Kensington Neighbourhood House in Kensington, Victoria | Community centre

Kensington Neighbourhood House

Locality: Kensington, Victoria

Phone: +61 3 9376 6366

Address: 89 McCracken Street 3031 Kensington, VIC, Australia

Website: http://www.kensingtonneighbourhoodhouse.com

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• Non-profit organisation
• Community organisation
• Community centre

25.01.2022 We are celebrating NAIDOC Week by sharing creative events occurring around Melbourne. Check out Big Mob Brekky, Warrior Woman Lane and First Nations performance art: An all First Nations line-up of back-to-back performance art from some of Melbourne’s best independent makers for the opening night of the Fringe Festival: https://melbournefringe.com.au//club-fringe-at-home-openi/ Check out art installations in Warrior Woman Lane in Carlton. The name pays tribute to the late L...isa Bellear, a passionate advocate for Aboriginal rights and representation, broadcaster, photographer and poet: https://warriorwomanlane.com/ NITV is serving up something never seen before on Australian television screens with the premiere of the first all-Indigenous breakfast show, #Big Mob Brekky, running all week: https://www.facebook.com/NITVAustralia/ #allwayswasalwayswillbe #naidocweek2020

25.01.2022 Check out our new brochure! We are now open for enrolments in Terms 1 and 2 and we have an exciting program planned, with creative weekend workshops and classes for all ages. The programs have been developed to take into account the Covid 19 environment and we will be adhering to all government guidelines in place at the time. We are really looking forward to welcoming everyone back through our doors, to connect face to face! Check out the program here http://www.kensingtonneighbourhoodhouse.com//KNH_2021_S1-W Get in touch with us to reserve spots either via the website, email: [email protected] or by phoning 9376 6366

24.01.2022 Our final Gallery 3031 project for this term is to make feathers for our guardian angel. Emails with instructions are going out today and materials are ready for collection from our front verandah. If you’re not on the list get in touch and we’ll send you details. The end product will be a photo opportunity like this one. Thanks Laura and Wonky for another great term of kids craft projects.

24.01.2022 Congratulations to Aidan Hey on winning our Code Club competition. Entrants were asked to design their post COVID birthday party using Scratch. Aidan said he learnt a lot and didn’t realise how much coding is needed to make a simple animation. Check out Aidan’s work here https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/421403540

24.01.2022 Our Food Share Pantry has its own Facebook page. If you want to donate items check in here first to find out what’s in demand. https://www.facebook.com/McCrackenStPantry/?ref=py_c

24.01.2022 The Flemington & Kensington and Moonee Valley Legal Services have developed some great resources in community languages on family safety during COVID-19. http://www.safefromharm.org.au/family-safety-during-covid-/

23.01.2022 Our "Iso Cookies and a Cuppa" event for Adult Learners Week went swimmingly. And to think, none of us had even heard of Zoom before this year! #ALW2020

23.01.2022 How beautiful! Our foyer smells divine. Thank you to the Victorian Racing Club for these wonderful roses. We will be distributing them to our staff and volunteers in recognition of their amazing work during lockdown.

22.01.2022 10 years ago we celebrated the opening of our new extension. 5 years ago we celebrated our Learn Local Legends Award. Next week we'll be celebrating the resumption of our Childcare Program. We can't wait for their return!

22.01.2022 There are a few places left in our 3 and 4 year old Morning Childcare Program on Fridays (9.15am - 1.15pm). Call 9376 6366 if your small person would like to join us.

21.01.2022 Meet Pam. She began volunteering at Kensington Neigbourhood House in 2018 in our Family Literacy Program. As a retired English as an additional Language Teacher she was well suited to the role. Pam had previously worked in out of school programs supporting students with refugee backgrounds. Pam has spent most of her life living in Melbourne’s west. She moved to Kensington in 1985 and recalls in the early years, across from her home on Westbourne Rd, there were only a few of the old drovers’ houses - a very different view today. Read more of Pam’s story here: http://www.kensingtonneighbourhoodhouse.com//Pams-Story.pdf

21.01.2022 The Covid 19 pandemic has caused a range of challenges and uncertainty for us all. Today is R U OK Day and it is all about having conversations to check in with friends and family. R U OK? have developed steps to give you the skills and confidence to have a conversation with someone you're worried about. You can find lots of information on the R U Ok website that can help guide these conversations: www.ruok.org.au At KNH we are all about facilitating connections in our local community. While we can't meet face to face, we are still running programs in new ways and trying new things to stay connected and positive. Get in touch with us if you would like to hear what about what we have been doing.

19.01.2022 Join Our Choir "The KenSingers" Join our no audition choir, its a great social outlet, an opportunity to meet new people and perform at community events. It meets every Wednesday 7.30 to 9.00 pm during school terms at Kensington Neighborhood House. Cost $90 (full) and $50 (concession). Form more information give us a call on 9376 6366 or email [email protected]

18.01.2022 Tonight the ABC are running the first in a series of Facebook Live events to communicate critical COVID information and advice to audiences mainstream media often struggles to reach. Tonight’s topic is about working through COVID and will cover things like restrictions, health considerations, legal rights, etc It will be captioned in Hindi, Arabic and Simplified Chinese. https://www.facebook.com/events/230660758308448/

18.01.2022 QR Codes have arrived! All visitors to our house now need to check in using the Service Victoria App. Once you have the App installed, it is very quick and easy to check in each time. Ask any of our staff if you need a hand getting set up.

18.01.2022 A huge thank you to Hotham Mission for putting together these school holiday activity packs for children. Each pack contains cooking, puzzles, science and art and craft activities plus a book and snacks what more could you need! All packs have now been distributed to 20 very happy children.

17.01.2022 On the weekend our McCracken St Food Share Garden group ran a working bee to replace three broken wicking beds with new ones. It was a lot of messy work, shovelling soil and scoria out and back in but we rolled our sleeves up and got it done - thanks team! We love our wicking garden beds as they use less water and create better growing conditions for the plants. Now they are ready for some more planting!

17.01.2022 Bananas! Bananas! Bananas! If you’re in the mood for baking or smoothie making, please come and collect some bananas from our verandah today.

17.01.2022 Can you help our friends at Wingate Avenue Community Centre reach their target of 500 reusable masks?

16.01.2022 This year the Victorian Senior’s Festival is running until the end of October. The City of Melbourne has a whole host of great free activities. Check out their website now. https://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au//Pa/seniors-festival.aspx

16.01.2022 Welcome back Raymond! For many years Ray has negotiated public transport from Port Melbourne to Kensington to attend Wednesday Lunch & Bingo. Then along came COVID19. This is the first time we have seen Ray in over a year. He is now fully immunised and ready to roll. So great to see you Raymond!

15.01.2022 The WomEmpower program provides opportunities for young women aged 16 to 23 years to participate in a scheduled of free after school programs at the Kensington YMCA from 5 to 8 pm, during school terms. For more information email: [email protected]

14.01.2022 It is NAIDOC week. This year the theme is Always Was, Always Will Be. It recognises that First Nations people have occupied and cared for this continent for over 65,000 years. In a normal year, celebrations are held in July to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. NAIDOC, originally stood for National Aboriginal and Islander Day of Commemoration. The acronym has since become the name of the week of celebrations. Ther...e are many free, online events happening across the week to engage with for example: ABC Radio Melbourne presents a NAIDOC week Musical Celebration https://www.naidoc.org.au//always-was-always-will-be-abc-m NGV Kids at Home: Art Club with Taylah Cole discovering https://www.naidoc.org.au//ngv-kids-home-art-club-taylah-c Aboriginal Housing Victoria and Yarra Libraries (City of Yarra) have teamed up to deliver a series of creative and cultural events to celebrate and recognise NAIDOC Week for 2020:https://www.facebook.com/events/466377114342431/ We will share more events later in the week! Head to NAIDOC week for more information https://www.naidoc.org.au/

12.01.2022 Messy play provides children with an exciting tactile and sensory experience that inspires their curiosity, allows them to explore the world around them and enhances their learning, language and creativity. We look forward to welcoming our morning childcare program back on Monday 5th October for some messy play.

11.01.2022 Today we farewell and thank our Masters Social Work student Piera Ibrahim who is finishing up her placement with us. This placement allowed me to understand the oppression many people have experienced during the COVID pandemic and how we can help empower them through the creation of client-focused initiatives. She leaves us having developed the training and manual for our Conversations Over the Front Fence program and an extensive Referral Directory. This was all done remotely of course, not sure we’d recognise Piera without her headset!

11.01.2022 One of the factors of ageing is losing core strength. We are running a strength and conditioning workshop this weekend specifically for over 55 year olds to learn exercises to increase flexibility, balance and core strength. This is a great opportunity to learn ways to increase your strength in a reassuring environment. Our teacher Sam is wonderful at motivating and supporting participants. People of all abilities are welcome. It is at 10-11.30am on Saturday $30 or $23 concession. Call or email for more details ph: 9376 6366 or [email protected].

11.01.2022 We have just placed an order for 101 beautiful children's books thanks to the generous folk at Dymocks Children's Charities. We will be using these books for our new Bedtime Story Project. Stay tuned for more details! If you would like to help more children access great books, you can donate here: https://www.dymockschildrenscharities.org.au/victorian-covi

10.01.2022 This week is Social Inclusion Week, which aims to help all Australians feel included and valued. Our Kensington community is diverse and full of interesting people. We are taking this opportunity to share some of our local’s stories across the week. We are kicking off with Hoa and Thai. Hoa and Thai are married and have lived in Kensington for almost 20 years. They came to came to Australia as refugees from Vietnam in 1979. After a treacherous journey here and a few years of ...working hard and adjusting to a life in Australia Thai and Hoa created a tailoring and clothing manufacturing business. Thai and Hoa are members of a few of our social groups - the Wednesday lunch seniors and our Vietnamese and Indochinese Elders group. They have also been part of the Kensingers (local choir). Hoa often drops off packages of her amazing biscotti and biscuits to the house for staff. She has been making facemasks this year for the community and distributing them via the House too. Read more about Hoa and Thai’s journey to Australia and their life over the years here. http://www.kensingtonneighbourhoodhouse.com//Hoa-and-Thais

10.01.2022 The Kensington Women's Dinner has been part of Kensington’s annual calendar since 1993. If you’d like to be involved in a project that explores the dinner’s history through its poster archive zoom into to a preliminary meeting on Sunday 4 October 1pm-2pm. http://www.kensingtonneighbourhoodhouse.com//telling-the-s

09.01.2022 Our friends at The Venny Inc are looking for volunteer Door Hosts. This is would be a great volunteer role for any students who have time free over Summer! You can find all the details here: https://www.kensingtonneighbourhoodheroes.com/front-door-ho

09.01.2022 Our Morning Childcare Program is filling fast. We do however, have a few spaces left on Tuesday mornings if your small person would like to join us in 2021. Call 9376 6366 for details.

08.01.2022 Chris McPherson one of our English language teachers maintains weekly contact with all her students via whatever means works for the students; email, phone or post. She does however miss working with them as a group. The flip side is that she gets to sleep in after participating in late night education Zoom meetings from the UK.

07.01.2022 Many locals have reached out to us over the last few months and are looking for new ways to connect with people. So we are starting a new program called 'Conversations over the Front Fence' where locals are matched with volunteers to have a regular chat on the phone. It is a chance to meet someone new and share stories. This is a bit like talking to neighbours over the front fence, but over the phone. We are currently taking enrolments but have limited spots. If you would like to find out more, please get in touch with us.

06.01.2022 Thanks for everyone who has knitted and crocheted squares and rectangles for our yarn bombing project. We've got well over 100 to start attaching to the tree in our backyard. There's room for more, so keep them coming.

05.01.2022 Today's local story is Hamida's. Kensington resident, Hamida was born in Somalia. She and her family moved to Melbourne in 2010 and since then she has been an active community member. It was a long and difficult journey over many years to get here, but Hamida and her husband, Abdinasar’s determination, resilience and courage drove them to gain Australian Citizenship and then a year later to get a home for their family in Kensington. Read more about Hamida's story as a community leader: http://www.kensingtonneighbourhoodhouse.com//Hamidas-Story

04.01.2022 The City of Melbourne has a great Community Food Guide for those needing help accessing affordable fresh healthy food. https://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au//community-food-guide.aspx

04.01.2022 Our thanks to Ken and Fin Oag and the wonderful Karen Potts for moving a mountain of softfall in 30 degree heat yesterday. Our Morning Childcare children and staff really appreciate the effort!

04.01.2022 We’ve been working with The Venny Inc to create simple positive messaging for families around what they can do under the current restrictions. Here’s the latest poster that’s been developed. http://www.kensingtonneighbourhoodhouse.com//PLAY-IS-EXERC

03.01.2022 The weather is cooling down and Anne is back for a term of Knitting & Crochet on Thursday evenings 6.30pm - 8.30pm. Whether you’re a complete beginner or know a few basics, our wonderfully versatile teacher Anne will accommodate your learning needs. Initial materials and equipment supplied. Get in touch for more details. Email [email protected] or call ph: 93766366

01.01.2022 Calling all code enthusiasts! We are looking for volunteers for our Code Club program on Wednesday afternoon. This class helps children to learn about programming and computational thinking, problem solving, planning, designing and collaboration. If you love code and teaching, apply via www.kensingtonneighbourhoodheroes.com/