Shine - Anglican Retirement Villages

arv village Profile
LEMongRoVE gARdEnS, PEnRitH
There’s something
in the air at
Lemongrove
Gardens
The sense of community at Lemongrove
Gardens is compelling. With lively social
programs and ongoing plans for renovation,
the future looks warm and bright.
PpeopLe FinD it hard to describe what
makes Lemongrove Village, at the foot
of the magnificent Blue Mountains,
so special. yet they all agree there’s
something about the atmosphere of
the place that makes them feel instantly
at home.
Violette sahyouni, the Village
Manager at Lemongrove, says it could
be something to do with the way the
residents care for each other and take
pride in their environment.
“we have assisted care for 46 residents
and 30 self-contained cottages, each with
its own garden, which our residents take
great pride in tending. there is a strong
sense of community here—when our
residents wake in the morning, they raise
their blinds to let their neighbours know
they’re oK. it’s beautiful—they all look
76 shine
out for each other.”
Until July 2011, the Blue Mountains
City Council owned both the cottages
and the assisted care facility. arV
operated the assisted care facility on
behalf of the council; the cottages were
managed by a separate entity.
“when we took over, there wasn’t much
happening here,” Violette says. “over
the last year, we’ve changed that. we’ve
introduced several social programs and
they’ve been well received. a few months
ago 120 people attended a traditional
australian family BBQ—residents and
staff and all the families. we had live
entertainment and it was wonderful.
we’ve also had Christmas Carols by
candlelight and a Mothers’ Day event.”
while the residents now actively
organise most social functions, arV