Manningham Uniting Church are developing a large powerful outdoor public artwork / mural at the new Church and Community Centre in Templestowe and you can get involved!

This is a mural to be designed by and for the community of Manningham. A series of design workshops will be held to create the design of the mural, facilitated by artist Katherine Gailer. The mural is 60 metres long and will be divided into sections. Each with a different focus area but all on the theme of ‘community’.

Workshop details and themes:

• Tuesday 5 April, 5pm – 8pm: Social justice and equity
• Thursday 7 April, 5pm – 8pm: Refugees and Asylum Seekers
• Saturday 9 April, 10am – 1pm: Sustainability and the environment

All workshops will be held at Manningham Uniting Church & Community Centre, 109 Wood Street, Templestowe.

Free to participate, dinner or lunch provided. Limited places of 12 so get in quick!

To register and for more info: manninghamuc.org/muralworkshop or contact Emma Hanna on 9846 2012.

This project is supported by Manningham Council’s Community Grants Program & the Kirk Robson Theology and the Arts Memorial Fund.

A new Community Recovery Wall in Park Orchards is commemorating the resilience of the local community during the COVID-19 pandemic. Two years in the making, the wall is now complete and opened in February. You can find it on Hopetoun Road in Park Orchards, across from the Millennium Wall. Members of the community purchased plaques that now feature their names on the wall.

The project was led by the Lion's Club and supported by Council with funding through our community grants program.

The wall was launched with a street party for the local community on Sunday 13 February and it was nice to finally get together after a challenging few years.

There was stalls and entertainment, food and drink, family activities and a live band. It was a great day to bring the community together and celebrate the completed project.

Mayor Cr. Michelle Kleinert, Cr. Laura Mayne and Deputy Mayor Cr. Deirdre Diamante

After months of restrictions, Manningham has emerged with a new Placemaking Framework.

Endorsed at Council Meeting on Tuesday 23 November, the framework outlines Manningham’s commitment to placemaking as a way of enhancing our urban villages and outdoor spaces.

Manningham Mayor Cr Michelle Kleinert said around the world, communities were seeking a deeper connection to place and to each other.

Cr Kleinert said the Framework will assist our community in recovery and building resilience in the aftermath of COVID-related socio-economic impacts.

“It will inspire people to re-imagine and reinvent spaces to become places at the heart of every community,” she said.

“In Manningham, “connection” is one of the strongest themes emerging from our community engagement for our Vision and Council Plan for the next four years,” she said.

The Framework outlines a set of high-level principles for the process of placemaking and has genuine community engagement and research at its core. It seeks to ensure community aspirations will drive desired outcomes.

The Framework features a number of short and long term strategies, including:

• acknowledging Country and understanding places through the eyes of our community
• making it easier for traders to do business outside
• supporting hospitality businesses to better use outdoor spaces for dining, in line with COVID safe practices
• activating urban villages through placemaking initiatives such as making art, entertainment, and community events
• encouraging growth and community participation in health and wellbeing practices and creativity in public spaces.

Manningham’s latest placemaking success is the revitalisation of the Ayr Street South shopping district in Doncaster. An official launch of the upgraded shopping strip is scheduled for Saturday 4 December between 11.00am and 1.00pm. For more information visit yoursay.manningham.vic.gov.au/ayr-street-south

Read all about the Manningham Placemaking Framework.

If you head over to The Pines Reserve during November, you will notice a series of sign-boards with illustrations attached. They have sparked a lot of curiosity, so we are here to tell you all about our Story Walk.

What is a Story Walk?

It is an outdoor literacy experience which simply involves separating the pages of a picture story book, attaching each page to a sign-post, and placing these signs at regular points along a walking trail. It aims to engage children and adults alike in the enjoyment to be found in sharing a story in a slightly different environment. It is a wonderful way to:

• Enjoy a story together in a healthy environment.
• Encourage reading in a relaxed way.
• Enjoy some fresh air and exercise.
• Add a great new experience at your local park.

Where is it?

The Pines Reserve, Blackburn Road, Doncaster East (behind The Pines Learning Centre). Location map: https://www.manningham.vic.gov.au/the-pines-reserve

Start outside the entrance to the Pines Learning Centre (there’s plenty of parking!) and follow the numbered panels from 1-15 in a clockwise direction along the pathway around the playground. You will end near the play equipment itself.

What will you see?

The book we have chosen is a fitting tribute to the original custodians of the area, the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung people. The title is Welcome to Country, written by Aunty Joy Murphy and beautifully illustrated by Lisa Kennedy.

Who made it?

The Manningham Story Walk is a City of Manningham Placemaking project, in partnership with Whitehorse Manningham Libraries, and makes great use of resources from both partners. Library staff researched, designed, and planned the project, while the City of Manningham provided the funding, along with invaluable advice and assistance from the landscaping team.

We hope you can visit the installation, and maybe scan the QR to give us some feedback. If you take a photo, you can tag us at #whitehorsemanninghamlibraries #cityofmanningham #ManninghamCC

Porches are the silent heroes of our suburbs during the pandemic, enabling us to connect and interact with our communities without putting each other at risk.

The annual Global Porch Placemaking Week is back again from 27 September to 3 October and we’re encouraging Manningham residents to ‘activate their front porch’ and breathe life into our streets and neighbourhoods.

Since the start of the pandemic, residents have ‘activated’ their porches with projects that bring joy to the community, including decorating front windows with children’s artwork, teddy bears peering through windows, book exchange and chalk drawing.

Manningham Mayor Cr Andrew Conlon said there’s never been a more important time for connection than in times of lockdowns and restrictions.

“Porch placemaking could be a driving force in helping communities stay connected and foster comradery and neighbourliness,” he said.

“The possibilities are endless when it comes to making your ‘space’ into a ‘place’. No project is too large or too small.”

During Global Porch Placemaking Week, residents can pin drop their project onto an international map and share their project around the world.

To take part in the Global Porch Placemaking Week:

1. Create a project and turn your space (porch, garden, driveway, balcony etc) into a place
2. Add your project onto an interactive global map at porchplacemaking.com
3. Share your project using the hashtag #porchplacemaking and #activatemanningham and tag Manningham Council on Facebook or Instagram.

Manningham Council will be accepting entries between 13 September and 8 October.

Three locally sourced hampers will be awarded to the most creative projects before the end of October.

For Manningham's terms and conditions, visit yoursay.manningham.vic.gov.au/porch-placemaking

For more information on Global Porch Placemaking Week visit porchplacemaking.com.

Image credit: James Rojas, Project for Public Spaces.

“It’s already gathered great feedback, with many residents saying it’s revitalised the shopping strip and feels more welcoming,” he said.

Cr Conlon said the upgrade came about from a local trader wanting to extend their outdoor dining area.

“We recognised the innovative idea and revitalised the whole centre as part of our placemaking and capital works project,” he said.

An official launch and street celebration including a street performer and treats from local business Kat’s Cakes will be held once restrictions allow.

The upgrade is funded through the Victorian Government Local Councils Outdoor Eating and Entertainment Package (LGA Stream) Round 1 to develop more useable community spaces for our post-covid recovery.

For more information about Manningham’s Placemaking Program and the Ayr Street South Upgrade, including feedback on the current upgrades, visit yoursay.manningham.vic.gov.au/ayr-street-south

We thank the local Ayr Street community, including local traders, for helping to shape this upgrade project.

In summary we undertook the following:

• Hard copy of concept plan (1) to all traders
• Facilitated meeting with Manningham urban planners and some traders on the first concept plan.
• Distribution of amended concept plan (2) to all traders and follow-up informal discussions
• Signage with concept plan (2) in local shops
• Letterbox drop a flyer to every residence within a 200 metre radius with concept plan (2) and an invite to the Your Say page for further info including a survey instrument and discussion forum
• Delivery of flyer to the local bowling club and discussion with management (who agreed to promote to members).

Based on the very positive inputs it is clear that the Ayr Street South Upgrade Concept Plan has strong support in its current form. Improvements that have been incorporated into the final project plan, as a result of engagement, are:

1. Hand rails on stairs
2. Retaining trees – with root protectors
3. Keep the Loading Zone on the upper level
4. Maintain number of car parks on the upper level
5. Include bike racks and rubbish bins

There are ongoing discussions with some residents and traders about traffic safety and parking time limits. We are still discussing the Arts project scope and more suggestions are always welcome.

In April we cleaned the entire strip with a high pressure hose. Now we are ready to start with some work on fencing. Get ready - it all kicks off on 8 June! We are aiming for construction to be finished within a month.

Review Final Plans here.

It was smiles all round when the Park Orchards Community House and Learning Centre held a community celebration to bring people back together after lockdown.

The event was a great success with all the fun ingredients including face painting, farm animals, sausage sizzle and a food truck. Over 100 people attended, with ages ranging from 1 to 80.

Pauline Fyffe, Community House Centre Manager said it was important to engage people and make them feel welcome.

“We wanted to give people a chance to connect with others in the community. The event was a way for people of all ages to make new friends, do a tour of the centre and find out what’s on offer.

“There’s been many new families come to the area, so it was an easy way for adults and children to meet and have a laugh. The children loved petting the farm animals and having their faces painted.

“It was great to also see a lot of senior residents come along. We’re trying to prevent isolation and offer a place for lifelong learning with lots of courses and activities for all ages on offer.

“It’s nice to think that people could go home after the event and know they’re not alone - they can be part of the community and join us if they want to connect and take part.

“We’ve now had families and individuals return to the centre after being away for some time. They have re-enrolled into some of our programs and the centre is now buzzing again. “

The event was funded by Manningham’s community-led Placemaking initiative.

During lockdown, Steph Paladin of SixTwo Pilates hosted online classes although they barely covered her costs.

When she saw the Manningham Placemaking funding, she jumped at the opportunity for support to help her business thrive after lockdown.

“Our Pilates and yoga studio was closed for more than eight months last year, so I really wanted to ensure our face to face sessions were as fresh and innovative as possible.

“We held three health and well-being yoga sessions in the temporary pop-up park in Jackson Court and gave attendees free coffee vouchers after class.

“It was a great initiative to get people outdoors in a safe space as we emerged from the long Covid lockdown.

“When we advertised the sessions in the pop-up park, they booked out so quickly. I think it made people feel safer to be doing exercise outdoors and the feedback we received was really positive.

“The Placemaking funding came just at the right time. We were in the middle of moving studios and it helped us launch our new studio space.

“By hosting Pilates and yoga sessions in the middle of Jackson Court, people could see us and find out what we had on offer. It was great to connect with people and it really opened up new avenues of business for us.

“We gained some new clients from the pop-up park sessions and they got a taste of SixTwo Pilates in a safe, healthy way.

“It was a nice seeing people in the pop-up park enjoying the outdoor space and connecting with each other. It allowed new people to meet and have a chat with current Pilates members.

The temporary trial of the Jackson Court pop-up park is now complete and Council looks forward to working with the community and traders to plan what’s next.

The project was funded by Manningham Council and the Office for Suburban Development, Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions

Wonga Park Community Cottage has transformed into a welcoming village space with a new community outdoor dining area to sit, connect and enjoy a cuppa.

Louise Schweiger, Manager of the Wonga Park Community Cottage identified the need for a local place where people could connect and share a coffee together.

“With the closure of the local village shopping centre at Wonga Park, places to grab a coffee and have a chat were few and far between.

“We heard about the Placemaking funding and thought it would be great to create a Covid-safe space outdoors, where people could feel welcome to meet and connect with each other.”

Designed to improve community partnerships, the outdoor seating area and planter boxes were installed to create a friendly, happy space.

“Council’s design team consulted with us and came up with a wonderful plan. They were mindful of the rustic bush surroundings where the seating and tables would be installed and reflected this in the wooden materials they used.

“The users of the Community Cottage really appreciate the initiative. What was a single use loading zone has now become a usable space. We’re now in the process of contracting a coffee van to visit the site.

Wonga Park Community Cottage collaborated with the local tennis club and adjoining Burch Memorial Kindergarten to determine how the outdoor seating area would meet their needs.

“The way it evolved was perfect. It already meets the needs of people attending the Community Cottage and will be a welcoming space for everyone in the community. We plan to use it for pop-up events for EACH Youth Services.

“Importantly this new outdoor community space can be used by people from the nearby tennis club, kindergarten, walking groups and wider community. It really fills the gap by connecting people and creating a little village space until the new shopping centre development comes online.”

The project was funded under Manningham’s Placemaking program