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Cire celebrates sustainable living at Ecotopia

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Ecotopia, ECOSS’s annual community festival celebrating sustainable living and multiculturalism, was held on Sunday 24th March.

Ecotopia is a celebration of sustainable living in the Yarra Valley and a major yearly event for ECOSS, a not-for-profit organisation based in Wesburn which is situated on a permaculture designed property promoting sustainable living solutions for the Yarra Valley community and beyond.

Cire Services, who is a major sponsor of Ecotopia, was invited to participate, giving us the opportunity to advertise our new direction for our dedicated Community Hub – Yarra Junction, after the move of our head office and training department to Lilydale, and showcase the great ways we plan to grow and support our community.

Cire has recently made the decision to utilise its location in Yarra Junction as a Community Hub.

We aim to strengthen the grassroots of our organisation, which started over 40 years ago, by giving locals easy access to our services in Yarra Junction, and help people to get involved and have local input and knowledge.

“I’m really looking forward to growing the Yarra Junction Community Hub and helping to facilitate community ownership and participation. This space is here for the community, and our team have a holistic view of bringing the community together and being proud of the town we call home.” Simone Whitehead, Community Hub coordinator

Our Yarra Junction Community Hub coordinators, Simone and Penny, started the day at Ecotopia setting up an approachable space for people to come and see what our Hubs and the broader Cire community have to offer.

Eliza, Cire’s Early Childhood Education and Care trainer, was keen to help and enlisted the support of some of her Certificate III students to set up an activity to engage families and children through playdough activity tables.

“I was very impressed with my students who contributed their time to participate in a hands-on learning activity. The students made playdough in one of our classes, set up the activity area and interacted with families.” Eliza Lee, Early Childhood trainer

Also on offer was a flag making table where visitors could come and paint their own flag in colours, patterns and symbols that resonated with them.

Cire Community Hub was proud to be a part of an event that celebrated sustainable living in the Yarra Valley and look forward to next years.

If you didn’t get the chance to say hello to us at Ecotopia and would like to know what is happening, are interested in running a course, or hiring out space, please drop into Cire Community Hub – Yarra Junction and introduce yourself to our coordinators, Penny and Simone or contact 1300 835 235.

If you’re lucky, they might even make you a cuppa!

our hub at ecotopia
our hub at ecotopia
children activities at ecotopia
children activities at ecotopia
ecotopia
ecotopia
ecotopia-cire-spot
ecotopia-cire-spot

Pram Walkers – be active and meet new people

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Social connection and healthy lifestyles are promoted through Cire Community House’s Pram Walkers group. Pram Walkers is a new activity for Upper Yarra parents to join, which will improve health and fitness, get parents out of the house and into fresh air and provide them with opportunities to meet other community members.

Facilitated by Kate Downward of Fresh Air Health and Fitness, Pram Walkers is a walking group for parents with young children who meet once a week. Through her fitness group, Kate is “dedicated to helping women get fitter and stronger” and providing an opportunity for children to see their parents as healthy role models. As a mother of two, Kate takes this approach with her to Pram Walkers, promoting exercise and healthy lifestyles while understanding the happenings of parenthood.

Pram Walkers is a great way to introduce exercise to busy parents’ lives, as it gives the opportunity for healthy exercise while linking parents to others within their area, creating networks and allowing the possibility for friendships to develop. The group is targeted to parents with children ranging from newborn to preschool age. Parents can bring a pram or a carrier sling to transport their children.

Pram Walkers can provide parents with benefits such as improved physical and mental health through exercise, social support from peers, time to enjoy the beautiful surrounds of the Upper Yarra Valley and the support of an experienced walking facilitator.

What to bring: a pram or a sling to carry children in, water for you and your child, comfortable clothing and walking shoes and sunscreen and a hat in the hotter weather for yourself and your children.

Simone Whitehead – Cire Community House Coordinator

Pram Walkers is held every Wednesday at 9.30am. Participation is by gold coin donation. No booking is necessary. Pram Walkers is currently meeting outside Cire Community House (2463 Warburton Hwy, Yarra Junction), but will be changing locations further into the year to continue exploring the wonderful area we live in. To keep up to date with meeting locations, please follow Cire Services Facebook page and look out for Pram Walkers posts every Tuesday. Alternatively, you can contact Simone at Cire Community House to find out meeting locations or for further information about this group.

Cire Community House has lots of exciting activities planned for 2018. Keep an eye out for our Community House Term One Guide, which will include a range of courses, groups and events.

Community houses working together

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SWEY Project – Community Houses Partnering together to provide more learning opportunities in the Yarra Valley.

The Seville Community House, Woori Community House and the Upper Yarra Community House recently received funding from ACFE (Adult, Community and Further Education) to explore the possibility of developing a partnership. One of the aims of the group is to be able to deliver more courses to people who live up and down the Warburton Highway.

The project name, SWEY, is a play on words, coming from the individual Community House locations, Seville, Woori, Mt Evelyn and Yarra Junction, SWEY.

The UYCH Mt Evelyn campus recently held a workshop which included representatives from each of the three community houses and was facilitated by Sue Gold, who is an independent business advisor. The workshop focused on the values of the Community Houses and how they support learners within each of their communities.

There is a second workshop planned in the coming months in order to decide on the type of partnership that could work for the three Community Houses. So watch this space……

“This funding has been a fabulous opportunity, giving the community house leaders time to come together and think about possible ways that we can all help support each other and our respective communities.” – Nina Bekker, UYCH

“This project has given the three Houses the chance to come together and form the beginning of a valuable partnership which could lead to resource sharing, bringing accredited training to the Valley and hobby courses to the Yarra Junction region.” – Vicki, Seville Community House

“Woori Community House is looking forward to working together with Seville and Upper Yarra Community Houses on the SWEY project to enrich the lives of local community members.” – Sonja, Woori Community House

“The funding has helped the SWEY group with big sky thinking time, opportunities to be creative, thinking outside the box, possibilities of delivering something different, and above all keeping the focus local.” – Nina Bekker, UYCH

For more information on the Seville and Woori Community houses, visit the links below:

Seville Community House
Woori Community House