Kilmore Community Garden committee members supervised Wallan Secondary College students this month, with the students helping to set up a garden as part of their Vocational Education and Training, VET.
Ten students working towards their Certificate Two in Active Volunteering were required to complete a 20-hour community project as part of the Project Ready program, which provides students with vital work readiness and personal development skills.
The students adopted new skills through setting up small wooden garden beds and kits for wicking beds, propagating plants, creating artworks and a new worm farm, and participating in garden upkeep such as watering and weeding.
Kilmore Community Garden president Fiona McGettigan said the student’s work made a big difference for the garden’s use ahead of summer.
“An important part of our community garden in Kilmore is skill sharing so we were really happy to host students and to have an opportunity to share some skills with young people,” she said.
“It’s been massively helpful. I keep going back to the wicking beds but there’s so much work in setting those up … and it just really gave that project a kick along with wanting those beds set up before summer, so that we don’t have to be hand-watering so much.
“Our aim is to get things set-up and running really well … and then take a back-step and let the next younger lot takeover.”
Central Ranges Local Learning and Employment Network Project Ready facilitator and VET trainer Hope Hamilton, who organised the volunteer placement and worked alongside the projects, said the students were enthusiastic about the positive changes they could assist with in the garden.
“For some students, this is their first encounter working with and engaging in conversations outside of their family and friendship circles, so there are many aspects to the learning that takes place,” she said.
The Commonwealth Bank Kilmore branch manager Denise D’Amato visited the Community Garden this month to present a cheque for $500.
The Community Garden was one of two local organisations involved in a recent local Community Donations campaign and gained votes from the community to be successful for the award.
Kilmore Community Garden thanked everyone who voted and were grateful to the Commonwealth Bank.
