On this page, we have posted some of the many ways that you can have fun, get active, acquire new skills and share them with others – dancing, public speaking and more in our local region. For sports clubs, go here: https://www.eastsidernews.org.au/getting-active-sporting-clubs/
Speaking Made EasyAre there times when you would like to give your opinion, present a speech at a function or at work, but you don’t because you are shy or you think you are not good at public speaking? Many people feel that way.
Speaking Made Easy is a public speaking training club for women where you will learn the skills to communicate with confidence. Speaking Made Easy offers a friendly place to practice writing speeches, learn voice production and how to use gestures and descriptive word pictures to enhance your presentation.
You don’t have to give a presentation or make a speech until you feel ready.
We meet at 12.15 to 1.45pm in Meeting Room 1 at the Camberwell Library on the fourth Thursday of the month. You are welcome to come to a meeting to get to know our members and observe the way we work.
Our meeting dates for the rest of 2026 are 23 July, 7 August, 24 September, 22 October, 26 November and we celebrate our anniversary on Saturday 5 December.
All enquiries regarding visiting a meeting and membership should be addressed to: Membership Officer by email at vic.membership@speakingmadeeasy.com.au.
For more information, go to our website at https://speakingmadeeasy.com.au/ or phone our Membership Officer, Sherrilyn Ballard on 0459 186 670.
Love singing? Join in the fun with Swinburne Chorale.Rosie Cannington
The Swinburne Chorale is a Community Choir that sings a diverse range of acapella and accompanied songs including folk songs from around the world, spirituals, madrigals and contemporary pop songs.
The choir is a wonderful demonstration of the benefits of choral singing and of belonging to a group of supportive members who come together to achieve a common goal. It has brought much joy and social connectedness to its members who have benefited greatly, in a physical, psychological and emotional sense from singing together.
What Swinburne Chorale members are saying.
That the choir is a friendly and informal group is confirmed in comments from members:
I love Tuesday nights at choir practice. I always come away feeling relaxed, happy and energised.
I look forward to Tuesday nights. Singing is good for the soul and we sound wonderful!.
The Swinburne Chorale is not just a choir but a group of people who care about each other and the joyful process of music making.
I like the sense of achievement that comes with the learning of new songs and the friendship and happy collaboration with members. Really, I go to choir ‘cos it is fun.
Come join in the fun
Anyone who likes singing is welcome to join this non-audition, community choir which has been making music for over 20 years. At present, it consists of about 20 singers but is always looking for more members.
The repertoire of the choir is mainly chosen and directed by the current musical director, Sarah Mandie, but she encourages input into song choices by choir members. Songs are arranged in three to four parts. The Choir is always changing, evolving and adapting to the needs and abilities of its members. Swinburne Chorale, or as Sarah calls it, the Swinny Singers, has achieved much, completed projects and grown together during Sarah’s leadership.
The Choir rehearses at the Canterbury Neighbourhood Centre, 2 Kendall St. Canterbury on Tuesday evenings from 7:30 to 9:30pm during school terms. The Choir performs in the local, Boroondara area throughout the year, culminating in a family friendly end-of-year concert.
If you love singing, come along and experience the joys of singing together at a number of free workshops to be held soon. Go to the notice above to find the dates for these workshops.
Image by gustavorezende Pixabay
Koonung Bushwalking Club
Want to improve fitness, discover natural environments, and enjoy social activities? Then the Koonung Bushwalking Club (KBC) may be for you. Local residents formed the club 40 years ago to explore nearby bushland tracks and interesting hikes further afield in state and national parks.
KBC has a varied walks program including short Tuesday walks in the Templestowe/Doncaster area, longer walks in the wider eastern suburbs on Wednesdays and more rugged longer hikes out in the bush on weekends.
Occasionally, base camps over several days or a week are held at locations such as Phillip Island, the Bogong High Plains, and the Bellarine Peninsula. Each day has a variety of walks with group dinners at night. These camps are popular and often booked out.
The scheduled walks suit all fitness levels and age groups. Trained, experienced leaders who have scouted the area and know the terrain and conditions, head each walk. Depending on each walk’s length, morning tea and lunch breaks are included.
KBC also has regular social activities such as dinner nights and club meetings. It will celebrate its 40th anniversary with a special night that includes original members attending to share great memories and adventures.
For details or to join, visit koonungbushwalkingclub.org.au and click “Join us”.
Photos by Ross Kimber
The Koonung Bushwalking Club schedules several bushwalks for most months throughout the year. Go to their website here to see their latest planned walk
Visitors who have received double COVID vaccinations are welcome to join the walk. Please book with secretary@koonungbushwalkingclub.org.au
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. Day or evening.
Classes are held at Forest Hill, Ashburton, Rowville, Camberwell, Vermont South and Keysborough. They range from Introduction, Beginners, Improvers, Easy Intermediate to Intermediate
COME AND GIVE IT A TRY. All ages welcome. A workout for your whole body with a thorough and patient instructor.
Contact Marie about specific class times and locations, how to register and any other questions by email at mariepietersz@hotmail.com or by phone on 0412 296 827. If you pre-register, please pay online. Casual attendance available. If paying cash at the door, please arrive a few minutes early so as not to disrupt the class.
Whitehorse Activities Club is a not-for-profit club run by volunteers. It has the sole purpose of providing meaningful activities for people planning for, commencing or who have already retired.
If you are interested in finding out more about the Whitehorse Activities Club, come along to our coffee club, which meets every week on Friday morning at 10.30am till 11.30am at the Chase Hotel, 3rd floor, Forest Hill Chase Shopping Centre.
They are a friendly group that loves visitors. If you come along, you can meet some of our members and find out all about our club and its activities.
And of course, the coffee is good.
For more information or if you have any questions, please contact us at www.whitehorseactivitiesclub.org.au
Diane Falzon
Balwyn Evergreen Centre is a community centre dedicated to ensuring that older individuals stay active, healthy and socially connected. The Centre is launching a new line dancing class aimed at promoting fitness, community, and joy through dance.
Line dancing is a fantastic way for both men and women to stay active while enjoying the camaraderie of a group activity. Led by experienced instructor Joanne Campbell, the class will commence on 1 May and continue every fortnight thereafter. Each class will run for one hour from 11:30am to 12:30pm.
Joanne Campbell, the performing arts teacher behind the program, and also an Evergreen volunteer, says, ‘Line dancing is not just about moving your feet; it’s about connecting with others, enjoying great music, and improving overall wellbeing, coordination, balance, cognitive function and fitness. I can’t wait to share the joy of dance with everyone at Balwyn Evergreen Centre.’
Tina Hogarth-Clarke, CEO Balwyn Evergreen Centre, emphasised the importance of introducing activities like line dancing to the community. ‘We believe in providing opportunities for our clients to stay physically and mentally active, while fostering a sense of belonging. Line dancing perfectly aligns with our mission of promoting holistic wellbeing and social inclusion. It’s an opportunity to laugh, move, and connect with others in a way that lifts the spirit and for our clients to simply have fun.’
For new student, Audrey, 88, this will be her first lesson in line dancing, and she simply cannot wait. ‘I fondly recall my brief encounter with line dancing over 25 years ago, a moment that left me captivated and intrigued. I look forward to stretching my legs, enjoying some brain-boosting fun, and immersing myself in the diverse melodies that I adore. I love all sorts of music and the opportunity to meet new friendly faces along the way.’
The benefits of line dancing extend far beyond just exercise. It provides a platform for social interaction, reducing feelings of loneliness and isolation, especially in older adults. The rhythmic movements and uplifting music also contribute to stress reduction and overall mental wellbeing.
To encourage participation, Balwyn Evergreen Centre is offering the first class for free. Subsequent sessions are priced at $15 for those approved under the Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) and $19 for non-assessed individuals. There are no up-front term fees; Evergreen runs on a simple pay-as-you-go system, ensuring accessibility for all interested participants.
Don’t miss this opportunity to pull on your cowboy boots, meet new friends, and reap the benefits of line dancing at Balwyn Evergreen Centre. Join us on 1 May to kick off this exciting new journey towards health and happiness.
For more information or to register, visit https://www.balwynevergreen.org.au/
The generosity of the Women’s Woodwork Group is on full display at Lusher Road Community Housing in Croydon, following their gift to residents of a community library.
After hearing about how the children and families at Lusher Road love books, the Women’s Woodwork Group decided to build a library that would enrich their passion. Heidi Butler-Moore, CEO of Glen Park Community Centre and Women’s Woodwork Member, helped develop the idea. She said, ‘It was great to see the skills of the Women’s Woodwork Group being utilised for the benefit of the community.’
Kate Daddo, Community Housing Limited’s (CHL) Victorian Community Development Manager, said partnerships between housing providers and community groups deliver great outcomes for people living in community housing.
‘The partnership between CHL and the Women’s Woodwork Group is a perfect example of how we can work together to build great communities and promote inclusion. CHL provides essential housing in local communities, but we also invest in the wellbeing of our customers through our partnerships,’ Kate said.
Steven Kline, a shed facilitator at the Women’s Woodwork Group, enjoyed being able to work on a such a meaningful project. He said, ’It was so good to be able to create something that was going to be donated. The ladies are all very generous, community-minded people who thoroughly enjoyed the process of creating and giving from start to finish.’
Stephen was delighted to see the library so well received, and especially the excitement of one little boy at being involved and able to paint a bookend provided.
Caz, a resident at Lusher Road, is grateful to the Women’s Woodwork Group and their thoughtfulness. She said, ‘The library is beautiful. It has enriched our lives and given us the opportunity of learning at our doorstep. It has invited us to connect and create joy within the Lusher Road Community.’
To celebrate the donation, the Women’s Woodwork Group met with residents for a day of soup and stories. ‘Such a beautiful day,’ Moore said. ‘The reward for us was far more than what we could have imagined. It was thrilling to see how much residents appreciated our gift.’
The library was stocked with books donated by Glen Park Community Centre, with genres ranging from thrillers to romance, children’s books to cookbooks, and more. ‘We have a great selection of books for all ages and readers. We appreciate all the hard work dedicated to us and the beautiful craftmanship of this library,’ said Caz.
Scottish Country DancingThe Box Hill & District Scottish Society invites you to dance the night away at our regular Scottish Country Dancing nights every Tuesday from March to November. Our new permanent venue is the Koonung Heights Uniting Church Hall, corner of Belmore Road and Winfield Road, Balwyn North.
We love to welcome new dancers. Come and have a go at an easy dance tradition which exercises mind and body.
We are led by teacher Matthew. Everyone is welcome, you don’t need to be Scottish or to bring a partner. All you need is comfortable casual clothing including a pair of flat, soft shoes and a reasonable level of fitness. Beginners and experienced dancers all welcome.
The evening commences with a Beginners session at 7.30pm. The regular class starts at 8pm. Dancing concludes about 10pm. The class covers the various steps and dances that involve the basic formations included in many Scottish Country Dances. As the evening progresses, the dances become more complex. For some of these dances, beginners can join in with a more experienced partner. Others are for experienced dancers only and beginners are encouraged to watch.
Scottish Country Dancing is danced in sets of usually 4 couples arranged in two lines. There are 5 basic steps used in a variety of formations. These formations are put together in endless, different combinations to produce an infinite diversity of dances. Each couple progresses through each position in the set dancing as the lead couple or as a supporting couple.
The fourth Tuesday of each month is a mini-social night. The dances for these nights are chosen by one of our members and the program is published in advance. These dances are taught in the classes leading up to the mini-social. Links to YouTube demonstrations of the dance can be found on the home page of our website. See our Social Events page for more details.
Scottish Country Dance is for normal people, not athletes! We welcome new beginners or experienced dancers but request that you contact us before coming along. Please call Secretary Susie on 0425 883 218 or email at boxhillscottish@gmail.com. For more information, go to our website at https://www.boxhillscottish.com/home
Annual membership is $20. The class fee is $7 for members and $10 non-members. The first night is free.
