Shop 7-24 Main Road Boolaroo (across from IGA)
E: [email protected] / [email protected]
P: 02 4958 7251 www.ourcommunityplace.org.au
Our Community Place
New Sensory Garden & Vegetable Garden
Expansion Project underway!
The Sensory Garden plot Watch this Space!
In 2016 Our Community Place received
a grant from Lake Macquarie City
Council to establish a Sensory Garden
and expand our vegetable garden at
Boolaroo Pubic School. The grant will also
enable us to erect a garden shed and enhance
our garden with signage and decorative stakes.
The Sensory Garden will be on an unused
section of the school grounds and the vision is
to create an outdoor learning space and a
place where children can go and relax and
enjoy being amongst nature.
The garden will contain plants that provide a
sensory experience for the children through
their different aromas and textures. It is hoped that the plants will encourage
insects such as butterflies. In addition to the plants, we will also be enhancing the
garden with a collection of colourful features such as mosaics and garden
sculptures and decorations.
Our vegetable garden
In addition to the sensory garden, we will also be expanding our vegetable garden
to include a few more beds and improve presentation. The extra beds will enable
us to provide more food for our Free Food Program, Breakfast Club & families of
the school.
Continued on page 2
1
Feb 2017
Published by
Our Community Place
7/24 Main Road Boolaroo.
We have had a great start to the New Year
at Our Community Place. We are excited
about improving systems and performance
in all our activities. The Christmas break has
helped in what we say ‘sharpening the saw’.
We look forward to starting the Breakfast
Club and Homework Support Groups again
at Boolaroo and Speers Point schools in
Term 1. The Boolaroo School Garden Project
has also started with enthusiastic Garden
Group. We are still looking for people to join
our group and get involved in creating a
sensory garden at the school (see front
page)
Staff
Gay Sumiran
Coordinator
Elizabeth Hyslop
Community Development Worker
Subscribe to our FREE
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activities and services as well as local
community information. Just go to
www.ourcommunityplace.org.au
February is a month of love and I hope that
we all put our hearts into everything that
we do for the whole year. As Jeffrey Gitomer
has said “The secret to climbing up is to put
your heart into your work”.
All advertising, community news,
editorial and distribution enquiries
should be directed to:
GAY
[email protected]
Continued from page 1.
P.O. Box 159, Boolaroo NSW 2284
Phone: 02 4958 7251
A newly established Garden Group
commenced work in January
starting with cleaning up, mulching
and planting seedlings on our
existing vegetable garden beds.
Any reader, advertiser or community group is
encouraged to contribute to this newsletter with
news items, community news events and any
item of interest to local residents. Items less
than 200 words in length are preferred because
of limited space in the newsletter. In contributing
news items the contributor thereby accepts that
such information may or may not be published in
print and/or online websites or other social
media channels at the sole discretion of the
publisher. No guarantee of publication is ever
implied by this invitation to contribute.
We have a small dedicated team
of volunteers in the Garden
Group, but we would love
more!! If you want to get
involved with this great garden project
please inquire now. The group will be
working on the project on Mondays and
Wednesdays from 9.00am to
11.00am/12.00 noon. All volunteers will
need a Working with Children Check.
Except where otherwise may be noted herein, all
information, photographs, texts and images
contained within the newsletter is subject to
copyright. Such copyright material cannot be
reproduced and distributed in whole or part
without the prior written consent of the publisher.
2
Feb 2017
Womens Shed Boolaroo
We enjoyed a fantastic, fun
Christmas party in December! Much
laughter , good food and music!
Thanks to Lucy and Ron for
entertaining us with your catchy
tunes!
We held our first gathering on 20
January and had the pleasure of
meditation and relaxation coach
Dixie leading us in some exercises.
A great way to start the year!
We have started off 2017 full of
enthusiasm and ideas! This year we
have some community projects in
the pipeline as well as Bunnings
workshops and organising some
markets stalls. There are so many
things that we could do and become
involved in - if you haven’t joined us
yet, please do!
Women Shed Boolaroo is an
inclusive group for women of all
ages. We invite women to come
along to enjoy friendship, workshops, activities, support & encouragement and, of
course, a cuppa and a chat! Babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers are welcome
too!
We are a group of Our Community Place Inc (a Neighbourhood Centre) and are
enthusiastic about becoming involved in, and, helping out with community projects
as well as learning about DIY. We are also interested in health, well-being, craft,
socialising and much more!.
Womens Shed Boolaroo meets fortnightly on Fridays at FASHVI Hall - 27 Fourth
St, Boolaroo from 9.30am to 11.30am. We encourage a fee of $3 per week to help
cover our costs (eg. hall hire, resources etc)
Child minding
We are privileged to have experienced women looking after babies and toddlers
during the Shed meeting time. The children are entertained with games, books
and simple craft! So, let your friends/ family with children know…
3
Feb 2017
Womens Shed Boolaroo continued..
Women's Shed upcoming activities
Friday
3 February
Mosaic stepping stones and garden decorations for the
‘Our Community Place’ Garden Project at Boolaroo Public
School. The mosaics and garden decorations will be
incorporated into the sensory garden.
You don’t need to have had experience with mosaics
before…anyone can learn! Just come along and have some
fun whilst getting to know other women better!
Friday
17 February
Friday
3 March
Bunnings DIY Workshop! - Basic plumbing eg. changing
washers, changing taps, leaking toilets etc. We will meet at
FASHVI Hall from 9.30am for a cuppa and then head over
to Bunnings for a 10.30am workshop
Ribbon Stars – We will be making some stars for a
domestic violence awareness project for the 2018
Commonwealth Games. The stars will become part of an
art installation at the Games. PLUS we will continue with
the Mosaic Stepping Stones
Breakfast Club
Breakfast Club in Boolaroo Public School is
back in Term 1 from 31st January 2017.
It is run every Tuesday from 8:15-9:00am
at the school hall during term times.
This year the children will now be choosing from a
healthy food menu and will be doing fun activities
that promote healthy foods and lifestyle choices.
In December, we held a Christmas Party in the
last week of school. The children made lolly sleighs
and played games. Was enjoyed by all!
4
Feb 2017
Homework Support Group
Homework Support Group will
start up again on 7th February!
It will run on Tuesdays from
3.00pm-4.00pm at Speers
Point Public School and
Wednesdays from
3.00pm-4.00pm at Boolaroo Public School.
We have a team of dedicated volunteers who
help the children with their homework tasks.
The children also enjoy a healthy afternoon tea.
We also have plans for activity and games at the
end of each term.
We invite families of both schools to get
involved. Parents are welcome to volunteer. If
you would like to register for our Homework
Support Group please contact us on
4958 7251 or
[email protected]
See photos to the right from our Christmas
party. The children enjoyed making snowmen
and some lolly sleighs as well as enjoying a
special afternoon tea.
Items needed!
We are looking for old wheelbarrows
and a small wooden boat for our new
sensory garden. They would be used to
hold a variety of plants. If you can help
us out, please contact us on 4958 7251
5
Feb 2017
Refugee Welcome BBQ
Saturday 18 February from 11am to 2pm
Speers Point Park
Activities will include; acrobatics workshop, face painting,
sausage sizzle, soccer, cricket, fun races
and a children’s playground
Hosted by Hunter Workers with the support of Lake Macquarie City
Council, Northern Settlement Services and Navitas.
For more information please contact one of the above.
Courtesy of Lake Macquarie City Council
Loop the Lake
Charity Bike Ride
5 Week First Touch
Infant Massage Program
Sunday 12 March 2017
Choice of distances - 13, 55 or 90 km.
Also a new 7km family ride.
Morning tea, fruit stops, water and
toilets available around the course.
Lunch also provided.
Learn to communicate with your
baby through massage and
nurturing touch.
Babies 0-12 months are welcome

Receive sound information in an
intimate, hands on, flexible and
nurturing environment.

Complimentary oil, handouts and
morning tea provided
The Ride is conducted by the Rotary
Club of Warners Bay.
Info: www.loopthelake.com.au
Courtesy of Lake Macquarie City Council
Next Course starts Thurs 9 March
(5 session x 1.5 hrs)
10.30am - 12.00
Mum’s Cottage Holmesville
Simple Money Manager
Free online budgeting resource is
designed to help culturally and
linguistically diverse (CALD)
Australians with budgeting. The
resource is available in English
and eight other languages.
Go to the ASIC’s MoneySmart
website at moneysmart.gov.au
Enquiries: Rochelle 0425 231 034
or Mum’s Cottage 4953 4105
Courtesy of
Mum’s Cottage Holmesville
The site also has lots of other
great tools to help with finances
Courtesy of ASIC
6
Feb 2017
Women's Shed Boolaroo
Activities, workshops, friendship & support for all aged women
Free Food Program
Weekly food distribution in Boolaroo. For people on a
government benefit. Contact us to register
Garden Group
Creating a sensory garden & working in our vegetable garden.
Produce grown goes towards our Free Food Program. Volunteer
gardeners always welcome! Ask us about it!
Youthgroup
Youthgroup for teens aged 12-18 yrs. Held at The Willows Uniting
Church in Warners Bay. Fridays from 3.30pm during school terms
Breakfast Club
Held weekly at Boolaroo Public School for students attending
there. A nutritious breakfast is served and activities are also
provided for the children.
Homework Support Group
Held weekly at both Boolaroo Public and Speers Point Public
Schools . For students attending these schools. Volunteers
provide support to the children completing their homework tasks.
Tax Help
Free help for tax returns for people on low incomes.
Available from July to October.
Office Facilities
Use of our office facilities for a minimal cost - Photocopier,
phone, computer & printer, scanner, laminator.
Support
We provide information, referrals and advocacy. We can also
help you with resume development and job searching.
Volunteering Opportunities.
Our programs rely on a team of dedicated volunteers. If you
would like to know more about how you can become
involved, feel free to contact us.
7
Feb 2017
Uniting Church Boolaroo
Donates the use of their
hall for the collection and
distribution of food to people who
come to the Free Food Program .
Provides volunteers to assist in the
collection and distribution of food
for the food program
OzHarvest
Delivers food weekly to our
Free Food Program.
Oz Harvest collects quality surplus
food from all types of food outlets
and delivers it directly and free of
charge to charities and organisations
providing assistance to disadvantaged
men, women and children in
Newcastle & Lake Macquarie
Boolaroo Public School
Provides the use of their hall
for our Breakfast Club and
their computer lab for our Homework
Support Group
‘The Willows’ Uniting Church
- Warners Bay
Donate the use of their centre
for a Youth group. Also provide
volunteers and afternoon tea for the
youth group
Eastlakes Youth Centre
Provide Youthworker/s for the
Speers Point Public School
Provides the use of their library
and computer lab for our
Homework Support Group
Provides
volunteers to
assist in our
Community Vegetable Garden as well
as seedling donations
Mac’s IGA Boolaroo
Donates food to our
Free Food Program
8
Feb 2017