LorneCare celebrates 20 years of hard work

LORNECARE turned 20 earlier this month, marking two decades of outstanding community work in the area.

LorneCare came to life in 2000, filling the void of a hands-on community group in the area, holding its first working bee on December 10, 2000.

What started out as a small volunteer group from locals in the area, has now grown to over 40 members, with many more floating through the group over the years.

The volunteer group was created by Alain Purnell and Michael Callanan, or Camel, as he was better known.

The pair came together and combined Purnell’s business expertise and Callanan’s, who has since passed away, environmental passion to create a group which has delivered so much hard work in maintaining some of the iconic sites around Lorne.

LorneCare does most of its work on the foreshore, in Queens Park and around Erskine River.

Purnell said the two most memorable and important projects the group has delivered was the work completed at Stony Creek Reserve and on the north bank of Erskine River, doing plenty of weeding and maintenance to provide the best experience for those visiting.

Purnell said he was so pleased to see the difference and standing the group has had in the community.

LorneCare holds a working bee once a month, consistently getting 12-15 members attending, with a great mix of permanent and part-time residents. Purnell said while the working bees were important in completing projects, the social aspect was just as key, holding a barbecue at the end of each one.

“I think it’s a good combination of hard work and social,” Purnell said. “The barbecues are a great way of this mixed group of people getting to know each other. We get satisfaction from seeing what we’ve achieved, that’s why I think our members keep coming back.

“People regard us as an essential part of Lorne now, and we enjoy it. We’re informal, but we get things done.”

Purnell said the relationships with GORCAPA (Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority), GORCC over the years, and the Surf Coast Shire had been hugely positive.

The next working bee will be its annual New Year’s Day clean-up, meeting along the Lorne foreshore at 6am.