CBC Feature on Maleny Neighbourhood Centre (MNC)

It might come as a surprise to know that our wonderful Maleny Neighbourhood Centre (MNC) receives no government funding whatsoever. A community resource that is so vital and has so much to offer is fully funded by the community it supports.

Maleny Supa IGA’s Community Benefits Club (CBC) is just one form of funding that helps the centre keep its doors open. To date, over $15,000 CBC dollars have been distributed directly into MNC projects.

Manager, Cath Ovenden says it’s a great help, yet so much more is needed to ensure MNC continues to provide much needed community support and community development services.

Businesses are often unaware MNC has six meeting rooms plus IT equipment for hire, like data projectors.  You can even hire MNC’s commercial kitchen.  MNC provides a vital role in the community not only to those undergoing trauma and struggling times, but also in fostering community development and innovative projects.  Now for the first time business memberships are available as another way you can support the work of MNC.

“The MNC wouldn’t exist without its band of volunteers” said Cath. “Some come regularly, others are happy to jump in and help with odd jobs. Right now we need a handyperson and some help in the garden. Just an hour or two would make a big difference.”

MNC is home to many wonderful initiatives and hires its rooms to a wide range of groups. There’s the Flexi School which provides a much needed service to high school students. Dr Bob Jacobs provides free workshops for parents and Jelly is a group of computers/internet workers who get together for some social interaction and an exchange of ideas.  Hinterland Community Development Worker, Holly Aston is based at MNC three days per week. There are parent support groups, meditation groups, art therapy and free massages.

LETS (Local Energy Exchange System) use the facilities for its monthly markets and on any given day you’ll find choir rehearsals, marimba classes and family constellation training. The recent addition of the Fix-it Café where people bring along their broken items to be repaired happens fortnightly.

On Christmas Day, MNC hosts its biggest event of the year with the Free Christmas Breakfast, strongly supported by many groups, businesses and individuals.

MNC has recorded cases involving domestic violence and homelessness - people living in cars or tents; some with young families. People can come in off the streets and have a hot shower or do their washing. Apart from practical help, MNC provides a place for social contact, offers employment training, financial guidance, community garden, counseling and life coaching. 

“People walk in laden with food or towels or linen to add to our emergency relief cupboard. Others donate items for our raffles. Although we can’t store large items, we have a way to advertise and sell items online that people donate. Every little thing helps.”

MNC has many ways for people to get involved as Cath explains.

1. Become a member
2. Donate a Raffle Prize.
3. Contribute to our emergency relief cupboard.
4. Volunteer.
5. Hire our meeting rooms/equipment.
6. Nominate MNC your CBC group and raise money for them each time you shop

Bring us your ideas, enthusiasm, room bookings etc to Cath.  "Make an appt to find out what we do and come and help your community thrive.”  MNC helps grow a more resilient Maleny.

Visit Maleny Neighbourhood Centre online or in person at 17 Bicentenary Lane or give Cath a ring on 07 5499 9345.  LIKE their Facebook Page.  Sign up now to the Maleny IGA CBC.

CBC Feature on Maleny Neighbourhood Centre (MNC) by Maleny Supa IGA is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. Based on a work at http://www.malenyiga.com.au.

Gluten Free Grain Free New Product Launch

Congratulation to Tania & Eric Hubbard from Gluten Free Grain Free, a local innovative Sunshine Coast company.

Maleny Supa IGA was invited to attend Tania's Red Carpet "High Morning Tea" function yesterday Tuesday 19th March 2013 at SCAIP Nambour.

Tania gave a moving story how her journey crafting artisan cake mixes started three years ago with a request from a local mum for a gluten free birthday cake for daughters birthday party. From those beginnings to being named Sunshine Coast Outstanding Business Woman of the Year in 2012, going on a NZ and Australia-wide tour promoting her Gluten Free Grain Free health message, products and "Food We Love" cookbook, Tania launched into the world yesterday her Cake Mix "babies".

Five delicious and easy to cook Gluten Free Grain Free Cake Mixes: Strawberry, Date & Cinnamon, Ginger, Chocolate and Vanilla.

We are proud to be long term supporters of Tania's stocking her products opposite our Deli counter in our speciality gluten free section and we look forward to adding her new cake mixes to our existing range very soon. (Editors note - they are now in stock, find them opposite our Deli)

Gluten Free Grain Free New Product Launch by Maleny Supa IGA is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. Based on a work at http://www.malenyiga.com.au.

CBC - Every little bit helps The Range Croquet Club

The Range Croquet Club is a small friendly club that play association croquet and golf croquet at the club’s lawns at the Maleny Showground.

Members hover around the 20 mark with numbers swelling when a tournament is held or visitors come to Maleny for a game.

The first meeting was held in 1989, the lawn put down in 1989 and the first game held in July 1993. A second lawn was laid in 1996.

Croquet is an outdoor lawn game where each player uses a mallet to knock his ball through the wickets (small wire hoops) to score points. Croquet courts can be set up in any manner the players desire, though the traditional croquet court is set as two double diamonds within a rectangular field.

The object of the game is to be the first player to knock the ball through all the wickets and end by striking the final stake - a thin, striped pole usually placed just beyond the last wicket. Though first played by the peasantry in France in the thirteenth century, croquet became somewhat of a game of the upper class in England and Ireland in the 1800's. Now it is a game played worldwide.

Although small in comparison to other local groups, The Range Croquet Club has been well supported by Maleny Supa IGA’s Community Benefits Club (CBC.)

Vince Carbery, President of the club since 1997 expressed his gratitude to IGA Maleny owners Rob and Samantha Outridge at what a small amount of funding has been able to achieve.

“The funds we’ve received have contributed towards the construction of three new shelters which have proven a welcome relief from both the summer heat and the Maleny drizzle.

“We’ve also put some towards the cost of a function and are looking towards paving under the shelters. That’s next on our wish list!”

With the club approaching its 20^th anniversary, an event is being planned to celebrate.

“Rob came to our 10^th Anniversary celebration and we’d love to have both he and Samantha there for our next milestone.”

Long-time local, Vince is quick to point out why he enjoys shopping at Maleny IGA.

“If you need help, someone is always there. I just love that if an item is not in stock, the staff will take your phone number and call you when it’s in.

“And the CBC is a great idea” he said. “Maleny IGA has been so supportive of local groups and organisations.”

Anyone for croquet?  Croquet players visiting the area are welcome to call and arrange a game and the club always welcome new members and anyone who is not a player but would like to come and try the game.

For more information email therange@croquetqld.org or phone Vince on 5494 2193.

CBC - Every little bit helps The Range Croquet Club by Maleny Supa IGA is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. Based on a work at http://www.malenyiga.com.au.

Maleny story told via our new "Place-Making" Pathway

Almost two years ago when Samantha and Rob Outridge decided to build a wet weather covered pathway as part of the upgrade of Maleny Supa IGA, they wanted it to be more than just functional. Yes, it had to shelter shoppers and visitors from the rain and sun as they made their way down the laneway between IGA and the Credit Union, but it could also provide an opportunity for local artists to add a touch of community art - to tell part of the story that is Maleny.

Samantha and Rob invited the local group of community place-making artists called Art4place to become partners in the design of the covered pathway. Art4place consulted its 30 plus members and five design concepts were put forward. The Outridges chose a design by Art4place artists Barry Smith, Edith-Ann Murray and Fiona Dempster that will tell some of the history and environmental aspects of our town. Designs went through many modifications to meet different planning, engineering and structural requirements.

The 50 metre long, three metre wide walkway will incorporate a newly laid even concrete pathway and feature a series of overlapping free standing shelters covered with rusted Corten steel. This will channel the rain in a series of cascades towards a waterfall feature with large chains at the car park end. A series of Lomandra Longifolia cutouts in the roof and Perspex covers bolted over the cutouts will allow the light through and keep the rain out.

The rusted Corten steel and bolts reminds us of the water tanks used by the early dairy farmers. The roof with its cascades and waterfall is an artistic representation of the water of the Obi Obi Creek and Gardner’s Falls. Lomandra Longifolia is an important native plant in the area that stabilises banks and acts to mitigate erosion. Finally, the chains in the waterfall feature hark back to the horses and bullocks and the chains used to haul produce to local markets.

The Maleny IGA covered walkway will not only be a practical and much needed structure, but will create a community place and piece of art designed to share a little more of the Maleny experience with visitors and locals alike.

There are many community dimensions to this community placemaking art pathway.  The artists have given their time on the art design and execution of art aspects of the work as a gift to the Maleny community. The cutouts in the Corten steel were done by workers and volunteers at the Beerwah Resource Centre as a community contribution to a green art project. This art pathway was the first such art work using Corten steel that architect Michael from F3 Design had undertaken and he generously gave extra time to make it work. And of course Murray Petersen, project builder and his workers have taken up the challenge of working with artists with grace and have found practical ways to make this functional art pathway work. And of course Rob and Sam for persisting with the art aspects of this project and helping bring this to our local community.

NOTE:  Work has begun on this exciting new addition to Maleny.  Expected time of completion is 4 weeks depending on the weather.   Please use the alternative walkway on the other side of Maleny IGA.

Maleny story told via our new "Place-Making" Pathway by Maleny Supa IGA is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. Based on a work at http://www.malenyiga.com.au.

Caring for our natural neighbours the Eastern Water Skinks

DID YOU KNOW...

A colony of Eastern Water Skinks has lived in the gardens and rock wall between Maleny IGA and Maleny Credit Union for many years.

Tony Bright and Dr Scott Burnett U.S.C, both with excellent local knowledge, facilitated the relocation of the skinks to help minimise the impact on resident wildlife and improve their chance of survival whilst the works on the new covered walkway, from the parking area to Maple Street are being completed.

Rocks were hand removed and the skinks captured by licensed spotter catchers and relocated to gardens elsewhere in the Maleny Credit Union and the creek on the other side of the car park in Willow Lane.

Soon as the covered walkway is completed and the gardens reinstated we look forward to the skinks return and re-colonisation.

Eastern Water Skinks are an example of a species that has benefited from man-made habitats along with water dragons and carpet pythons.  They have adapted well to suburbia and its environs.

Tony & Scott also wanted everyone to be aware that many public areas and backyards in Maleny town area harbor a large number of native wildlife, many of them “listed”.  “Listed” meaning: endangered, rare or vulnerable.

Anyone interested in knowing more about the abundant wildlife in their own backyard could get a copy of “Wildlife of Greater Brisbane” from Barung Landcare or Rosetta Books.

Caring for our natural neighbours the Eastern Water Skinks by Maleny Supa IGA is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. Based on a work at http://www.malenyiga.com.au.

CBC Cash a "Godsend" for Naval Cadets

A small amount of money made a huge amount of difference to Maleny’s Navy Cadets – TS Centaur.

Commanding Officer Eddie Vann started the Maleny Naval Cadets in 1995 with the support of wife Linda who is currently Executive Officer. Eddie explained how the local unit was under threat of closing its doors.

“In 2009/2010 our Cadet numbers had dropped and expenses such as insurance and upkeep on our building at the showgrounds were taking their toll.

“We decided to withdraw $900 from our Community Benefits Club account at Maleny Supa IGA. That money proved a Godsend and helped get the unit back on its feet.”

Linda describes Cadets as a Youth Club with a Difference.

“Our prime aim is to develop the youth of Maleny and District and to give them improved skills in leadership, teamwork and communication. We train our young people in many areas, mainly with a maritime basis such as sailing, canoeing, seamanship, camping and sports.”

The unit plays an important role, not only in building the personal skills of our young people, but in providing uniformed Cadets for local ceremonies including ANZAC Day, Remembrance Day and Australia Day.

“Every time we drawdown some money from the CBC fund,” said Eddie “It helps greatly. In 2012 we used $750 towards equipment for the galley such as pots, pans and a bainmarie. Last September we put $250 towards a new BBQ which came in handy when 60 cadets from other units came to Maleny for a camp.”

The Department of Defence provides uniforms, some stationery and equipment and the local unit must provide the rest.

“Insurance alone’ states Eddie “Is over $3,000 a year and Defence expects a certain standard of safety. We have a small fleet of craft housed at the Boatshed at Lake Baroon. Our double kayaks, corsairs, sailing craft and a power boat all require regular maintenance.”

The group’s next goal is to enclose their back verandah to use as a training room and for extra storage.

Linda is thrilled that Cadet numbers are on the rise and said more recruits are always welcome.

“We cater for both boys and girls aged 12 ½ to 19 years of age. More Cadets means more parents get involved. Our support committee is strong as is commitment from community members and local clubs such as Rotary and the RSL.”

“We’re extremely grateful to Rob and Sam Outridge for setting up the CBC” said Linda, “And to the community for supporting us every time they shop. Rob has also helped every time we’ve needed to raise money by generously donating raffle prizes.”

To find out more about the Maleny Naval Cadets – TS Centaur, contact Eddie on 0408 258 015 or Linda on 0402 060 050 or just rock up to the showgrounds any Wednesday at 5.25pm.

For more information about the Maleny Supa IGA Community Benefits Club, visit http://www.malenyiga.com.au/cbc_about.php

Matty’s dream for Maleny

Matty George grew up in a garden. He was fascinated by trees… and insects. He took little creatures to school in a box to show his classmates.

Now in Maleny, Matty has introduced himself to many of our town’s creatures – both great and small. He knows which horses live where, the possum habitats and the little communities living happily in his back yard.

After buying a carving chainsaw a few years ago, he took it to pieces of recycled timber and started creating an array of wonderful items – mushrooms, totem poles, even furniture. Then a possum popped out!

“I look the possum to Simon at Watson’s Garage” Matty explained. “He loved it and said ‘Make me one!’” So Matty’s first possum found its home above the garage where all passers-by could see it and the children playing in the park across the road could enjoy the little fellow peering out from his permanent position.

“The girl who works there was really happy once the possum went up. People started having conversations with her about the carving. It was a focal point… a way to connect… to bring a smile.”

Matty’s dream is for people to have animals on their mind when they drive through town, when the children come home from school. For visitors to be surprised by the little faces peeking out from the rooftops of Maleny’s main street.

“I’ve just installed a seven foot water dragon at Maple 3 Café, a bilby is going up at the Maple Street Co-op and a possum at the Telstra shop.”

A little possum called "Malcolm" has just taken up residence atop Maleny Supa IGA, just above the main entrance.

“I was telling Samantha Outridge about my dream to have animals on the rooftops for children to enjoy and she said yes straight away.

“I wanted to install them first in places that are Community hubs so IGA is a perfect spot. Other businesses are waiting to see them go up before they commission one, but I’m sure we’ll have many more little friends appearing before long. These are animals that are close to people’s hearts and connect them through conversation.

All the recent carvings are from recycled wood from the latest cyclone. Matty makes them from images in his mind and a sketch beforehand.

Rob Outridge was on hand recently to help decide the perfect possum position. “He’s a cute little guy,” he said “And is cool and cheeky, just like our store!”

Matty adds “I hope they colour our town. I hope people enjoy them.”

Matty’s dream for Maleny by Maleny Supa IGA is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. Based on a work at http://www.malenyiga.com.au.

Maleny IGA shoppers help African children

         ‘Blown away, thrilled to bits, gobsmacked and amazed!’ These were the words Maleny local Lenore Burton used to describe the moment her husband, Richard returned home from Maleny Supa IGA with the news.

“I head up ‘Friends of Ebenezer,’ a charity based here in Maleny” said Lenore. “We raise much needed funds for children in Livingstone, Zambia in Southern Africa.

“Zambia is one of the countries most severely affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic with currently over 700 000 orphans.The Ebenezer Childcare Trust in Livingstone, Southern Zambia provides shelter and education for over 400 of these orphans” she said.“Our Australian branch is responsible for many improvements to the plight of these extremely poor children.

What started as a simple street feeding program by Lenore’s dear friend Ranji Chara in 2001 has grown into so much more.

“Ebenezer Child Care Trust now looks after 30 orphans and educates over 400 children in its primary school. Part of our vision is to build a High School and Skills Training Centre on or near the site of the present school.”

You can imagine then how thrilled Lenore was to hear Richard walk into the house announcing that the Ebenezer Community Benefits Club account at Maleny Supa IGA had $2,900 in it!

“Richard actually thought it was a mistake so had to check. But no, it was spot on! Just by people doing their everyday shopping and giving Ebenezer’s CBC number, we had notched up some much needed funds for these kids.”

This was just the latest round of funds for Friends of Ebenezer. The group has to date received over $6,000 through CBC.

“It means the world to us” Lenore said. “With eight classrooms already, we want to expand to 16 so we can double the number of children receiving an education. More funds means we can attract a better class of teacher and keep the classrooms stocked with text books, books, pens and other resources. The kids also receive clothes, shoes, two meals a day and medicine if they need it. Mostly they receive love.”

Lenore praised the CBC program and store owners Rob and Samantha Outridge for their generosity.

“When it comes to raising funds locally, Rob has always said ‘yes’ to me… and I do ask a lot! Whether it’s a prize for a raffle, food supplies for a function, a place to promote events or a spot inside the door to hang our collection box, the answer is always the same. I am eternally grateful to this generous and gracious pair.”

For more information about the Maleny Supa IGA Community Benefits Club, visit http://www.malenyiga.com.au/cbc_about.php

Maleny IGA shoppers help African children by Maleny Supa IGA is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. Based on a work at http://www.malenyiga.com.au.

Maleny Visitor Information Centre Crew are toasty warm thanks to CBC

Val from Maleny Visitor Information Centre sent us this picture to show off how they used some of their CBC money. "Attached is a photo of our last CBC money purchase, our VERY warm navy jackets, which we are very grateful for.We think we look very smart.  A huge "Thank you" to yourselves and Maleny IGA."

Are you a member of Maleny Supa IGA CBC?  Costs nothing to join and you earn money for your charity every time you shop with us, online or in-person.  Click here to join.

Maleny Visitor Information Centre Crew are toasty warm thanks to CBC by Maleny Supa IGA is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. Based on a work at http://www.malenyiga.com.au.