Patients and carers who are guests at Macquarie Home Stay now have a new garden space to relax in and enjoy time outdoors.
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About 30 volunteers came armed with wheelbarrows, buckets, shovels and "lots of energy and good humour" to transform open land at the Dubbo facility into an asset for its guests.
Their efforts on April 2 can be seen in a new turfed area, a lavender labyrinth, memorial rose garden, playground for children, and more.
Macquarie Home Stay opened in 2019 to provide affordable accommodation for people seeking medical treatment at Dubbo Hospital.
Managing director Rod Crowfoot said the project was an important part of its master plan development, and had come to fruition by pooling several funding sources.
He said the organisation was fortunate to receive a $24,825 Community Building Partnership grant from the NSW government, donations from a number of private donors in support of the plan and more.
"Very, very blessed that a number of families with the loss of a loved one, in lieu of floral tributes, have asked for donations to come to Home Stay," he said.
"So we've been able to use those donations towards the creation of a memorial rose garden, and a much more formal-type of garden space, right at the top of the parkland that we're doing.
"And then we've got the general park space and walking areas.
"There's also a walking lavender labyrinth that we've been able to build in there as well.
"And then down the bottom, we've been supported by the Rotary clubs of Dubbo in constructing a playground for the kids who stay with us too."
A number of Dubbo businesses had also been generous in providing products and services at reduced cost or no cost.
Mr Crowfoot said guests were already exploring the new space designed for them.
"We know just general good health and well-being, just to be able to be outside and have a nice space where people can sit and relax, whether it be by themselves with a cup of tea, or if it's with others, maybe there's other family that are staying with them, where they have a place where they can just go and chat privately, but sit in an area that's got some shade and some lawn and just feels really settled and calm," he said.
"For us, that's an important part of the journey of people having medical care, is that they don't want to be cooped up inside four walls and a hospital all the time.
...that's an important part of the journey of people having medical care, is that they don't want to be cooped up inside four walls and a hospital all the time.
- Macquarie Home Stay managing director Rod Crowfoot
"So creating a really nice garden space, where people can use it for what it's intended for, for us is a really important part of our master plan."
The working bee day was real community day.
"I think at the peak we had nearly 30 volunteers on site," Mr Crowfoot said.
"The Rotary clubs of Dubbo were great supporters in doing it, and we had others come through, just private citizens and members of Can Assist came as well.
"So it was a fun day, it was a great day to bring the people we work with on a regular basis and who support us, bring everyone together and it wasn't about the finance side of things, it was about working together on a really really good project.
"Some were able to plant plants, some were on the end of a shovel, everyone had a role, whether it was for an hour or four or five hours, it was a really really big day, and come after lunch, when we finishing rolling out a bit of turf, we had nearly run out of steam.
"But it was a really productive day, we got a lot of work done, and we're just now trying to pull the final bits and pieces together in the back end of doing it, and the park space will be finished by the end of April and it will be a great thing to see."