Email: info@jccv.org.au

Website: www.jccv.org.au

A collaboration with Australian Intercultural Society (AIS) proudly supported by the State Government of Victoria and the City of Melbourne.

MIN | TOUR | Places of Worship | Harmony Day "Everyone Belongs" | Tuesday 20 March 2018 | 9am-2pm

[Edited extract from public address]

Harmony Day, 21 March, celebrates Australia's cultural diversity. It's about inclusiveness, respect and a sense of belonging for everyone. A Places of Worship Tour is a way for all Australians to embrace cultural diversity and to share what we have in common.

Places of Worship to visit:
10am – 11.00am: Sri Durga Hindu Temple, 705-715 Neale Rd, Rockbank VIC 3335
(Special Requirements: Take shoes off before entering the temple)
Morning tea will be provided at the temple
11.30am–1pm: The Church of Scientology, 231-251 Mt Alexander Rd, Ascot Vale VIC 3032

Inclusions: Light Lunch will be served at the church. Please advise of any dietary requirements.

Bus Pick-up/Drop-off Points:
Bus departs at 9:10am: Melton City Council car park, 232 High St, Melton VIC 3337
Bus departs at 9:25am: Caroline Springs library,  193-201 Caroline Springs Blvd, Caroline Springs VIC 3023
(Passengers dropped off at pick-up point before 2pm)

Cost: Gold Coin donation

Bookings: RSVP: Thursday 15 March 2018 to contact details below.

MORE:
Melton Interfaith Network
Maria Meilak, Vice-President
Mob: 0409 046 172
Email: mariascientologyvic@gmail.com

Supported by Melton City Council

HIN | SHARE | Harmony Day Multifaith Service | Wednesday 21 March 2018 | 6-7.30pm

[Edited extract from public address]

An event giving insight into the different faiths that represent Hume City. Celebrating our strength in diversity on World Harmony Day.

Where: Broadmeadows Global Learning Centre Civic Place, 1093 Pascoe Vale Road, Broadmeadows VIC 3047

Cost: Free

MORE:
Hume Interfaith Network and Hume Interfaith Network Youth
Website: https://www.hume.vic.gov.au/Services_For_You/Other_Services/Hume_Interfaith_Network
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HINyouth/

NCJWAV | EXPERIENCE | Women's Interfaith Model Passover Seder | 21 March 2018 | 6-8.30pm

[Edited extract from public address]

An invitation to women of all faiths to take part in this unique interactive Interfaith Women’s Passover experience.

Learn about the traditions and customs of this eight-day festival which commemorates the emancipation of the Israelites from slavery in ancient Egypt.

Includes a specially prepared ‘Seder’ type meal, take home booklet and packet of matzah.

We encourage participants to please bring a friend or relative from the same or different faith with whom to share this experience.

Where: The Eva Besen Centre, 131-133 Hawthorn Road, Caulfield North

Bookings: RSVP by 7 March for catering purposes. Book Online through NCJWAV
For registration help call 9044 5401 during business hours

MORE:
National Council of Jewish Women of Australia Victoria (NCJWA VIC)
Post: PO Box 2220, Caulfield Junction VIC 3161, Australia
Tel: 9044 5401
Email: office@ncjwavic.org.au
Website: https://www.ncjwavic.org.au

BIC | EAT | Annual Bendigo Interfaith Council Dinner 2018 | Wednesday 21 March 2018 | 6.30-9.30pm

[Edited extract from public address]

A de-light-filled occasion and opportunity for locals in this Zinda Festival and Cultural Diversity Week event.

Where: All Seasons Hotel Bendigo, 171 - 183 McIvor Rd, Strathdale, Bendigo, Victoria 3550

Bookings: On sale soon and costs $50 per ticket, stay tuned with details below.

MORE:
Bendigo Interfaith Council
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bendigointerfaithcouncil/

A collaboration with Loddon Campaspe Multicultural Services