54: Forget me not
Chorus Voices
Bill, 78, is a retired teacher of 36 years and now volunteers with Chorus. He teaches English as a Second Language at the Chorus Bull Creek Activity Centre.
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53: Getting our art on
Chorus Voices
We talk about all things art and community coming out of the Ability Arts inclusive art program in Mandurah, WA - from winning a sculpture award to the Selfie Portrait Exhibition and more!
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52: Christmas Voices 2020
Chorus Voices
In this year’s Christmas Voices Angela Johns, Mandy Waters and Judith Hatton join Dan Minchin and Louise Forster to dive into inspiring journeys of survival and recovery in 2020.
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51: Growing communities one garden at a time
Chorus Voices
What's it like to be a Chorus gardener? Pretty special actually.
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50: 50 years in the community
Chorus Voices
Episode 50 of Chorus Voices celebrates 50 years of Chorus in the community and, as it turns out, it’s our 50th episode!
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49: Teamwork: A circle of kindness
Chorus Voices
Chorus is a team of kind, caring people. In this episode Dan Minchin and Nikki Drury explore the relationship between teamwork and kindness.
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48: Home is more than a house
Chorus Voices
Krystyna likes to cook, garden and have fun with her housemate, Quack Quack 2. In this episode we learn about the journey and joy of supported independent living.
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47: A very merry unbirthday: Two more candles
Chorus Voices
In part two of Lex’s mental health journey we learn a thing or two about designing clothes for musicals as Lex takes the next step towards realising the dream of becoming a fashion designer.
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46: Men's Health Week: From darkness to colour
Chorus Voices
After an accident, professional cyclist Chek stopped eating and wanted to give up on life. One day he reached out and turned his life around.
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45: Chorus volunteers: A smile to deliver
Chorus Voices
During National Volunteer Week 2020 five Chorus volunteers take centre stage and talk about what volunteering means to them and the Chorus community. “The only thing that I can do is just give them a bit of time,” says Gary.
info_outlineWe hit the gardening trail with Chorus gardeners John and Paul to see what it was like helping people in their gardens. While gardening is at the heart of what they do, it is so much more than that.
“We have lovely connections with our customers,” says John.
“It makes us all, as our gardening team goes, dig in and it doesn't feel like a job when you're doing that.”
John and Paul agree that they enjoy having a chat with customers and seeing the customers come alive when they talk about their earlier lives.
“I've even been sitting down in the shopping centre and the client's walked up and sat down and we’ve had a chat,” adds Paul.
When volunteers join in with the crew it’s particularly special.
“They come out, gain some skills, and we all have a good time. They look out for us, we look out for them,” says Paul.
Earlier in the month John did some work with volunteers from Cannington ESC for now retired volunteers Jim and Wanda (who talked on Ep 50: 50 years in the community).
“Wanda came out and gave, very generously, a whole tray of lollies and the kids were over the moon about that,” adds John.
Customers Margaret and Audrey are full of praise for John and Paul’s work in their garden.
Margaret’s neighbour saw Margaret struggling in the garden one day and suggested she give Chorus (then Volunteer Task Force) a call.
I think they're brilliant,” says Margaret.
At Audrey’s house Paul gets stuck into the front garden – weeding between the vincas, roses and geraniums– and John fires up the leaf blower out the back.
Audrey has been in her home for an amazing 70 years and built up great community connections over the years, particularly through sporting activities.
“When the weather's nice I'll sit out the back here quite a lot and then I'll go for walks around the garden,” she says.
“I loved hearing from Audrey and Margaret and how their hospitality, when Judith went out, was just that to me speaks of community,” says Louise.
“Gardening is work - it's manual work - but it was something a lot richer than that going on in the way that you could hear the guys talking about their day,“ says Dan.
“People have a smaller footprint that they work on. A smaller group of people that they get to know. And those connections that spring up when you work locally.”
Credits
Podcast Hosts: Dan Minchin and Louise Forster
Opening Voiceover: Ryan Burke
Opening Music: “Wattlebird” by Dylan Hatton Music
Interviewees:
John Hatton – Support worker gardening and home maintenance
Paul Forster - Support worker gardening and home maintenance
Margaret
Audrey
Jane Wittenoom – Company Secretary
Producer/Interviewer: Judith Hatton
Audio editing: Matthew Clark
Special thanks: Maddie Bull
Mentioned in this episode