Ms D’AMBROSIO (Mill Park—Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change, Minister for Solar Homes) (Thursday, 10 December 2020 09:41): I rise today to congratulate the Greenbrook Singers, a group of some very, very resilient and inspiring senior citizens in my electorate of Mill Park, and their community development officer, Liz Skitch.

What brought this group together about 15 years ago was their love for music and singing, and what has kept them together to this day is the joy they feel while they are performing and the uplifting nature of being able to come together and lift everyone’s spirits. I want to thank the Greenbrook Community House for the support that they have received.

The Greenbrook Singers have been one of the most active choirs in the City of Whittlesea, performing in many arts festivals, nursing homes and retirement villages in the northern suburbs of Melbourne more broadly. During Melbourne’s pandemic lockdown the singers had to overcome many technological challenges in order to stay connected, but they did that.

Their love for singing and their need to reconnect with their audience has prevailed, and gradually they managed not only to Zoom each week with their singing leader, Margaret Crichton, but also to record Pass Over, a beautiful and inspiring song. Almost 1000 people viewed their production online via YouTube.

I have seen it myself, and I can attest to its uplifting spirit. I congratulate them for their resilience, determination and spirit during these difficult times. I would also like to congratulate Liz Skitch, who helped this group put together this wonderful song. Liz was recently employed by the City of Whittlesea under the Andrews government’s Working for Victoria program as a community development officer at the Greenbrook Community House.

Hansard link: GREENBROOK SINGERS