Thinking outside the square when it comes to community inclusivity is paying off for Cardiff RSL.
Morning Melodies is held in the club's main lounge area on Thursdays between 10.30am and 12.30pm, and is so popular it often spills out into the adjacent lounge area.
The event provides a welcoming space for individuals with disabilities and their support workers to engage in community activities, where they can sing, sign, dance, tap or bop along to the songs performed by entertainer Pete Sneddon.
To further enhance the sensory experience, percussion instruments like maracas and tambourines have been introduced.
"We get a hundred people each Thursday at Morning Melodies, sometimes more," Cardiff RSL secretary manager Garry Malone said.
"At first it presented some hurdles that had to be overcome, such as the age-old rule you can't bring food or drink onto a licensed premises. A lot of our guests have special diets and some can only eat through a straw, so we obviously made some allowances for that.
"And then there's the no hat rule, and because quite a few of them wear hats like a security blanket, we relinquished this rule on that day for this group.
"It's all done in the spirit of community-minded inclusiveness, and breaking down barriers, and we stuck with it and it gained momentum week after week."
Momentum has, in fact, grown so much that a second Morning Melodies each week is being planned.
"Some days there's just not enough room, and the car park is pretty much full, but that's a great problem to have," Mr Malone said.
Choux Patisserie assets for sale
It's been one year since Nic and Tara Poelaert announced their intention to sell Choux Patisserie. Nic's father in France has been ill and the family will fly there in late January to spend some quality time with him.
And while they've had expressions of interest, a buyer has yet to be found.
"The difficulty with selling our 'business' was often the very unique set-up we have," Tara Poelaert said.
"After so many let downs we decided to simply split and sell the assets instead of the business."
So, what assets are on offer?
"We've got the kiosk at Charlestown Square organised and the kitchen at Broadmeadow is close to being arranged, which leaves our custom-built refrigerated food trailer, the van that pulls it and the market set-up," she said.
"It's served us very well and could be a great opportunity for someone else to launch their business."
The couple will take with them to France many fond memories.
"We've made wonderful friends from customers and staff over the years," Mrs Poelaert said.
"Our kids are very proud of our hard work, which means so much to us.
"We've been able to provide eclairs for engagements, then weddings and even baby showers for some of our customers. It's an honour to share these special occasions. We will greatly miss making people happy."
There is still time to place an order from Choux Patisserie's popular Christmas range.
"Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without our panettone. As we do every year, we have our delicious festive brioche topped by Nic in two styles: white chocolate and dried fruits, or the peanut, caramel and milk chocolate," Mrs Poelaert said.
"We're also making our Christmas macarons in chocolate, pistachio, vanilla and cranberry, and we've got frozen croissants available to order from our Broadmeadow kitchen so people can bake them fresh on Christmas morning."
You can place an order at the Charlestown Square kiosk (level two near Apple and Pandora), by emailing contact@chouxpatisserie.com or by phoning 0478 198 689.
New Hunter Business Board
The Business Hunter Board for the 2024-26 term was announced at this month's annual general meeting.
- President Glenn Thornton, General Manager Northern NSW, TSA Riley
- Senior Vice President Holly Martin, Managing Director, The Marketing GP
- Vice President Aaron Johansen, CEO, Newcastle Coal Infrastructure Group
- Business NSW Rep Judith Field, Director, NSWBC Ltd
- Local Chamber Rep Michael Huggett, Director, CHD Partners
- Aaron Johansen CEO, Newcastle Coal Infrastructure Group
- Ashleigh John Managing Director, Mullane Lindsay Solicitors
- Seamus Burke Partner, Sparke Helmore Lawyers
- Tony Rhodes CEO, Mullane Group
- Steve Wait CEO, The Business Centre Newcastle
