Gift helps light up Long Gully

FOLLOWING a donation, staff, volunteers and users of the Long Gully Neighbourhood Centre have been giving away solar Christmas Lights to area residents. 

Coordinator at LGNC Kerry Parry said she had the idea last year to light the suburb up with Christmas lights, but it wasn’t feasible then. 

“Not everybody can afford to decorate but most of us love Christmas in some shape or form,” she said. 

“We thought about it last year but just couldn’t get legs for it. 

“The Are-Able crew, who donated the lights, started to help this term, making coffee for Chatty Café on Tuesday mornings. 

“They said why don’t they do a Bunnings fundraiser and buy Christmas lights.” 

Last week the centre got given 60 sets of lights, and they have almost all been claimed by Long Gully residents.  

“We’re specifically targeting Long Gully residents,” Ms Parry said. “So, we’re asking people to show some sort of ID of where they live and then we give them a set of lights and they can go home and decorate.” 

The solar Christmas lights effort is just one of several LGNC has going during the festive season. 

“There’s been a whole lot of activity here for Christmas,” Ms Parry said. “We’ve had a number of volunteers make snowflakes. 

“We’ve given 250 of them to Shine Bright Maiden Gully Early Years Hub to hang up for Christmas, and then we’ve got more to decorate here. 

“We’ve also been making Christmas cards for Letters of Hope, which is an organisation in Queensland that actually sends out cards to people who are fighting mental health and wellbeing issues. 

“All sorts of things to just be able to support the community more and show people that they’re actually cared, for because Christmas can be tough for a lot of people.” 

Are-Able are a NDIS-funded non-profit which helps people of all abilities find work. 

“The beautiful thing is that it’s beneficial to us, but it’s beneficial to Are-Able as well,” said Ms Parry. 

“It doesn’t just stay in these four walls, like these lights are going all around Long Gully, which will light up Long Gully in a positive way.”