Snug Village Garden was officially opened on Thursday, July 20.
Her Excellency the Honourable Barbara Baker AC, Kingborough Lions Club’s David Hopkins and Christian Homes Tasmania (CHT) board president Mark Hochman unveiled a plaque together to commemorate the special day.
Two engraved Huon Pine plaques have been mounted on the entrance wall that list the donors and companies who have helped bring this garden to life.
Lions Club International celebrated 75 years’ operation in Australia last year, challenging its clubs to create commemorative gardens to mark this anniversary.
Kingborough Lions Club saw an opportunity to refurbish the garden at the rear of Snug Village’s aged dementia units.
The area was fully enclosed, overgrown and neglected.
CHT and a small project team of Kingborough Lions worked out a plan to create a new garden for the residents to enjoy.
The result is a garden that encourages its visitors to relax and reminisce, with memory objects such as a bright red telephone box and bus shelter dotted around for residents to admire along with trees and sensory shrubbery.
The bus shelter was created by the Channel Men’s Shed, led by their president Peter Norris.
Tas Aqua built a special garden bed raised in height to accommodate wheelchairs and walkers for perennial planting by residents.
A team of Lions and CHT staff worked together to then mulch and plant shrubbery in the rejuvenated garden beds.
The speeches delivered by Governor Baker, Lions president Robert Hazell and CHT board president Mark Hochman at the opening acknowledged the large community that has helped in creating this garden.
“The small working committee of Ken Hughes, Rob Batchelor and I found it an absolute pleasure to work with Neal, Luke and Scot from Snug Village under the guidance of Christian Homes Property and Compliance Manager Shelly Gleeson in a project that will give immense pleasure to the aged residents at the Home,” said Lion David Hopkins.
