Growing community involvement

AFTER years of building, grant applications and countless volunteer hours, the Ballarat Neighbourhood Centre community garden is providing for several of the facility’s programs.

In addition to the vegetables, fruits and herbs being utilised for the Our Kitchen Social Enterprise project, the garden also offers a space for classes about growing food, health and cooking, as well as encouraging wider community involvement.

Neighbourhood Centre community engagement officer Sandy Darrington said there are hopes to expand the garden’s offering and space in the coming years.

“It’s nice to see people slowly come back out and get some more people at the centre again, get the community back together,” she said.

“Last week, the Permaculture Guild came in and helped us re-establish it and we have the Rotary guys here today to help clean-up the benches and tables.

Thanks to one of the Neighbourhood Centre’s dedicated volunteers, the garden continued to grow throughout the pandemic and now with support from other community groups, it’s thriving.

While working in the garden, president of Ballarat Young Ambitions Rotary Club Jane Jens said while it’s been a hard year for everyone, it’s great to be able to get back into community work.

“It’s really important to get back into it, get engaged and see everyone again and do community work,” she said.

“I’m their treasurer at the Neighbourhood House so the free food program, Our Kitchen, are sponsored by Rotary for the next 12 weeks and we also wanted to help with the vegetable garden as well.”