Why?
The church garden needed a little TLC and with all the great work that Lurnea Anglican Church is doing in our local community we wanted to give a little back to them.
Liverpool Anglican Church (Lurnea) is physically central to a large community. The church tries to meet and care for the physical, social, emotional and spiritual needs of the people in their area. Their work includes supporting asylum seekers who have been placed into the community from detention centres. The vision of Rev Manoj Chacko is, as a church, to show the love of Christ as they help these people become established in the community. Apart from the Red Cross & the SSI (Settlement Services International) Liverpool Anglican Church is the only other support network these people often have.
Thomas Hassall Anglican College students have had the unique opportunity to clean up the church garden and paths, repair gates and establish new bright plants in the garden areas. Our students worked really well as a team. They could see their hard work and efforts had made a substantial change to the aesthetics of the church area. As their teacher I was proud of each and every person. Our students had a unique opportunity to work with refugee children and hear their personal stories. A great time of reciprocity for all.
Below is a reflection by Carys Johnson (Yr 7 Student) who has been a member of our team this year.
“When we were gardening at the church we met the church minister and some children who were refugees from another country. At the church we weeded the cracks between the pavements, pulled down some old dead trees and planted some flowers, cacti and shrubs. On a hot day, when we were working in the garden, the church minister gave everyone some cans of drink which was really kind of him. At the church we learnt how to work as a team and we got to know each other. At the church we learnt that gardens are very difficult to handle after they had been left untouched for a while”
A lovely card was sent to our Principal and Thomas Hassall’s Anglican College Gardening Club by Rev Manoj Chacko and church members of Liverpool Anglican Church (See photograph).
I would like to personally thank Mrs Marissa Benham (nee Wallace) for the vision and effort of establishing The Grange in 2013. The garden has been incorporated into teaching programs for Food Technology and IT Skills, and has been a source of food for the whole Thomas Hassall Anglican College community via Mrs Riitano’s Kitchen.
We look forward to serving other areas of our community in 2018 and developing further The Grange.
Mrs Genelle Griffin
Gardening Team Teacher
