[Edited extract from public address]
Autumn, Easter and shorter days are upon us. As we head into colder months, many community organisations support those experiencing financial hardship and wellbeing issues. The Power Saving Bonus Round 4 has been released and community members need support to apply.
This edition promotes a lot of wonderful events happening in the local area to cross promote with your membership base and the wonderful Toy Library Service of Port Phillip share with us their Community Profile.
Training and Professional Development
VIC | CAVI | WEBINAR | Become a Carer Friendly Place – online training
Did you miss the March face to face training? Now you can complete this
Carers Victoria (CAVI) training online and become a Carer Friendly Place. This information and training session is for Community Groups and Community Centres such as Neighbourhood Houses to learn how to become a Carer Friendly Place.
In Carer Friendly places carers can:
- meet in welcoming and warm spaces
- find information about supports and services that exist for carers
- connect with other people in their local community
- participate in local programs and activities
- enjoy spaces for support group meetings
- connect to programs and pathways specifically for carers.
CoPP | GOV | Running a successful Community Group | Thursday 27 April 2023 | 9.30am–12.30pm
Are you a new community group, or been around for a while and are wanting tips for how you can improve your committee’s effectiveness? For a committee to be successful they need to function cohesively, be accountable for their direction, the way they function, and for achieving their short and long-term goals.
Topics include:
- understanding the role of the committee
- what good governance means for a community group
- identifying the entity’s legal structure and the implications for this
- appreciating what makes a committee and meetings effective (including a meeting template)
- knowing what specific skill sets and attributes are required for each committee role
- a checklist for good governance
- the committee’s role in planning and keeping an eye on the future.
This session will help community groups to understand the role of a committee, their responsibilities, and what structures they need to have in place that provides the foundations for a successful community group.
- Where: Council Chamber - St Kilda Town Hall - entrance Carlisle Street, 99A Carlisle Street, St Kilda Victoria 3182
- Cost: Free (This training is funded by the City of Port Phillip Community Training Calender).
- Bookings: essential, online via Trybooking
Grants and Funding
CoPP | GOV | Quick Response Grants Program
Quick Response Grants are available at short notice to eligible organisations and individuals to support the establishment and delivery of valuable services, programs, activities, and events to the City of Port Phillip community.
Category 1: Support for Individuals
Maximum funding per application: $500
Purpose: To fund individual residents experiencing barriers to participate in elite and competitive local events/activities in which they have been invited to attend.
Category 2: Support for Community Organisations and Social Enterprises
Maximum funding per application: $2000
Purpose: To fund community organisations and social enterprises to deliver programs and projects with a community building or social connections focus, that support Council to achieve its strategic objectives.
Events
CSAS | SHOWING | Distant Shores | 17 March to 12 May 2023
DISTANT SHORES sees Melbourne/Naarm-based photographer Morganna Magee combine portrait photography, family photos and written testimony to tell the story of the migrant experience through themes of cultural connection, memory, longing and loss.
The work has been developed in collaboration with participating members of local migrant and refugee communities. Most of the participants are involved with Space2b, a social enterprise fostering community inclusion and supports new migrants to become financially independent.
The exhibition also features paintings by four participants: Abouk Giir (South Sudan);
Anahita Diba (Iran); Tadros Hanna (Egypt) and Rahila Zeeshan (Pakinstan). These paintings draw from each artist’s cultural heritage, interests or concerns. By including artworks by participants in this reiteration, extends this exhibition in a meaningful and insightful manner. DISTANT SHORES gently speaks to our shared humanity and is curated by Anna Monea.
- Where: Carlisle Street Art Space, 99A Carlisle Street, St Kilda
PPHC | SCREENING | Lost City of Melbourne | Thursday 27 April 2023 | 6–8pm
The attempted ‘modernisation’ of Melbourne in the 1950s destroyed much of the city, including its elegant cinemas and picture palaces. Now, a new Melbourne-made documentary brings them back to life.
As Melbourne grew, it became an epicentre of film culture and its hotels, restaurants and cafes became world renowned. Coupled with the city’s grand Victorian architecture, it was a first-class destination for travellers. But, in the 1950s, with the impending Olympic Games, Melburnians felt embarrassed about how they’d be perceived on the world stage. Our buildings were deemed too Victorian, the opposite of a modern metropolis and Whelan The Wrecker’s demolition blitz began.
The Lost City of Melbourne is a celebration not just of Melbourne’s beloved, bygone picture palaces, but also of its enduring relationship to the cinema itself.
- Where: Emerald Hill Library & Port Phillip Heritage Centre (PPHC), 195 Bank Street, South Melbourne.
- Bookings: essential, online via Trybooking
AKC | Y(Our) Fest – the festival designed by kids | Saturday 22 April 2023 | from 11am–5pm
Artists for Kids Culture (AKC), a for-purpose organisation that designs and creates opportunities for a new generation to emerge with creative confidence. The AKC artsbus offers free weekly arts programs at the Park Towers social housing estate for kids who might otherwise miss out. AKC is hosting the second Y(Our) Fest on 22 April 2023, with proud support from the City of Port Phillip.
Y(Our) Fest is a festival designed by kids for everyone. The children who attend the South Melbourne artsbus program have curated the music, activities, and food! The event features performances and workshops by artists from the Port Phillip area. AKC is pleased to work in partnership with the Port Phillip FReeZA Committee for this event.
- Where: Sol Green Community Centre, South Melbourne.
- Cost: Entry and activities are free for everyone and we are excited to host a free sausage sizzle for the community.
- Bookings: free tickets online via Humanitix
CELEBRATING | The global flavours of Port Phillip
Come Southside and take your tastebuds on a tour around the world!
Visit old favourites and discover new flavours.
Support our multicultural communities and share the important role that food plays in preserving traditions.
Enter to win
Snap and share a photo of your favourite food spot to Instagram using #SouthsideFlavours and #CulturalDiversityWeek up to 9 April 2023 and you’ll be in with a chance to win a meal.
WALKING | Guided walk: Montague Reborn | Sunday 30 April 2023 | 2–4pm
Hosted by Janet Bolitho, walk the lanes and streets to see the transformation of the former working-class community of Montague into a modern high-tech precinct.
- Where: Location Start: Page Reserve, Cnr Boundary and Station Streets, Port Melbourne. Finish: South Melbourne Station, Light Rail Stop 127
- Cost: Free
- Bookings: essential, online via Trybooking
CONNECTING | Pathways for Carers - Monthly walk, talk and morning tea | 9.45am for a 10am start
Are you a Carer needing peer support and gentle exercise?
Join us on a monthly walk on the 4th Tuesday of every month around the nature and beach paths of St Kilda. Every month there will be a guest speaker providing information and resources. Morning tea is included.
Dates:
- Tues 25 April 2023
- Tues 23 May 2023
- Tues 27 June 2023
- Where: Meeting place/Morning tea venue: Victorian Pride Centre, 79-81 Fitzroy Street, St Kilda
- Considerations: Morning tea from 10.45am for those unable to participate in walk.
- Download flyer for your community notice board.
- Contact person: email Simone
Other Programs
HEARING | Your say: Shaping our new LGBTIQA+ Action Plan | submissions close Monday 17 April 2023
We want your feedback on our draft LGBTIQA+ Action Plan.
The LGBTIQA+ Action Plan identifies the needs and aspirations for LGBTIQA+ communities in our municipality and is a key part of Council’s commitment to an Inclusive Port Phillip.
The draft Action Plan has been developed through community consultation and guidance from Council's LGBTIQA+ Advisory Committee.
ADVISING | Power Saving Bonus is Back!
Do you have community members who use your services that may need assistance to apply for the $250 Power Saving Bonus?
A new round of the Power-Saving Bonus opened on March 24. The program is open to all Victorians who hold a residential electricity account. The $250 Power Saving Bonus aims to ease cost-of-living pressures and encourage Victorians to compare their household energy prices and save money. If you have previously received the bonus, you can apply again in this new round and receive another $250.
Power Saving Bonus Application assistance in Elwood
Residents who are unable to apply online at the Victorian Energy Compare website or would like a hand to do so can apply for the bonus through Elwood St Kilda Neighbourhood Learning Centre. Simply drop into the centre at 87 Tennyson Street, Elwood (Monday to Thursday between 9.15am-4.45pm), and bring your most recent electricity bill, along with your BSB and bank account number or nominate to receive the bonus in a cheque.
- For more information call 03 9531 1954.
Power Saving Bonus Application assistance in St Kilda
Port Phillip Community Group can now assist residents to apply for the Victorian Government’s $250 power saving bonus. Their trained support workers can check your bill, ensure you are not paying too much for utilities, discuss hardship options, and submit your $250 PSB application for you. The new PSB4 opened up on March 24 so community members can contact PPCG from April 2023 and they can assist to apply for the latest power saving bonus. Don’t miss out!
- For more information call 03 8598 6600 or email
Community Profile
Toy Libraries
What is the name of your organisation/group and when did it start?
Emerald Hill Toy Library has been operating for over 35 years. Middle Park was established in 1986, and South Melbourne opened in 2015.
What is your organisation or group’s elevator pitch?
For a yearly membership fee, that equals less than $2.80 a week, your children can access over 2,000 toys. Our toys cater for every stage of your child’s development from 6 months to 6 years.
Our goal is to support families by encouraging quality play time that develops skills and fosters each child’s imagination. We also seek to minimise environmental impact by reducing, reusing and recycling.
Recent research by the Australian Toy Association and Sustainability Victoria shows that 220 million toys are sold in Australia each year. Of these toys, 51% are thrown out as waste within 12 months of purchase. Further, a UK survey found that, on average, a child loses interest in a toy within just 36 days. We want to keep children engaged, so families can borrow from a large range of toys and visit as often as they like to change them.
Great reasons to join include:
- Use the toy library to rotate toys and keep things interesting
- Keep the clutter out of your house
- Try toys before you buy them
- Borrow toys for an upcoming birthday party or event
- Meet other parents and members of the community.
For the kids every visit is a bit like visiting a toy store and Christmas Day rolled into one!
We also now have Sara on board as the Toy Library Coordinator who can help families select quality toys that suit their children. She is really welcoming and has a wealth of knowledge and experience in play-based development in early years, as well as experience with neurodivergent children.
What is your name and role in the organisation/group?
My name is Yen Vuong and I’m the President of the Emerald Hill Toy Library Committee.
My role is to work with our volunteer committee and our paid Toy Library Coordinator, Sara, to run the toy libraries.
Our volunteer committee do all the behind-the-scenes activities to support our toy library operations:
- Manage finances and payroll
- Meet our statutory obligations (tax statements, annual reporting, etc)
- Apply for grants - so we can buy toys
- Coordinate advertising and social media
- Liaise with council and community representatives
- Provide support to our toy library coordinator.
How many active members do you currently have?
Across both toy libraries we currently have over 170 families using our services.
How can someone become a member?
Anyone interested in joining can drop into either of the toy libraries when they are open or they can sign up online.
What was the organisation or group’s proudest achievement in 2022?
Like many organisations, we were significantly impacted by COVID. We had to close our operations for a year and then could only open for Click and Collect in 2021.
In 2022 we were able to reopen our doors to our members and it was great to see parents and carers, and their children, come back into the library. Since then we have managed to grow our membership back to almost pre-covid levels.
What project or activity is coming up that you want everyone to know about?
We’re really excited to be announcing that from the 1 July 2023 members of both Middle Park and South Melbourne Toy Libraries will be able to access toys at both locations.
Up until now we have been running the toy libraries as two independent branches so members can only borrow toys from the branch that they had signed up to. Opening up both libraries means members will have access to over 2,000 toys and more toy library sessions to choose from – all for the price of a standard membership.
We’ve also got some great ideas and inspiration from attending the 16th International Toy Library Conference, held earlier in March, so expect to see more initiatives over the coming year.
Can you tell us one thing that works really well in your organisation/group and why it works well?
Our volunteers are amazing.
It takes a bit of effort to run a toy library – our committee is made up entirely of volunteers who are juggling the responsibilities of family and work, as well as giving up some time to assist with the toy library.
We’re always on the lookout for more volunteers to assist us either in the library or on the committee so reach out if you’re interested. It can be just a couple of hours here or there, or focussing on a dedicated project, or just one specific task like Instagram reels. You don’t even need any special skills just enthusiasm!
It’s a great way to get to know others and contribute to your local community.
