3 April 2020
Illoura Village at Chinchilla has proudly unveiled the first stage of a new, secure outdoor area so that residents can enjoy fresh air while restrictions remain in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus).
Residential Manager Lance Payne said that the new outdoor area wouldn’t have been possible without the generosity of the community, who donated their time and materials to set up a safe space for residents without fear of exposure to illness.
Western Downs Civil donated fencing around the new outdoor space for security while tables, chairs and benches were set up by a wonderful Illoura volunteer, Bronwyn Wheeler and her son Brett.
John and Rosemary Borck, who are both staff members at Illoura, donated 50kg of fertiliser for the new garden beds that are being built in the new outdoor area.
Lance said that local generosity had extended beyond the outdoor project. Laird Morgan from Lillyvale Feedlot has helped to ensure residents continue to enjoy their food, donating 30kg of mince this week with the possibility of this arrangement continuing while the restrictions at Illoura are in place.
“I am so thankful for the community support Illoura continues to receive,” said Lance. “It’s indicative of the special relationship Illoura has with the wider Chinchilla community. Having a safe outdoor place means so much to our residents during this time of restrictions and it has lifted spirits tremendously for everyone here.”
Lance has asked for further community involvement to continue with the project. “We would be very grateful to receive shade sails, concrete pathways for the outdoor area and vegetable plants for the new garden beds. We’d love to see more community involvement in this project, so if you can help in any way, I’d love to hear from you.”
Lance also said that while there had been some speculation about the safety of residents due to a recent attempted break-in, the safety of residents has always been a priority. Security company A1 has doubled patrols each night around the Village and Lance has accepted an offer from Chinchilla police to do extra security checks.
“The community around us at Illoura Village has been so supportive during these challenging times,” said Lance. “I want to thank each person and business who has donated so generously to this project, but I also want to thank everyone who have continued to care for us at Illoura. It has been encouraging to all of us here to know that we have your support and the health, happiness and safety of our residents continues to be my absolute priority.”