WHYLD Newsletter May 2020
WHYLD want to reach out to our community and we feel our newsletter is one way we can do this. Much thanks to Yarra Ranges Council for their generous sponsorship and support in printing and distribution. We thought long and hard about producing this newsletter, but agreed that we could all use a dose of normality in our lives and something to look forward to at the end of this uncertainty. As you will see, all our activities at the hall and elsewhere have been suspended until further notice. Sadly, we had to cancel our inaugural minimarket for 2020 and Winter Warming has been postponed – here’s hoping for an opportunity to celebrate spring solstice instead. We plan to bring you a second newsletter to coincide with term four and hope it will be filled with hope and good cheer. In the meantime, we encourage all our residents to stay safe, be kind to each other, your neighbours and your community.
WHYLD welcomes new members, so if you are interested in any of our events or activities, please feel free to contact us by email: welcome@whyld.org.au, and please do like us on Facebook: WHYLD Community Group, or for more information visit our website: whyld.org.au.
In our previous newsletter we were excited to inform you that we secured a lease of the Don Valley Hall. We mentioned some of the activities that would be happening and, while they aren’t on right now, we hope they will resume in the not too distant future.
So you can get enthusiastic about the options, we’d like to paint a clearer picture of these activities for you, friends, or family members who may be interested. While Mondays and Thursdays see the majority of activities, other weekdays (and much of the weekends) are just waiting to be filled.
We would love to see our activity schedule grow so we can offer you classes and activities close to home. The hall space is available for hire with affordable rates for the community; reasonable rates for business and weekend rates are negotiable, depending on the nature of the activity. Further information, including rates, conditions of hire and photos are available on this link: https://www.yarraranges.vic.gov.au/Experience/Venues/Venues-for-hire/Sydney-Halbish-Memorial-Hall.
WHYLD minimarkets are a concept that evolved from our WHYLD Community Plan developed during 2012. The idea was to bring the five WHYLD communities together in a rotation of weekly markets through the five WHYLD schools during school term.
Minimarkets were established in 2014 with sponsorship from Yarra Ranges Council and the Woori Yallock & District Community Bank. They were supported by Woori Community House. Minimarkets were discontinued at the end of 2015, but now, in 2020, WHYLD is pleased to announce their return, with a seasonal theme and fixed location at the Don Valley Hall.
The term minimarket sums up all of the ideas behind these markets, being small in size, short in duration, and the opposite of the supermarket concept. Minimarkets encourage the sale of homemade and home-grown products and support local emerging and established businesses. Community groups are welcomed free of charge in the markets to promote and fundraise for their cause.
Our minimarkets will have a Swap Table where produce, amongst other things, can be traded without monetary exchange. A Street Library has now been established at the hall, so the Book Swap concept from the original minimarkets is back. A sausage sizzle, supporting a community group, will provide a tasty snack and hot/cold drinks will be available. Minimarkets are more than just markets – they are about bringing the community together to sell, swap, share and socialise.
Sadly, the first of our minimarkets to celebrate Autumn Harvest was to take place at the hall on Saturday 28th March 2020, but had to be cancelled due to public health concerns. We have maintained the schedule for remaining minimarkets and will advise closer to the time whether they will be able to proceed as planned.
WHYLDfire was formed in 2016 as group of enthusiastic volunteers who signed up to learn twirling techniques for staff and poi to perform at our Winter Warming event.
Workshops under the leadership of Chris Ellis and Fireworks Dance Company taught skills and helped develop a spectacular fire-show. Since then the group has continued with four original members still actively involved as others continue to come and go. We also owe thanks and gratitude to the skills and expertise of Chris James and The Dreaming Space who joined us in the development and production of the fire show in 2017. Following our event last year, we have continued to meet on a monthly basis at the Don Valley Hall to maintain and develop our skills.
Did you know that poi spinning actually has a range of health benefits such as stretching, strengthening, joint flexibility and improved muscle tone of arms, wrists and fingers? Because it develops both sides of the brain it can also improve hand-eye coordination and bilateral motor skills. It also helps to cultivate patience and persistence, increased confidence and selfesteem. It’s a great way to relieve stress and great fun!
Not convinced? Come along to our monthly gathering and give it a try for yourself. It’s totally free and all you need to donate is your time. There is no pressure to perform and casual attendance is welcome, but be warned that it can be addictive! Anyone is welcome to join, although children will need parental permission.
Our practice sessions at the hall are with LED light poi and staff that are safe to use and available to purchase or borrow for the day. We usually meet from 2 – 5pm on the first Sunday of the month, rain, hail or shine.
These meetings are on hold right now, but keep watching our WHYLD Facebook page where we’ll keep you informed and let you know when our monthly meetings resume. Meanwhile, if you want to learn the skill while staying at home, you could purchase some LED poi online and there are loads of lessons found on YouTube.
Kreationz Cheer and Dance was established in 2008 and has grown from 15 to over 375 students across four locations. One of these locations is our very own hall in Don Valley.
Kreationz offer recreational classes for fun and fitness, as well as competitive classes for students who wish to take their dance or cheerleading to the next level. Students are encouraged to set personal goals and teaching staff guide them to be the best that they can be. Kreationz is fully committed to child safety and promoting the importance of ensuring a safe environment for the children in their care. All their teachers are fully trained and practice safe dance procedures. Classes are scheduled at the hall on Monday afternoons and Thursday mornings. Monday classes are mainly dedicated to school age students, while Thursday classes cater for infants and toddlers. Do note however that class times and days are subject to change without notice and classes may be combined or cancelled if there are insufficient numbers to sustain a class.
Term two studio classes have been suspended until further notice, as d i r e c t e d b y t h e government, but as soon as it’s safe to do so they will resume at the hall and all other studio locations.
in meantime, you can dance at home via a subscription for their LIVE online classes, coming directly to your lounge room!
There are several packages on offer depending on your budget and you can cancel at any time. As an added extra, your first week will be charged at half price! For further information and details please contact Kristen or Tiana.
Email: info@kreationzdance.com.au Website: http://kreationzdance.com.au/ Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/kreationzcheeranddance/
The Yarra Valley Brick Design Club is a not-for-profit social club for LEGO fans to come together and share designs, play LEGO games and be involved in group discussions.
The club began in Seville in 2013 under the guidance of Amy Howard and the support of Interchange Outer East, Wandin Rotary, Seville Township Group and Seville Community House.
In 2016 the club relocated to the Community Hall in Don Valley (next door to the Primary School) under the guidance of Christine Creigh, where it has been running on Thursdays from 4 until 5.30 pm during school term. The club is all inclusive and open to all ages with a cost of $5 per child. During their time at Don Valley, the club has received support from Yarra Junction Op Shop, Woori Community House and the Woori Yallock Community Branch of the Bendigo Bank.
While the current coronavirus pandemic has all activities at the hall suspended, the Yarra Valley Brick Design Club will be back, same time, same place once normality returns. https://www.facebook.com/Yarra-Valley-Brick-DesignClub-546962445359051/
WHYLD has been thinking about what we can do to help our community in this current crisis and hope this may set the ball rolling. Most people are staying home and self-isolating right now – not only because this has been mandated by the Victorian Government, but because oftheir age, illness or underlying health condition, unemployment, or the need to supervise student learning. They may live alone. We may not know who they all are, but everyone knows someone. And together, as a team, as a group, as a community, we can do something to make a difference during this crisis.
Some of us are feeling the boredom setting in. Some are feeling frustrated about being stuck at home and feeling useless. Some of us have possibly lost our jobs, and so have more than enough spare time of our hands. If any of these things apply to you, then perhaps we can help you put something extra into your life, and help make a difference to someone in OUR and YOUR community.
We’ve discovered ‘Gather My Crew’, a registered Australian charity that provides the technology to help communities build ‘support crews’. One of these is known as Street Crew. Street Crew brings neighbours together so they can look out for each other and provide organised support during challenging times. Now is the perfect opportunity.
Street Crews are able to chat together, offer emotional support, list things people might need, share resources, provide local updates, and coordinate offers of help all in one place. Things
Street Crews are able to chat together, offer emotional support, list things people might need, share resources, provide local updates, and coordinate offers of help all in one place. Things your Street Crew might be able to do include setting up a regular time to chat with an elderly neighbour, collecting parcels from the post office, walking the dog for someone who is unable to, picking up groceries from the supermarket, or simply baking a few extra biscuits to share with a neighbour.
Inspired by this initiative one WHYLD Committee member decided to have a go and set up a Street Crew in Hoddles Creek. Following the six simple steps p r o v i d e d b y G a t h e r M y C r e w , https://www.streetcrew.gathermycrew.org.au/ there are now six crew members. The task list is still being developed, but once up and running, the process is really simple.
We would like to encourage you to set up your own Street Crew. There’s plenty of support from Gather My Crew. Connecting with the people in your street is a great way to look after others and yourself during the coming weeks and months. Setting up a Street Crew builds connections with your neighbours and has significant emotional and psychological benefits. We’re sure you’ll feel better just knowing you are part of something ‘bigger than ourselves’ and having a stronger connection to those in your street can reduce feelings of anxiety, isolation and fear. An added benefit of setting up a Street Crew now means that when someone does need a little extra help, your Street Crew will know about it and be ready to provide the support needed.
If you don’t want to start a Street Crew, there are many ways we can be kind and connect to our friends, family and neighbours. Random acts of kindness at this time can have a big impact as we all feel the effects of social distancing and isolation.
