By Mikayla van Loon
Reaching their five year plan in just 12 months, the Mooroolbark Community Garden (MCG) has transformed from just garden plots to a multipurpose, completely accessible space ready to educate and connect.
And with the help of WCIG this was all made possible.
From a partnership that developed by chance all the way through to providing upskilling, employment opportunities, funding and resources, MCG and WCIG officially unveiled the previous five months worth of work on Tuesday 17 September.
Showcasing the wheelchair accessible pathway and raised garden beds, handmade picnic tables, additional polytunnel, the quiet green space and children’s learning space, it was a day of celebration and looking to the future.
MCG president Helen vander-Heyden said the garden was built on the premise of community, connection and opportunity, something that has been achieved twofold with the support of WCIG.
“Our ethos is about inclusivity, sustainability, community and connections, and the partnership we’ve made with WCIG ticks all of those boxes,” she said.
“We’ve been able to collaborate to provide opportunities and connections to people, to allow them to reconnect into the community, building infrastructure opportunities and inclusivity, working together to build a great place to work and play for those within our community, whether they be primary school, secondary school, aged care facilities, kindergartens, or people just looking to enjoy our space.”
WCIG work for the dole coordinator Granville Jones said picturing the Station Street site as a car park and seeing what it has become over the last year “it’s testament to the Mooroolbark Community Garden committee”.
“I’m told they have been here seven days a week. They’ve been out here working, rain, sun doesn’t matter, they worked and put in a hell of an effort to get it to where it is today,” he said.
“I’ve seen it over the last five months. Five months ago, we stood here, which was a little bit drizzly and it was cold and no one could envision it.
“The garden beds were here, and there were a few things that were here structurally, however, the place has completely changed in the last five months.”
Granville said when WCIG embarks on an employment support project, they look to achieve as many positive outcomes as possible.
“When WCIG invests money into these projects, it’s not our money, it’s your money, it’s your tax dollars that we spend and so we want to know that it’s going to the right place and it’s getting spent correctly,” he said.
“The all ability tables that you see and the all ability garden beds that you see, the two benches that you see down in the mental health green space these guys [from Glen Park Community Centre] created.
“We could have gone out and bought that and just gone to shop and purchased all ability tables, however, we saw an opportunity.”
The team from Glen Park hand designed and crafted some of the key features at MCG, which supported Helen’s vision of inclusivity and connection.
One participant, Malcolm, who has now joined MCG as a volunteer, said having recently recovered from lung cancer, he didn’t feel comfortable getting out but the opportunity through Glen Park and WCIG was the encouragement he needed.
“This has brought me together with a really diverse group of guys, and we’ve grown together in our confidence in both working with each other and seeing how we can work with the community,” he said.
“It’s been fabulous to see something that benefits so many aspects of the community, from the little kids, people with disabilities and the people who are struggling with getting food on their table.”
Moving forward, MCG will remain a space that can educate, provide skill teaching and be that stepping stone to the workforce.
This has been the case for Boronia K-12 College’s VCE Vocational Major students completing work related skills as a subject who have done four sessions in the garden, weeding, planting, composting and helping out where needed.
Under the leadership of their teachers, students have found the experience to be not only enjoyable but a change from classroom learning that has developed other basic skills.
“[We’ve learnt] basic life skills, learning how to plant your own food, learning how to live your own life a little self sufficiently,” Jed said.
It was unanimously agreed that working with their hands, getting outside and doing something productive has allowed them to grow.
Senior school director Wayne Judge said when looking for community projects, the school aims to include elements of environmental awareness and sustainability.
“As part of their VM program, they need to do some community project work. So that’s part of the outcomes they need to meet. So we’re looking to engage them with a variety of community programs,” he said.
“We worked with another environmental group that was doing some revegetation of areas up at Healesville along the creek there and did some revegetation.”
The rest of the day was celebrated with food and garden tours, conversation and connection, fulfilling the ultimate goal of the garden.
MCG will be hosting its first spring market day on Sunday 29 September from 9am to 2pm.
