Community News
The Briars
Experience sunny days and warm nights of summer within the relaxed atmosphere of the Briars. Enjoy the early opening hours of the Wildlife sanctuary throughout January and a chance to observe our nocturnal animals on a twilight wildlife adventure tour through the Sanctuary. Make the most of summer celebrations and extend that summer holiday feeling with those that are closest to you.
Please see below our Summer Program for The Briars. We look forward to seeing you soon.
Moonlit Sanctuary Holiday Program
The popular Keeper Club Holiday Program will be running again at Moonlit Sanctuary over the summer school holidays.
If you’re not familiar with us, Moonlit Sanctuary is a Wildlife Conservation Park located in Pearcedale. It is a place where people can experience the rare and unusual animals that call Australia home. We are committed to raising awareness and educating people about these wonderful creatures and the need for their conservation.
One of the educational programs we offer is our Keeper Club School Holiday Program. This is run by our Education Officers and offers children hands on experience with environmental activities, animal encounters and native animal care. They learn about our animals, their conservation and the environment, all with a focus on fun!
Please see further information below;
Join us for the Summer Family Adventure Challenge
Your family is invited to join the Family Adventure Challenge these summer holidays. Sign up to participate in a range of fun activities each week. These can be done at home, or in your local community at a time that suits you best. Participating in activities together will put you in the running for prizes to local attractions and a big ticket prize to win a family getaway to the Bellarine Peninsula.
For details of the Family Adventure Challenge, visit mornpen.vic.gov.au/familyadventure.
Ritchies Community Benefit Program
If you are a regular shopper at a Ritchie's Community Benefit Supermarket, could we please ask that you update your Ritchie's Community Benefit card to benefit Dromana College.
To do so, use this link www.ritchies.com.au/loyalty and follow the prompts to add Dromana College. This can also be done in the store.
YMCA Peninsula Youth Services
The YMCA Peninsula Youth Services are running a series of online activities through Facebook and Instagram. Please see attachments below for more information on the services available. Alternatively, you can contact the YMCA Peninsula Youth Services via their social media channels -
@ ymcapeninsulayouthservices.
Important notification from Hillview Quarries
Quarries are extremely dangerous places to visit or swim. See below attachment for an important notification from Hillview Quarries.
Financial Assistance
NILs loans
The No Interest Loan Scheme is provided by Good Shepherd Australia New Zealand. NILs loans give families and individuals on low incomes and government support access to safe, fair and affordable credit. The loans are for amounts up to $1500 with no interest, no fees and no charges and can cover household goods, bond, rent in advance and car registration.
NIL's volunteers can assist people with the application process to access the loans.
Please feel free to get in touch with the NILs team to discuss eligibility for a loan, and to start the application process. They can be contacted on 5986 1285, 9.30 am-3.30 pm, Monday to Friday. Outside of lockdown people can drop into them at 878 Pt Nepean Rd, Rosebud during those hours. For more information please see the NILs website: https://goodshep.org.au/services/nils/
Saver Plus
Saver Plus assists individuals and families on lower incomes to build assets and improve financial capability, and has supported thousands of lower income earners to develop a lasting savings habit.
Saver Plus offers:
- up to $500 in matched savings for education costs
- fun, free and informal financial education workshops
- assistance and support from a Saver Plus coordinator to establish a savings goal and develop a savings habit.
Participants make regular deposits towards a savings goal over a 10-month period and attend workshops to build their financial management skills. When participants reach their savings goal, ANZ matches the amount – up to $500 –towards education costs including uniforms, text books, laptops, sports equipment, music tuition, TAFE or apprenticeship costs, and much more.
Contact us
Phone 1300 610 355
Email saverplus(at)bsl.org.au
View the provider list (PDF, 258kb).
Participants must meet all of the below criteria:
- have a child at school or starting next year, or be attending vocational education yourself
- have some regular income from your work (you or your partner)
- be at least 18 years old
- have a Centrelink, Health Care or Pensioner Concession Card
- be able to demonstrate a capacity to save after your regular expenses have been paid
- have a connection to the area in which the Saver Plus program is run, by living, working, studying or having children at school there
- have not received matched funds from Saver Plus before (you or your partner)
- be in receipt of an eligible Commonwealth social security benefit, allowance or payment.
Radio Astronomy - The Invisible Universe. A free opportunity for all students.
The VSSEC Radio Telescope is now available to all students in government secondary schools in Victoria. Take complete control of the telescope to view objects of your choice.
Work by yourself, with a group of friends, or your entire class.
This is the only radio telescope in the world exclusively for school students. And it’s free to use! Operate the telescope from your own home after school and on weekends.
Radio telescopes work day and night and can see through cloudy skies so time and weather don’t matter. Use the telescope to reveal the hydrogen in space, invisible to human eyes.
View hydrogen clouds (nebulas) in the Milky Way Galaxy, remnants of supernovas (exploding stars) and the centre of the Milky Way.
VSSEC astronomers are here to help.
More information is here on the VSSEC website.
Or contact Ian Christie at VSSEC
This program is part of the Victorian Challenge and Enrichment Series, a new series of FREE high-quality, extension activities for Victorian students.
Headstart - Apprenticeships and Traineeships