Stay up to date with the latest news...
* From our CEO
* Australia Day Awards
* In the Media
* Goodbyes and Hellos, Call Out for Admin Helpers
* COVID Cautious Morning & Afternoon Teas Resume
* Reaping Harvests
* Double Donation
* Tools of the Trade
* Seniors Festival - What's Coming Up?
* Training for Volunteers
* National Volunteer's Week - Save the Date
* My Patch - with Betty
* COVID-19 Updates
* Uniform Refreshment for Autumn / Winter
* Wahroonga Celebrates Centenary
* Autumn Newsletter
|
|
|
|
From Our CEO
Dear All,
We are saying goodbye to summer and preparing for the beautiful time of autumn- where the leaves change colour from green to yellow, orange, and red and then fall.
I start by announcing we have had a few changes in our office.
Firstly we say goodbye to...
Lyn Garling - Lyn was a valued member of our administrative team for 16 years+ of service. Lyn started at Easy Care Gardening, Turramurra in our community assist lawn mowing service (CALM), then moved across to Pymble to assist with the entire Easy Care Gardening organisation. Lyn will be missed by the team, volunteers and clients. I hope you join me in wishing Lyn well for her next adventure.
Fran Appleton - After 14 years, Fran has decided to retire from volunteering. Fran has been a volunteer working tirelessly to support our administrative team preparing birthday cards, anniversary letters and filing. Fran has been a light in the office and a welcomed part of our team. If you have received a birthday card or anniversary letter, this has been arranged by Fran. Thank you Fran.
We welcome to our team
A new administrative officer, Bernie Lockard, started in January. I hope you all join me in giving Bernie a big Easy Care Gardening welcome, and you can read more about her in this newsletter.
Coping with COVID-19
Our thoughts are with everyone affected by COVID-19, illness, and injuries.
Unfortunately, COVID-19 continues to spread and impact our family and friends. I have been sorry to hear how some of our volunteers and clients have been impacted by the virus. I have provided an update on the rules and regulations in our newsletter. To know the latest information please read this section. I wish to send my thoughts to all those impacted by COVID-19, who are ill, having surgery and who are healing from injuries.
Please stay well, look after the person to the left of you, the right of you, to the front of you and behind you.
Best wishes,
Leanne Babic- CEO- Easy Care Gardening
|
|
|
A special thank you from EASY CARE GARDENING to:
- The Mayor of Ku-Ring-Gai Council, Jeff Pettett for choosing Easy Care Gardening as the Ku-ring-gai Council Australia Day Organisation of the Year- please read our Australia Day Celebration and section below, and if you're interested, have a look at Council's website here.
- The City of Ryde Mayor Jordan Lane for writing to us, to announce my application was successful in winning a Grant for our volunteer’s equipment (tools) project. Thank you to the City of Ryde's generous support. We look forward to purchasing and sending out new tools for our teams to use over the next coming months.
- The Rotary Club of Wahroonga for inviting Coralie and me, to join with Ku-ring-gai Council to commemorate the 100th year anniversary of the Wahroonga Park by placing Easy Care Gardening items in a time capsule which will be opened in 2072 (50 years time).
- Bunnings at Thornleigh for their generous donation of two Ryobi hedgers for our volunteer gardeners. They will also be our next door neighbours at Pymble HQ soon and are gearing up to open in early April. 📅 Stay tuned for more details.
- Marianne Cannon (pictured below) who interviewed me about our services on radio station 2 RRR. The interview was aired on 26 and 28 January and Marianne also recorded a community service announcement.
|
|
We welcome COVID cautious morning and afternoon tea breaks.
Please make sure that the following precautions are taken:
- BYO cup/cutlery
- ECG will supply kits with tea/coffee, wipes etc.
- Participating clients to supply hot water, milk and a plate of food
- Volunteer/ staff assisting inside homes (e.g. carrying cups, plates, hot water) will need to wear masks
- Clients are welcome to join so long as social distancing is possible
- Morning/afternoon teas need to be taken outside
|
|
|
Australia Day Awards: The Winner is...
Easy Care Gardening
by Leanne Babic
Australia Day is a chance for all the stories of all Australians to be respected and reflected upon. This includes an acknowledgement of the history of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, the original and continual custodians of our beautiful lands and waterways of the country we live in today. Those who had no choice in coming here (e.g. our convicts and some refugees) and those who chose to move from their own land to make Australia home.
For each of us Australia Day means something different and I respect this.
This Australia Day there was an extra special celebration for Easy Care Gardening. Our staff, volunteers and organisation were recognised for outstanding community service, winning the Australia Day 2022 Mayor’s Award for Ku-ring-gai Council for an outstanding contribution by a community organisation.
The ceremony took place at in the Great Hall of Knox Grammar School and all Ku-ring-gai Council winners were joined by people from 27 different countries taking the pledge to become Australian citizens. The Australian Girls Choir sang many beautiful Australian songs including our national anthem, I Still Call Australia Home and My Island Home (my personal favourite) to name a few.
I was joined by Frank Windeyer, ECG president, volunteer gardener and volunteer representative- committee member Daniele Di Paolo, and Ku-ring-gai volunteer gardener Donna Palmer. At the celebration we were all allowed to accept the award with our masks on. Trust me, I was smiling under my mask.
While accepting the award, I reflected upon our own history as an organisation, our values and most of all, the service we have provided to many older people within our community from all backgrounds.
This award belongs to everyone who represents Easy Care Gardening and so I say congratulations to you all on winning this outstanding award and thank you so much for your time and dedication to our clients.
I was truly proud and privileged to accept this award on behalf of all staff, volunteers and clients of Easy Care Gardening.
Congratulations to all winners of Australia Day awards and I would like to extend this to Dylan Alcott, Australian of the Year, Val Dempsey as Senior Australian of the Year for her 50 years of volunteering, and Dr Daniel Nour, Young Australian of the Year for providing much needed medical services to homeless people.
|
|
|
Stop Press!
We have been getting more than air play, with quite a few local rags featuring ECG articles. Let us know if you have a garden, before and after or other photos, question or idea you might be able to share with us in our newsletters, or with other local publications. Below are some from the Southern Cross Magazine, The Bush Telegraph and The Weekly Times during February. |
|
|
Farewell Fran Appleton, by Coralie Jensen
After retiring from a career in office management, Fran took up volunteering for a number of organisations and Easy Care Gardening was lucky to be one of them. Fran is skilled, willing and organised and has supported the office staff in so many ways. Perhaps of greatest value to the organisation is Fran’s calm aura of positivity and kindness. We all love the days when Fran is in the office - always colour-coordinated (mask included!) and always with interesting conversation about the latest book, play, musical, current affairs or beloved pets. Fran has shown interest in our lives and has shared hers with us.
Fran has been of immeasurable support to me personally – assisting with police check compliance, designing the wonderful handmade birthday cards that are so well loved in the organisation, and putting in many hours to help with functions for other volunteers.
As the quiet achiever that she is, Fran has turned down numerous nominations for volunteering awards, always saying that she thought the gardening volunteers should be recognised. Fran was inducted as a “Gem of Ku-ring-gai” during International Women’s week in 2016, an honour given to women who make a valuable contribution through their volunteer work in the local community.
Fran has decided it is time to retire from volunteering. On behalf of everyone at Easy Care Gardening I would like to thank her for the wonderful contribution that she has made over the last 14 years, coming into the office on 513 separate occasions and giving 2,948 hours of her valuable time. We will miss Fran, but wish her well with her future plans and adventures. Fran will always be a gem in our eyes.
|
|
|
Hello Bernie
We welcome Bernie Lockard who started at the end of January and is married to ECG volunteer Steve. They live in and love Berowra and the bush.
Bernie has previously worked in administration in a number of energy companies and telcos. “The change to working with a not-for-profit organisation is an exciting opportunity for me and I'm looking forward to the challenge and joining the team at ECG.”
|
|
CALL OUT
We are looking for help in our admin department. There are two roles, a paid part time position as well as a volunteer.
Contact HR@easycaregardening.org.au
|
|
Find Coralie at CCA, 12 Lakeside Road, Eastwood
- Free parking available in Glenn Street Carpark or Hillview Lane Car Park. Street Parking is limited.
|
|
|
|
|
Reaping Harvests!
Autumn is a great time for the garden, ripe for the picking! The humidity subsides and it’s wonderful to be outside. We have had an incredible season and it’s the perfect time to plant and plan. Whilst COVID has brought challenges, it’s also been an incredible year for gardens, with the extra rainfall leading to huge growth spurts, some of which need to be kept in check.
What to Plant
It’s a great time to plant any screens and hedges right now, as the moist soil from summer rains ensures they settle well and the “Goldilocks weather” –not too hot and not too cold, makes it perfect for planting and gardening! New season’s vegetables like cabbages, peas, lettuce and broad beans can go in, and sweet peas, poppies and calendula if you want a garden full of flowers to pick. As the weather cools further, choose deciduous trees during their autumn display. It’s also the right time to plant bulbs – those surprise packages of joy perfect for pots or plots.
|
|
|
|
Donation Double Up
Easy Care Gardening was successful in receiving a “double your donation” grant with Ethical Jobs.
This means that every time you donate to Easy Care through this platform, Ethical Jobs will match the donations made, meaning we can reach our fundraising goals twice as quickly!!
Our campaign is due to start on the 24th of March. You can help us make this a success by sharing it on your social media and making a donation if you can. A link will be sent out in the next e-news.
|
|
|
|
Tools of the Trade
We are collecting second-hand tools to restore and trade up. If you have tools you don’t need any more and would like to donate them, contact us at info@easycaregardening.org.au
|
|
|
Seniors Festival
The end of March marks the start of the Seniors Festival, and Easy Care Gardening will be involved in many activities across the four LGAs.
We’re calling for help from our loyal team of volunteers. If you think you can guide others to make a hanging basket or plant a succulent in a bowl, perhaps you can join us at the Seniors Expo at the International Convention Centre in Darling Harbour? All training and expenses (including meals and parking) will be provided, and you will only be needed for a few hours on the 30th and 31st of March.
The theme for 2022 is Reconnect, and this represents a great chance for us to do just that! You can check out what activities are on offer, and more information about NSW Seniors Festival here.
|
|
|
|
The 2021 Seniors Expo
|
|
|
Workshops and Talks
We will be at various locations throughout the Seniors Festival. We hope to see you there!
|
Wednesday 23 March, 10am till 2pm
|
Ku-ring-gai Council Seniors Expo
|
Turramurra Uniting Church, 10 Turramurra Ave, Turramurra
|
|
|
Monday 28 March, 1 till 2:30pm
|
Ku-ring-gai Council and ECG joint workshop
|
Gordon Library and Secret Garden, 799 Pacific Highway, Gordon
|
|
|
Tuesday 29 March, 10am – 12 noon
|
The City of Ryde Joint Event: The Joys of Edible and Easy Gardening
|
North Ryde Community Centre, Cox's Road, North Ryde
|
|
|
Wednesday 30th and Thursday 31 March, 9am till 3pm
|
NSW Seniors Expo
Workshop Programs from 9:30am till 4:15pm
|
International Convention Centre, Darling Harbour
|
|
Tuesday 5 April, 1pm till 2:30pm
|
Ku-ring-gai Council and ECG joint workshop |
Gordon Library and Secret Garden, 799 Pacific Highway, Gordon
|
|
|
Thursday 7 April, 10am till 1pm
|
Henley Garden Party with
Hunters Hill Council
|
Henley Community Green, off Crown Street, Henley
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Training Day for Volunteers
Join us for a day of training at the Ku-ring-gai Town Hall on Monday 2nd May, 2022 to update you skills.
|
|
|
*** Volunteer Only Event ***
|
|
|
My Patch
Betty is a young 90+ year old new client of Easy Care Gardening. Betty said (to Leanne) “I have not been able to manage my garden for quite some time.” Betty was delighted to welcome the Easy Care Gardening team of volunteers to her house. It has been a while since the garden had been weeded and pruned.
James and Sue got to work on the palm area immediately and the other team members spread out throughout the front yard. Leanne, ECG CEO, and Mahesh Nair, ECG Treasurer, joined the team to weed, prune, lop, hedge and mulch.
At a break in the gardening, Donna Palmer was officially thanked by Leanne Babic, CEO for Donna’s Australia Day nomination. Leanne explained that as a result of the nomination, Easy Care Gardening won the Ku-ring-gai Council Mayor’s 2022 Australia Day award for outstanding contribution for a community organisation. Leanne explained how much this has meant to the office, Coordinators and the whole staff at Easy Care Gardening as well as the volunteers.
When we all returned to the garden, Betty came out and exclaimed “My garden looks like someone lives here again! This looks like my old garden again”. Betty was absolutely delighted. We all felt like we made a difference today.
The many bags we filled and the bundles we placed at the front of the garden were proof of how much work we achieved in our 3 hours!!
If you would like to share 'Your Patch' with us we would love to see it. Send your story and images to Meredith.
|
|
|
COVID-19 and Conditional Booster Update
by Leanne Babic
The rules and restrictions are forever changing. Change is the one certainty at present.
Socially distancing and personal hygiene rules remain unchanged.
Mask Rules
Masks are not required while working, especially on hot days. Masks are required when:
• you are not able to socially distance such as when sharing vehicles;
• speaking with clients;
• on the rare occasion we need to enter a client’s home to use their amenities;
NOTE: Mask wearing rules are subject to change according to the public health orders; our staff will inform you if you need to wear a mask.
QR Code or not to QR Code at our Pymble Office
To assist our hard-working and dedicated contract tracers, I encourage everyone to continue to QR Code into our office on entry or complete our visitors register. Thank you.
Mandatory Reporting- COVID cases
If you have been diagnosed with a confirmed COVID-19 positive PCR or Rapid Antigen Test, or believe you may have COVID-19, could you please notify your coordinator or our office immediately: info@easycaregardening.org.au.
Easy Care Gardening is required to report all positive cases to the Public Health Unit. The Public Health Unit will guide Easy Care Gardening as to when each person can come back to volunteer and work in the garden.
At this stage we are recommending that for all people who have a positive result, that you please stand down for 14 days from the date you were exposed to the virus, unless advised by our office.
Mandatory Reporting- Booster Records in My Aged Care
As we roll up our sleeves again for the third dose, Easy Care Gardening is required to report all vaccination booster records of all workers (paid and volunteer) on a weekly basis to My Aged Care.
Therefore, I am asking if you could please send a copy of your booster records as soon as you can after you have received your booster to: info@easycaregardening.org.au
If you need assistance to obtain your records, could you please contact Coralie Jensen, Volunteer Manager or contact our office from 8.30am- 4.30pm Monday to Friday.
|
|
|
Uniform Updates
Needing some extra cover? We have some new long sleeve 100% cotton shirts on order in a range of sizes. Contact your coordinator if you need fresh supplies.
|
|
|
|
Rotary Club of Wahroonga and Ku-ring-gai Council held a joint celebration on Saturday 26th February to celebrate the Centenary of Wahroonga Park and Rotary in Australia. Leanne and Coralie attended, adding a few ECG tokens to the capsule which will be unearthed for the sesquicentennial celebrations in another 50 years!
|
|
Autumn Newsletter
Our newsletter is out now. Read up on the Easy Care Gardening Lawn Care Tips and find out our latest award winners. There's also some updates on uniforms, and important information about a tool fundraising drive.
View Newsletter >>
|
|
|
We LOVE feedback. If you have an idea, want to say thanks, or let us know something, we'd love to hear from you. You can contact us at info@easycaregardening.org.au |
|
|
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to stay up to date with all the latest Easy Care Gardening information and events, or on our website.
|
|
Become a Volunteer
Not a volunteer yet? Know someone who might want to help out? Sign up to Easy Care Gardening from as little as 3 hours a month and help someone live independently. Check out our website here.
|
|
|
|
|
