NECCHi

Hello from NECCHi! Term 4 is round the corner and bringing with it a spot of sunshine and a whole new program for our neighbours to enjoy! This next term spans three seasons of the Kulin Nation calendar - Poorneet Season, Buath Gurru Season and Garrawang Season. As temperatures rise steadily (maybe a little too hastily this year) the days and nights reach equal lengths around the spring equinox. Creeks fill with tadpoles (Poorneets) which gives this season its name. As our garden flowers and blooms we head into Buath Gurru Season. The days get warmer and don’t forget to look up around dusk to catch the swathes of microbats catching insects in the sky. We round off the year in Garrawang Season. Hot nights, balmy days and a colourful landscape to keep us smiling as we round off the year. In time’s of such fast change and uncertainty, we hope our neighbours can find something on offer in our programs to lighten the load. It might be an evening yoga class, a week day drawing class or a community choir. And don’t forget to Save The Date - 29 Nov for our Buath Gurru Garden Festival. A last reminder to all our members - thank you for your ongoing support, and please put in the calendar our AGM - Oct 21st at 6.00pm, if you are not a member and would like to be you can sign up here. We have a whole host of perks but for those that would simply like voting rights, we have introduced a basic membership for this year. Whether you are a member or not you are welcome to attend our AGM - register your attendance here. Back by popular demand! Paper-pulp Sculpture Workshop Join local artist Lizette Vieyra for a five-week workshop where you’ll explore the art of transforming natural and everyday materials into beautiful, high-quality handmade pieces. Each session offers a hands-on, relaxed environment where you can experiment with techniques, build skills and create at your own pace. No prior experience is needed, just curiosity and a desire to make. Friday mornings 10am - 12pm NECCHi Newlands ‘together’ for UNFURL An opportunity for creativity each week, in supportive company and in conversation with plants. ‘together’ offers folk coming along to UNFURL a diverse program of plant-centered making activities, and offers artist-facilitators a supportive space to grow their facilitation practice at the meeting place of nature-connectedness and creative process. Thursday mornings 10.30am - 1pm NECCHi East Coburg Book Book As the sun emerges, so do you - time for trying something new? Get Spicy! What if you could learn about Indian food and spices from someone who didn't learn it from a cookbook? Welcome to Get Spicy, an intimate six week cultural experience exploring Indian spices, chai, food, language, customs, stories and traditions. This isn't your traditional cooking class, it's an immersive experience built around knowledge shared person to person. Stories passed down through generations. Customs that live in kitchens. Spice knowledge rooted in lived experience. Thursday evenings 6.30pm - 8pm NECCHi Newlands Restore & Unwind This 5 session course will introduce all participants to the health benefits of Nature Therapy, who and what we share the creek with, some creative time and some space for stillness. Whilst participants are encouraged to join for the full series, each session focuses on a different aspect of Nature Therapy allowing for casual participation. Choose your own adventure.  Limited spots available so get in whilst you can! Thursday afternoons 1pm - 2.30pm Edgar’s Creek Book Book Typical Girls Guitar The name Typical Girls was inspired by UK punk band, The Slits. In this group we are about feminism, uplifting women, building community and smashing the patriarchy one chord at a time. Absolute Beginner will start with the basics of learning about the guitar and how to tune it, conditioning our fingers, learning first chords and strumming patterns, and we'll play simple but satisfying songs, all in a supportive and encouraging environment. Play & Sing is for all stringed instrument players with our shared values interested in a relaxed, sing along style session, with some gentle music appreciation included to enrich the experience. This group is less about teaching, and more about easy playing options for all,  and plenty of encouragement to sing with the group Rachel, your facilitator, is a local singer-songwriter who took up guitar and songwriting in her 40's through participating in Melbourne's vibrant community music scene. She has 7 years of group and private music teaching experience, and loves seeing the joy, connection, and wellbeing that community music making can create.  Absolute Beginner Play & Sing You may feel old and tired but these new programs for October aren’t! Chair Yoga This class is designed for older adults and will focus on joint mobility, balance and strength, as well as relaxation and social connection. Classes will move through a sequence of gentle movements to warm up joints, strengthening and stretching postures, and mindfulness and relaxation to complete the practice. To top off the morning join Lydia for a cuppa and, if you’re lucky, a biscuit or two after class! Monday’s 10am - 11am & 11am morning tea NECCHi East Coburg Book Alexander Technique 1-hour Alexander Technique class for 4-weeks. Learn practical skills to reduce tension and improve balance and ease in everyday movement. New, experienced, any mobility or fitness. Explore your issues and posture, breathing, mapping own anatomy, through guided activities and hands-on teaching. You will sit, stand and move more comfortably. Wednesdays 2pm - 3pm NECCHi East Coburg Book TREATY First Nations peoples have been fighting for truth-telling and Treaties for generations. And right now, after decades of leadership and resistance, we are closer than ever to the first Treaty with First Nations people on this continent. Together, we can build unstoppable momentum for truth, Treaty and justice. This is our opportunity to move forward to a more just, fair and united future for everybody who calls these lands home. It's going to take all of us: building support in our neighbourhoods and workplaces, amplifying the voices of First Nations people, and making sure our politicians act on the aspirations of our communities. Stand with First People’s and show your support, sign the petition here. Join our Board! NECCHi are seeking passionate, community-minded people to join our board! We're particularly interested in hearing from people with experience in: Human resources Legal and risk management Partnerships and fundraising Strategy and organisational development We also highly value lived experience, fresh perspectives, community connections, creativity, and a genuine interest in making a positive contribution. Interested? Come and have a chat with Anna - drop into NECCHi or give us a a call/email to find out more about becoming a Board Member. 0499 878 752 manager@necchi.org Welcome to the team, Kee’ahn! Yalada, I’m Kee’ahn and I’m the new Administration Assistant at NECCHi 💚 I’m a Kuku Yalanji, Jirrbal, Badhulayg jalbu from North Queensland and my pronouns are she/they. Merri-bek and Wurundjeri biik have been my home for almost a decade now and  I’ve been lucky to work with people across First Nations spaces, music, theatre, and disability support. You might see some murals around town that I’ve helped paint too. In my spare time, I love making music, caring for Country, being in and learning everything I can about the ocean, and sometimes playing ridiculous amounts of basketball. I value building community and creating spaces that bring people together, honouring ourselves and honouring the land we’re on- so I feel super grateful to be a part of the NECCHi team. Thank you to everyone I’ve met so far for warmly welcoming me. I’m super keen to connect, contribute and meet more of the NECCHi community.  Come say hi! Banandrama Drama classes for kids! Do you know someone who loves to play? Great, this class is for them! We will put on red noses and turn games into performances. Through fun and funny exercises we will devise original comic sketches and learn how to connect with ourselves, each other, and the audience. Debbie Zukerman of Bananadrama is a practicing performing artist, and teaches the class through the joyful lens of clowning. Mondays after school NECCHi East Coburg 4pm - ages 5-7 5pm - ages 8-12 Book here Connect with us on socials

Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe