News & Articles
Melbourne Cup Tour Schedule -Queenscliff Tuesday 24th October
Lexus Melbourne Cup Tour of Queenscliff Updated Schedule of Community Events 7am to 8.45amRSVP EssentialBreakfast on Swan Bay with the CupQueenscliff Lonsdale Yacht Club7.30am Welcome to Country by the Wadawurrung TraditionalOwners of the land ceremony followed by the arrival of the 2023 Lexus Melbourne Cup to Queenscliff. Book Now – www.trybooking.com/CMHWC or scan QR code.Enquiries […]
Enjoying a snorkel on the REEF program
It was the first program back at Cottage for our 2nd-year REEFies since the snow trip. It was only a three-day camp, but that didn’t mean it was light on fun activities. After an early morning pickup on Wednesday, it was time to hit the water. The sun was in full shine and the REEFies […]
Adventure to the Marine and Freshwater Discovery Centre
50 little Grade 2 children joined us at Cottage by the Sea for their first Take a Break experience. They were SO excited to spend the night in Queenscliff and all they wanted to do was swim in the ocean. Unfortunately, the weather had different ideas for us and the wind was howling on Monday. […]
133rd Annual General Meeting
Over the past 12 months, we were finally able to shake off the shackles of the past few years that inhibited our capacity to operate and our service delivery. There is a growing need for what we do and independent impact studies have shown that Cottage programs leave a lasting impact on children, from increasing their […]
Surfing on Take a Break
It was a beautiful Wednesday in the middle of October. The sun was shining, the winds were perfect and the kids were ready to learn a new skill: surfing. Ocean Grove was looking perfect for a surf, so we loaded up the bus with 17 kids from a primary school in Shepparton – wetsuits and […]
Enjoying a fishing charter on Take a Break
This week’s Take a Break participants are from a school in Melbourne’s south-east. Today started with a fishing charter in Portarlington. 16 excited students popped on their Cottage blue jackets ready for a few hours of fishing fun. We met Jane and the team from Ultimate Sea Adventures before climbing aboard their boat. We completed […]
Include a Charity campaign increases gifts in Wills
Include a Charity Week was held in the first week of September in addition to a six-week campaign that supports the significance of incorporating charitable gifts when writing a Will, alongside motivating individuals to establish their own Will if they haven’t already. “Including a gift in your Will is a commitment to the longevity of […]
Melbourne Community Relations update
Here’s an update from Donna Campisi, who works in Melbourne Community Relations for Cottage by the Sea. It’s been a productive winter, even in these cold months in Melbourne! Thank you to all who have still gathered together in these cold months to support CBTS, and your warm welcome. I have been brought to tears […]
Moulamein offsite adventure
We recently held our annual offsite Mentor program in Moulamein. This property is situated in bushland by the banks of the Edward River. The week’s outdoor education is packed with fun-filled activities such as fishing, adventures on the tinny, yabbying, bonfires, campfire storytelling and, a favourite of all, ferreting. The All Mentors group had a […]
Changing lives through our Take a Break program
The first glimpse we have of Rose, a teacher from Western English Language School (WELS), is on Cottage by the Sea’s outdoor climbing net with the kids – they had asked her to join them. “We want to support the kids – from a distance – to build their confidence,” she explains. ‘’We call it […]
“It’s a shark? No, it’s a dolphin!”
Students attending Cottage by the Sea this week had all recently arrived to Australia from all over the world. We had children from more than 15 countries, including Samoa, Thailand, Vietnam, China, Argentina, Afghanistan, Chile, Iraq and many more. This week on the Take a Break program, it was all about making new friends and […]
A Floral Art Morning
Spring was in the air this morning as our Queenscliff Branch hosted its Floral Art Morning event at Cottage by the Sea. The group spent the morning arranging flowers, creating posies and bouquets and exploring botanical art decoration in our art room, finished with morning tea in our dining room overlooking the sea. Thanks so […]
Media release: Include a Charity and Cottage by the Sea encourage Australians to leave charitable gifts in their Wills
Include a Charity aims to spark a nationwide conversation on bequests in Wills and encourage a lasting impact with this year’s theme, “Will Wonders Never Cease”. Include a Charity Week is a social change initiative promoting legacy giving and encouraging Australians to pledge a gift in their Will. Spearheaded by the Fundraising Institute of Australia, […]
The REEFies become green thumbs
The REEF program is a very special program for young people in Grade 6 that are about to transition into high school. The acronym stands for Recreation, Education, Environment and Friendships. Today at Cottage, we focused on environment and working together as a team. With the lovely help of our gardening volunteer Barb, the REEFies […]
Challenge by choice
“If children feel safe, they can take risks, ask questions, make mistakes, learn to trust, share their feelings and grow.” Alfie Kohn The notion of “challenge by choice” is an important part of what we do on Cottage programs. With encouragement and kindness, when a person makes the decision to do something – without being […]
Queenscliff Branch annual luncheon
On Monday August 28, we welcomed our Queenscliff Branch for its annual luncheon at Cottage by the Sea. Valuable funds were raised during this exciting event – an amazing $6,422. The 105 guests enjoyed a pumpkin and chicken salad for lunch and sticky date pudding for dessert while overlooking the beautiful Rip as the sun […]
Tender Print x Cottage by the Sea Race Day
We had such a fun day at the Geelong Racing Club for our annual Tender Print x Cottage by the Sea Race Day, raising much-needed funds for Cottage to bring more inspiration, fun and opportunity to more young people. We raised more than $70k, thanks to the incredible support and generosity of the 180 guests […]
Sun, sun and more sun on Take a Break!
What more can you ask for during a winter’s camp, but sun? Children from a primary school in Geelong scored the best two days of winter – 19 and 20 degrees with a light northerly wind, perfect for two afternoons of boogie-boarding. The water temperature is still a little chilly, but when the sun is […]
