{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"51: Growing communities one garden at a time","description":"We 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. \u201cWe have lovely connections with our customers,\u201d says John. \u201cIt makes us all, as our gardening team goes, dig in and it doesn't feel like a job when you're doing that.\u201d 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. \u201cI've even been sitting down in the shopping centre and the client's walked up and sat down and we\u2019ve had a chat,\u201d adds Paul. When volunteers join in with the crew it\u2019s particularly special. \u201cThey come out, gain some skills, and we all have a good time. They look out for us, we look out for them,\u201d 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). \u201cWanda came out and gave, very generously, a whole tray of lollies and the kids were over the moon about that,\u201d adds John. Customers Margaret and Audrey are full of praise for John and Paul\u2019s work in their garden. Margaret\u2019s 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,\u201d says Margaret. At Audrey\u2019s house Paul gets stuck into the front garden \u2013 weeding between the vincas, roses and geraniums\u2013 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. \u201cWhen the weather's nice I'll sit out the back here quite a lot and then I'll go for walks around the garden,\u201d she says. \u201cI loved hearing from Audrey and Margaret and how their hospitality, when Judith went out, was just that to me speaks of community,\u201d says Louise. \u201cGardening 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,\u201c says Dan. \u201cPeople 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.\u201d Credits Podcast Hosts: Dan Minchin and Louise Forster Opening Voiceover: Ryan Burke Opening Music: \u201cWattlebird\u201d by Dylan Hatton Music Interviewees: John Hatton \u2013 Support worker gardening and home maintenance Paul Forster - Support worker gardening and home maintenance Margaret Audrey Jane Wittenoom \u2013 Company Secretary Producer\/Interviewer: Judith Hatton Audio editing: Matthew Clark Special thanks: Maddie Bull   Mentioned in this episode Cannington Education Support Centre  Ep 50: 50 years in the community ","author_name":"Chorus Voices","author_url":"https:\/\/chorus.org.au\/","html":"