Stay up-to-date on all the latest community news, events, and activities in the Capital Region.
Margaret is one of the many friendly faces who joined CRCS’s Involve program after participating in the Communities at Work social groups. We recently asked her to share a bit about herself as part of our effort to get to know each other better and celebrate the diverse experiences within our group.
This year our Involve group is creating something special – a storytelling quilt made up of memories and experiences. We’re calling it Moments in Time because each quilt square captures a memory or moment, or even a series of moments, that the maker feels deeply connected to and wants to share.
After an extraordinary 32 years of service, we say a heartfelt goodbye to Graham McKercher, who recently resigned from CRCS to take some time out, enjoy being a grandad, and undertake some international travel.
CRCS recently welcomed our Living Well participants, other community members, sector professionals, and family members and carers to our first Speaker Series session of the year: Unpacking the Changes to My Aged Care – What You Need to Know at the Belconnen Community Centre theatre.
To celebrate Mother’s Day, Budawang Early Learning Centre in Milton hosted an afternoon tea for mums, carers and grandmothers. Children invited their families into the centre to take part in a range of activities. These included bracelet beading, gluing, drawing, nail painting, and pretend hairdressing. A playdough station invited children to create face moulds with the sign “Can you mould your mum?”, and a photo booth was set up to capture the occasion.
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.
Helen has been part of Involve for a long time – both as a participant and a dedicated volunteer with CRCS. Years ago, while enjoying a coffee at the Social Bean Café, she noticed that the space could use some more life. After chatting with the manager, her volunteer journey began, as she started creating beautiful flower arrangements at the Belconnen Community Centre – a project she continues today. Although it’s not an easy task, as she arrives early to ensure everything is ready for the day, Helen is committed and appreciates the positive feedback from her peers and CRCS…
We are disappointed to announce the closure of Bruce Early Childhood Centre. Over the coming months, our commitment is to ensure a smooth and supportive transition for the children, families and employees impacted by this news.