Fun week
by Polly Glass
Hand prints all over my T-shirt, endless games of ‘Stuck-in-the-Mud’, prancing round with a group of 5-year-olds pretending to be an octopus, bongo drum sessions, trying very hard to ignore the fact that a somewhat less-than-fragrant child is wrapped fiercely round my legs as I smilingly accept my end-of-week certificate from guest-of-honour Harry Judd... All experienced in the rollercoaster ride that is the Melbourne Fun Week
They’re going to get me. I know it the minute I see little two children plunge their hands into their full paint trays before smiling slightly demonically at me, brandishing bright purple and green palms. For these girls may be seven and five years old – and undeniably cute – but even they are fully aware of the altogether too irresistible opportunities available when presented with a load of brightly coloured paint and an unresisting, easy-going bod in a yellow T-shirt. I knew I should have stayed at the card-making table...
For the past four years, the Community living in Melbourne have
amassed a team of about 20 ‘yellow shirts’ (so-called for obvious
reasons); all apparently very willing to join in with a week of
organizing games, getting covered in paint (note; this year we were all
provided with two yellow T-shirts as clearly it was anticipated from
previous experience that we do get through them..) and helping in any
way necessary to ensure all the kids involved get as much out of the
week’s activities as possible. The activity week is based on the 
Melbourne
estates where the Community now have a strong living presence. For many
of the children living on these disadvantaged estates this week is the
highlight of their summer; many never go away – not even for a day out
– during the summer break, so the excitement & anticipation are not
surprising! I spoke to certain children who told me earnestly that
they look forward to this all year. Therefore it is imperative that as
helpers, we are 100% enthusiastic and co-operative at all times,
particularly as we are dealing with about 100 children each day!
Sisters Margaret, Moira, Ann and Pauline may have moved on from the
Community home at New Hall – and looking at all they do here, you can
see that their lives have changed quite dramatically – but the presence
and influence of the Community is undoubtedly felt at Fun Week.
Obviously the Sisters themselves are the main cause of this – they
gather together a whole range of people around them to form the ‘Fun
Week Community’ – adults, young people, old friends, new friends,
neighbours, people from across all the local churches .......
Community is lived and enjoyed and this gives us all the energy we need
for the children who rely on our strength and untiring good humour!
Involvement
with the Community’s projects like Fun Week is a way of contributing to
society and a way of putting your deeply-held values into practice in
an external situation – namely how to operate with compassion and
integrity in the wider world, particularly amongst people with far
fewer opportunities than we have had.
Who knows, you may also meet some old friends, as well as make new ones – and learn more fully how to be part of a team – a living community!
So, as you can probably guess by the overall tone of this article, Fun Week is aptly named as it is indeed fun for helpers and participants alike. Special thanks to Sr Moira and Sr Margaret for instigating the whole thing - we look forward to next year!
Polly Glass