Mornington
Morni ngton
26 August 2014
Take it all in > Page 3
Your guide to what’s on this weekend for peninsula families
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Toy library’s party plans MORNINGTON Toy Library is celebrating a big birthday next week – 25 years of lending funny, colourful, interesting and creative toys to boys and girls from its Albert St premises. Staff members are planning an open day on Saturday 6 September to mark the occasion. Councillors Bev Columb, Anne Shaw and Andrew Dixon will be there from 9.30-11.30am, with speeches and a “cutting of the cake” at 11. There will be balloons, giveaways and activities for the children. The toy library began in 1982 and operated from the Community Contact House in Albert St and then from the children's section of Mornington Library before moving to Albert St in 1989. From there it has been able to add to its toy collection considerably. The toy library provides a wide variety of toys, games and puzzles to more than 100 families, grandparents, family day carers and groups each year and is a favourite haunt for those aged six months to nine years. The toy library opens 9.30-11.30am Saturday, 1-3pm Monday and 9.30am-12.30pm Wednesday. Toy riders: Hudson, Molly, Marion and Mitchell with toy library staff Mary, Jude and Andrew Park. Picture: Yanni
United stand against family violence Chris Brennan chris@mpnews.com.au A GROUP of Mornington Peninsula churches has forged an alliance with community support organisations to take a united stand against family violence and other pressing social issues. Alarmed by the growing prevalence of domestic violence within the community, especially in the wake of the shocking murder of Tyabb schoolboy Luke Batty by his father earlier this year, church and community leaders agreed a united response was required. The multi-denominational partnership led to the recent foundation of Peninsula Voice, a non-profit community organisation dedicated to tackling pressing social issues and building
greater community cohesion. Peninsula Voice is now calling on the broader community to come together and help tackle “the big issues” that threaten our safety, prosperity and well-being. The initial focus of the collective effort is family violence, with the first in an ongoing series of public forums to held next month in Mornington. Police Commissioner Ken Lay has already thrown his support behind the initiative and will address the forum at Peninsula Community Theatre on 16 September as one of a number of highprofile speakers. Joining him will be Rosie Batty, the mother of Luke, who has won nationwide admiration and acclaim for her
efforts to raise awareness of domestic violence and the need for systemic reform in the treatment and protection of victims. Other confirmed participants include Domestic Violence Victoria chief executive Fiona McCormack, and the acting head of Men’s Referral Service and No To Violence, Rodney Vlais. Peninsula Voice chairman Peter Orton said the organisation aimed to engage the skills and resources of the broader community to tackle major social issues that haven’t received adequate attention from traditional mainstream outlets such as the media and politicians. Other issues set to be addressed in community forums include grow-
ing inequality and poverty within the community, the treatment of asylum seekers, the drug scourge, and chronic youth unemployment. The forums will provide an opportunity for the community to come together and “engage in a conversation on topics which the 24-hour media circus simply does not address with any depth”, Mr Orton said. “Peninsula Voice believes the quality and strength of a community can be measured by how it cares for and supports its most vulnerable members,” he said. “Accordingly, these public forums are designed to build social capital as a means of helping the community, as a whole, better cope with life’s varied
challenges.” The forums would provide “evidence-based information, personal testimony, open discussion, and access to appropriate agencies on relevant topics within the broader community”. Invitations for upcoming forums would be extended to state, national and internationally recognised speakers from diverse backgrounds, to present their professional research and experience in order to promote conversation and engagement on important community development series. “The topics will be for the benefit of community education, awareness, and advocacy on public policy, social justice, ethics, wellbeing and health in all its forms,” Mr Orton said.
WHAT’S ON AT NEPTOURS
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*CROWN CASINO – MONTHLY* STITCHES & CRAFT SHOW Casino’s bus program with a Caulfield Racecourse Thu 23 great BUFFET lunch (all) $35. Oct All $55 Only persons over the age of 18 permitted. LAST THURSDAY EACH HEALESVILLE SANCTUARY MONTH Tue 11 Nov Adults $70 (p/s) $60 (ch) $50 QUEEN VICTORIA MARKET Tue 14 Oct - all $30. STRICTLY BALLROOM Shop for all the bargains we do not have down here. We Wed 25 March even supply a couple of Eskys Adults $125 (p/s) $110 for some of your perishables. MATTHEW BOURNE’S SWAN LAKE Wed 22 Oct (matinee) (a) $120 (p/s) $115
THE LION KING Wed 11 March (matinee) (a) $120 (p/s) $110
Neptours Phone: 5987 2011
www.neptours.com.au