Celebrating uniqueness at GECC
In March, we celebrated Harmony Week and World Down Syndrome Day (WDSD) at Ginninderra Early Childhood Centre (GECC) and embraced and celebrated the rich diversity that exists among our children, families and Educators.
One of the Educators at GECC has a daughter, Maria, who has Down syndrome. For the sixth year, we celebrated World Down Syndrome Day together and reflected on the immense joy and positivity that Maria brings to our community.
The Lots of socks campaign as part of WDSD is particularly significant for the team at GECC, as it encourages children to embrace diversity, fostering a culture of understanding and acceptance from a young age. By wearing colourful and mismatched socks, our children learn to appreciate differences and celebrate uniqueness, creating an inclusive environment that values and respects everyone.
Recent News Stories
Following on from the signage placed around the Belconnen Community Centre and notices distributed to participants, we are sharing this update to confirm that the Swanson Court carpark has now permanently closed as of Tuesday 2 April 2025, due to a new development at the site by JWLand.
Young people in Belconnen now have easier access to free, confidential health and wellbeing support with the arrival of the T25 Clinic at Belconnen Youth Centre. Every Thursday from 2pm to 5pm the T25 Clinic van, Mini Pat, will be on-site offering a safe and welcoming space for young people aged 12 to 25. There’s no need for an appointment – just drop in when you need support.
The Canberra Day Appeal 2025 has wrapped up for another year and we are grateful to everyone who contributed, either by making a donation or helping to spread awareness. Thanks to the generosity of our community, employees and corporate supporters, we raised an amazing $6,736.40 – an increase from $5590 in 2024. These funds will go directly towards recruiting, training and supporting more volunteer transport drivers, ensuring people in our community can get to their essential medical appointments for chronic health conditions such as cancer and kidney disease.
Patsy is a lifelong storyteller and a creative spirit. For nearly 20 years, she was a storyteller at early childhood education centres, captivating children with her tales – sometimes using handmade props to bring them to life, other times sharing stories she wrote herself. Creativity has always been second nature to her, and when she’s caught up in a project, time flies by often leading to late nights. Though she recently stepped away from storytelling, she continues her creative pursuits, including a quilt project through Involve (stay tuned!).
For Therese Beckmann, sewing isn’t just about fabric and stitches – it’s a way of telling stories, bringing people together and creating something meaningful. After 30 years of working in sewing, dressmaking and teaching, she realised she wanted to take her skills beyond the retail space and into the community. She had always felt drawn to the senior age group, especially after hearing students in her art classes say, “This is better than therapy.” Hearing it over and over made her realise just how powerful creativity could be in bringing people together and improving wellbeing.