Suresh Rajan

On By maryelton9614Leave a comment

Suresh Rajan is a passionate advocate of things multicultural. He has lived and breathed multiculturalism for many years. He is an entertaining and engaging speaker and will do these things in a non-threatening fashion. In his talk Suresh will introduce you to:

* The Diversity that is WA

* The truth about the statistics and the level of diversity

* Aspects of service delivery for the various religions such as Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism and Judaism

* Practices that you need to adopt in catering for these differences

* The WA Charter of Multiculturalism

* The Substantive Equality programme in WA

Refugees and our way of life

Suresh was CEO of the Epilepsy Association of WA and President of the National Ethnic Disability Alliance. He is the Chair of West Australians for Racial Equality and Secretary of the Ethnic Communities Council of WA.

This is an opportunity to engage one of WA’s leading speakers on matters multicultural to bring you up to date with the latest thinking in this area.

RSG…to Kindy 2018 Graduates!

On By margaretriverunitingLeave a comment

There was a combination of laughter and tears as our class of 2018 concluded their year with a short rendition of their favourite songs from the program. Tears as we cherish our memories of friendship and fun during year, knowing we will no longer spend that precious time together, but also knowing that the children have developed the skills ready for their next adventure. Laughter as they entertain us with their singing and spontaneous joy.

Children were presented with a book from the Margaret River Uniting Church  Community and all their Christmas craft had been saved for them to take home and share with their families. A beautiful Christmas morning tea was then enjoyed by all.

It is an end of a chapter for some families who have been with us since the birth of their first child, through playgroup, followed by Ready Set Go for all their children. The beauty of a small town community is that we will still maintain contact. It has been a privilege for us to be part of their journey.

Many thanks to Kim and Yvette for their dedication to providing such a fantastic learning journey for these children. The 2019 session is fully booked, but we do have a wait list if you are interested. Please contact Mary 0429797767.

The Blessing Orbs

On By wendygracehendryLeave a comment

The Blessing Orbs is a community artwork that was created to honour and acknowledge community strength and connection, and as a means to bring awareness of sources of support for locals in Margaret River.  (read more about the creation of the orbs here)

Five individual Orbs were made by participants in Creative Mindfulness workshops. These Orbs are ephemeral artworks. When left to the elements of nature, they will decompose over time, reflecting the natural rhythm of life.  The prayers and wishes within will then return to the earth, blessing the place and space.

The clay pieces will also break down, releasing seeds of Everlastings and Lavendar.  As Spring (the season of new life) comes around, the seeds of hope and peace are given opportunity to flourish.

During a morning tea on 19 October participants from the workshops and representatives from the community gathered to view the finished Orbs.  Ian Hackett from Tig-Le House offered a blessing to them, and then the following Blessing Orbs were gifted to these important community organisations:

  • Osmington Anglican Church – ‘Presence’
  • Margaret River Organic Gardens – ‘Shelter Within’
  • Margaret River Library – ‘Heart of Unity’
  • Margaret River Community Centre – ‘Grounded in Community’.

After our worship service on Sunday the our blessing orb, called ‘Peace Within’ was hung under the wattle tree alongside the Labyrinth.  Orb Labyrinth MRUC

We hope that the Blessing Orbs will continue to assist the community by being a focus point by which people can connect to support groups and services.  It is our hope that each Orb will be enjoyed for its medatative qualities, will inspire people to connect to the wider community and will encourage people to seek assistance when needed.

Many thanks to Cynamon from Wild Art Weaving for her creativity and guidance in this project.  And to Clare Smith for taking many of the beautiful photos throughout the process.

 

Creative Mindfulness

On By wendygracehendry2 Comments

Creative Mindfulness Workshops were held on 14 & 15 September 2018 a the Margaret River Uniting Church. These workshops were offered to the Margaret River community as an acknowledgement and support following the recent experiences of loss and trauma. They were a collaboration between Margaret River Uniting Church, Wild Art Weaving and Tig-le Dharma HouseTig-le Dharma House, designed to provide a supportive, inclusive space for adults to create for, to share with and to honour the Margaret River Community.

Participants made sculptures of weaving and clay using locally found natural materials, native seeds and easy sculptural techniques. The large, hanging sculptural artworks created during the workshop were designed to be shared with the wider community. Throughout the workshops, participants were guided gently to practice mindfulness and centering techniques, combining with the creative aspects to bring focus and calmness.

In the final session of the workshop the small symbolic hanging sculptures made from seeded clay, were combined with the 5 large woven orbs that will be installed in various community spaces. Blessings were added to the orbs and a small ceremony was held to conclude the workshops.

The workshops were a peaceful, meaningful and enjoyable experience for those who attended, with participants appreciating taking some time out for themselves, and feeling a sense of peace and connected-ness.

Local community organisations were approached to enable the orbs to be hung in a suitable space to be enjoyed by the community. The Margaret River Library, the Margaret River Community Resource Centre and the Community Garden have already accepted the invitation. On Friday 19 October a small morning tea will be held at the Uniting Church where local community representatives and workshop participants will be invited and the orbs handed over.

Money raised from the workshop has been donated to Suicide Prevention Margaret River, (https://www.facebook.com/groups/spmr2017/)a local organisation which is driven to inspire change through sport, training, education and fun. Special thanks to Cynamon for bringing her wonderful creativity to running these workshops, and to the dedicated organising team to help make them happen, and to members of the Margaret River UCA congregation who supported the event by providing food for the participants.  It really was a wonderful experience of collaboration and community.

We are keen to organise future workshops – watch this space!

Thanks to Claire Smith for taking so many beautiful photos.