News & Articles
Cottage by the Sea’s longstanding community partnership with Port Phillip Sea Pilots
Cottage by the Sea (CBTS) is very proud of its longstanding community partnership with Port Phillip Sea Pilots (PPSP), which is an organisation that has been operating since 1939 – not far off 200 years. In addition to collaborating with us on community events, such as last year’s Melbourne Cup Tour of Queenscliff, PPSP also […]
Youth Mental Health First Aid Training
Providing Cottage by the Sea staff with the knowledge, experience and training to best support visiting children is one of our top priorities. This ensures that our Programs Team is best equipped to deal with the daily challenges that working in this field presents. This week, the Cottage Team completed Youth Mental Health First Aid […]
The impact of Cottage by the Sea
We are very proud of the lasting impact of our work at Cottage by the Sea. Here is some data that outlines the impact we’ve had over the past 35 years, as well as some of the things we offer to visiting children and staff each year.
First Aid Training for our Mentors
Our Year 9 Mentor program participants get the opportunity to learn valuable life skills while gaining an important qualification. Every year, we have Wilderness First Aid Australia come and put our Mentors through their paces by teaching them first aid and CPR. The course is very informative but also very fun, with lots of different […]
Scholarship update: supporting a passion for ballet
“Thank you so much CBTS – for all you do for the Mentors and their passions.” Our Programs Team has been busy offering new opportunities to young people through our scholarship program. The team recently received a letter of thanks from one of our Mentor participants, Annabella. She applied for a scholarship in late 2023 […]
Queenscliff Branch “High Tea with Heidi” event
On April 8, our Queenscliff Branch hosted their “High Tea with Heidi” event at Cottage by the Sea. Guests sat in the dining room overlooking a rainy day out at sea and enjoyed a delicious array of sweet and savoury delights, including Cottage’s famous scones. Queenscliff Branch President Robyn welcomed everyone to the event. Andrew […]
Everyday moments make a difference
If we don’t take the time to stop and witness everyday moments, we miss the opportunity to appreciate the joy found in these experiences. A new artwork featuring Cottage by the Sea highlights the impact of being mindful. Supported by Anthony Costa Foundation, the “Everyday Moments Make a Difference”illustration by local artist and illustrator […]
We spotted a seal on Take a Break!
It was an exciting rock-pooling session this week on the Take a Break program. Not because of what the program participants found under the rocks, but because of what they saw on the rocks. At first, one of the children thought they could see a big rock moving – but that couldn’t be possible, so […]
Old Mentors hike to “The Pinnacle”
On the first night of camp during this offsite adventure to the Grampians with our Old Mentor participants, we all opened up to share a challenge that we’ve faced this year. Most of the topics were based around challenges at school and starting VCE exams, as well as how we cope and overcome these challenges. […]
Melbourne Community Relations update
Here is an update from our Melbourne Community Relations representative, Donna Campisi: Thank you to everyone who has supported Cottage by the Sea so far in 2024 as an individual or community group in Melbourne. It has been a delight to catch up with you. A special mention and thank you to our new […]
The start of an exciting journey on the REEF program
Everyone was buzzing in anticipation and excitement of meeting our first-year REEF participants for their first camp of the year. We welcomed 37 Grade 6 students from Whittington and Newcomb Primary Schools to start their adventurous journey with Cottage over the next 2 years on the REEF program. The first camp is all about establishing […]
Bringing a fishing dream to life
Cottage by the Sea Branches have always played a key role in raising funds for our programs. Recently, the Highton Ceres Branch made a generous contribution towards our fishing activity. Thanks to the Branch’s donation, visiting children on a recent Take a Break program were able to enjoy the experience of a fishing charter and […]
Movie stars for the day on Take a Break
This week during our Take a Break program, there was a guest at Cottage by the Sea with a flashy camera taking snaps of the children and staff in each activity for the day. The morning started with the photographer jumping on the fishing charter to capture the children reeling in some fish, with lots […]
Winter Warmers Breakfast 2024
Our annual Winter Warmers Breakfast is returning on Wednesday, May 1 at GMHBA Stadium in Geelong. We welcome back our special guest, renowned speaker and “Prademic” Paul Taylor to unpack the art of resilience and overcoming adversity. Paul’s engaging presentation will leave you empowered to navigate life with resilience and grace by applying Stoic wisdom. Plus, […]
The rewards of perseverance on the REEF program
For our 2nd-year Reefies, the Great Otway National Park adventure can be a real test of physical and mental fortitude. The Reefies are set the task of hiking along the Great Ocean Walk from Aire River to Johanna Beach, covering roughly 15 kilometres. They have to work together as a team to get everyone over […]
Scholarship update: aerial silks national competition
One of our Mentor participants, Olive, has been pursuing her passion for aerial silks through our scholarship program. This experience has provided Olive with some amazing opportunities – she competed in the State Championships last year (you can read about that experience here) and she was selected to compete at the Nationals in Queensland in […]
Cottage by the Sea Annual Boardriders Surf Day over the years
We are very proud of our 17-year partnership with the Boardriders Foundation. Boardriders supports Cottage with product donations for visiting children and their families, along with hosting an Annual Surf Day for our program participants. Our partnership with Boardriders Foundation has been integral in enriching the lives of children on Cottage programs. Boardriders recently donated […]
Giving Day 2024 – together, we will help more kids
“I am delighted to be able to support the great work of CBTS. As Winston Churchill said, ‘We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.’” Giving Day donor Yesterday, Cottage by the Sea raised $225,444 for its Giving Day thanks to more than 330 supporters. The […]
