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“What I enjoy most about living at Wollondilly Gardens is being able to sit down and share a meal with other residents.”
A resident of the local retirement village made this statement at the Wollondilly Gardens 20th anniversary celebrations on Saturday, October 14.
John Vilskersts, General Manager of Retirement Villages Anglicare, agreed one of the redeeming points of difference for Wollondilly Gardens residents is the sense of community and belonging felt at the facility.
“It is set on a beautiful rural setting with lots of space and extensive grounds. There is a community centre, heated pool and space and one of our points of difference is that Anglicare is very focused on the residents. We offer as much as we can to support residents in the ageing process.
“As a not-for-profit and charitable organisation, we are purely focused on the residents, their wellbeing and their needs. We want to support and encourage them to stay in their own homes for as long as possible.”
The anniversary celebrations marked 20 years since the official opening of the community centre at Wollondilly Gardens. The precinct, however, dates back to the early 1980s when the Geale family bought 100 acres of land in Mary Martin Drive.
Twelve years later Stan Geale approached business acquaintance, Murray Branch, and asked him to join in a business venture – the company known as Wollondilly Retirement Pty Ltd was formed in 1992. Project planning commenced in that year and construction of stage one (Marsden Village) began in 1993. Stage two followed, resulting in the construction of 65 blocks.
Discussions then began with the Anglican Church with the intention of creating a joint venture for the establishment and management of the retirement village. This agreement was reached in 1995 and construction of the first 10 units began.
Today, Wollondilly Gardens consists of 69 villas, occupied by approximately 100 residents. Anglicare recently announced plans to proceed with a redevelopment of Wollondilly Gardens – the first stage being the building of six additional villas, which should take place in 2018. Initial planning has also commenced for a further proposed redevelopment to improve community facilities at the village and construct serviced apartments to support residents with increased future needs.
Residents, members of the Anglican clergy, board members and dignitaries, including Goulburn mayor, Bob Kirk, came together at the community centre for the 20th anniversary celebrations on Saturday, October 14. It was a time to reflect on past achievements while also looking forward.
This advertising feature was sponsored by the following business:
Wollondilly Gardens Anglicare