A fun and edible garden
The children and Educators at our Bruce Ridge Early Childhood Centre (BRECC) have been having lots of fun out in the garden over the last few weeks, with our Director, Arianne, being very excited to have joined such an enthusiastic team of gardeners!
In the Kurrajong veggie garden, children have been busy weeding and planting. They have loved the physical activity of pulling up the weeds with their hands, then digging holes for the plants and taking turns putting them into the soil. There is something about getting hands dirty that remains a constant favourite with children! It also had the added benefit of improving the children’s physical development, as they used spades and gardening forks and carried the watering cans uphill.
Since the team established the garden beds, the children at BRECC have been diligently caring for the plants, watering them daily and feeding the worms. They also painted on the edges of the garden beds and on the ground nearby to help bring the area to life.
The first batch of seed balls the children planted, made of dough and soil, contained rosemary, mint and basil seeds. The first sprouts have come up, filling the air with their fragrance, and the children have loved engaging their senses by rubbing the leaves against their fingers, smelling them, or just having a little munch for the flavour! Mint was the all-around favourite.
This project has also provided a fun way to engage the students in biological sciences by getting them to think about how plants grow and their place in the wider ecosystem. Once the vegetables they planted are ready to harvest, it will provide informal opportunities to practice numeracy skills by counting the number of vegetables picked. The produce will also provide opportunities for the children to prepare and try new healthy foods.
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.