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.

As Program Manager for Living Well Aged Care, Dominique (known as Domi) brings a wealth of experience and compassion to the team. With a background as a rehabilitation nurse, Domi has spent many years working with older people and encouraging them to live independently.

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.

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.

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…