Winter Solstice 2026: An Afternoon of Community, Creativity & Connection
There was so much warmth at Sussex Neighbourhood House on Thursday as our community came together to celebrate this year’s Winter Solstice event.
With the theme Celebrating Partnerships, the afternoon was all about recognising the organisations, community groups, volunteers, and neighbours who help make our community such a welcoming place. While winter may have been outside, inside the House there was plenty of warmth, conversation, creativity, and laughter.
Visitors wandered through the building at their own pace, stopping to explore activities, chat with local organisations, and meet people they may never have crossed paths with otherwise. It was lovely to see familiar faces catching up, new friendships beginning, and community partners discovering opportunities to work together in the future.
Our activity spaces were buzzing throughout the afternoon. Guests enjoyed creating a collaborative mural with the Pascoe Vale Food Collective, trying spinning and weaving with the Pascoe Vale Hand Spinners & Weavers, painting with Pascoe Vale Rotary to donate artwork for a good cause, playing traditional card games with the Puglia Social Club (who meet here in the pool hall every Tuesday & Friday), and receiving beautiful henna designs from Celebrating & Conserving Cultures. Others settled in for board games with Mind Australia, participated in mindfulness activities with Holstep Health, discovered local services from Merri-bek Kindergarten, Pharmacy 777 Pascoe Vale, and the Merri-bek Council Ageing Well Team, admired artwork from the Glenroy Art Group, and children enjoyed playing with toys provided by the Merri-bek Toy Library.
Our Clay Art for Big Kids class also welcomed visitors to try their hand at ceramics, with many discovering the joy of hand-building with clay for the very first time.
Of course, no Winter Solstice (or SNH event!) would be complete without sharing a meal together. Free warm soup, finger food, fruit, and sweets complimented plenty of conversation around the tables.
The greatest success of the afternoon was the atmosphere. Every organisation was warmly engaged with visitors, and just as importantly, with each other. Conversations flowed between community groups, ideas were exchanged, and new relationships began to form. It was a wonderful reminder that strong communities grow when people are given the chance to connect.
A heartfelt thank you to every organisation, volunteer, and community member who helped make the afternoon such a success. Your generosity, enthusiasm, and willingness to share your time created an event that truly reflected the spirit of community partnership.
We’d also like to give a special shoutout to our wonderful students. Poppy, who joined us for her Year 10 work experience, and Melbourne University social work placement students Zoe & Kirrily were a huge help behind the scenes, making the event setup run smoothly.
Zoe and Kirrily also created a beautiful Feedback Fire activity, inviting visitors to share how neighbourhood houses have made a difference in their lives. It was a thoughtful addition to the afternoon, and a lovely reminder of the many ways community spaces help people feel connected, supported, and at home.