Category: Social Enterprises

Thumbs up for our gardeners

Myhorizon’s team of gardeners have been the driving force behind the prettification of the Cleveland Cemetery in recent months in preparation for the reinterment ceremony for Warrant Officer Class II Kevin George Conway.

Officer Conway, a Wellington Point local who became the first Australian Officer to be killed in action during the Vietnam War on 6 July 1964, was today returned to Australia and laid to rest in his native home of Redland City. Officer Conway’s family, military officials, political dignitaries, chaplains, and members of the public were all in attendance to pay their respects to the fallen soldier.

For our gardeners, the last few months have involved meticulously replanting, weeding, barking and mulching the gardens, as well as laying and maintaining the lawns to prepare the cemetery grounds for the special occasion.

Supervisors of our gardening service, Anne Blakeway and Gary Toovey said our team had shown great dedication to the task of revitalising the graveyard, the maintenance contract for which they secured earlier in the year.

“We have a committed team of 11 people and we all take pride in the work we do. Attending the ceremony this morning it was so rewarding for everyone involved to see the difference we had made to the cemetery over the preceding months. It was wonderful to have transformed the grounds so that they were befitting of such an important event,” Ms Blakeway said.

Anne-Maree Sankey, Project Officer at Redland City Council, said she couldn’t have been more pleased by the talented team of green thumbs. 

“The cemetery looks fabulous! I was there to get a photo of the plot beforehand and I could not believe the difference!” she said.

Ms Sankey said a representative from the Canberra War Graves and the family of Officer Conway had visited the cemetery last month and were also impressed by the site’s appearance.  

Myhorizon’s gardening enterprise Horizon Horticulture has been working in partnership with Redland City Council since 2009. We will maintain our contract with Cleveland Cemetery into the near future. 

Construction starts on new Capalaba Centre

The first sod has officially been turned at the building site of Myhorizon’s newest and most ambitious community construction project in the Redlands.

Let the building work commence! From L-R: Ian McDougall Estate Trustee Nathan Hardman, Redland City Mayor Mayor Karen Williams, Ian McDougall Estate Trustee Ken McDonald, and Myhorizon CEO Joe Gamblin and Vice President Dr Wayne Clarke turn the first sod at Myhorizon’s new Capalaba Centre.

Attending the special event this morning was Redland City Mayor Mayor Karen Williams, Myhorizon CEO Joe Gamblin and Vice President Dr Wayne Clarke, and Trustees from the Ian McDougall Estate – Mr Ken McDonald & Mr Nathan Hardman – who have donated $450,000 to construct a purpose-designed early intervention facility within the Centre.

Mr Gamblin said the multi-million dollar project would bestow significant benefits on the local community.

“This is probably the biggest community services infrastructure project in Redland City and we are proud to have the support of Council to make this exciting initiative possible.

“Myhorizon’s Capalaba Centre will deliver strong economic benefits for the community not only in terms of jobs created through the construction period but also the additional staff we will be employing through growth from the NDIS,” he said.

Mayor Karen Williams agreed the Centre would boost economic activity in Redland City.

“This project will inject an estimated $8 million into the local economy through construction investment and new jobs and it will provide Myhorizon with a platform from which to add more services when the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) rolls out in coming years.

“Our community will gain life-changing services through the new centre once it is operational later this year and through the NDIS service streams”.

Mr Gamblin said the Ian McDougall Centre for early intervention therapy services would in particular enable expansion of Myhorizon’s existing popular service to support parents of children with disability under the age of six.

“The new Early Intervention Centre has been purpose-designed. Thanks to the generous support of the Ian McDougall Trust we will be able to reach more parents of children with disability in Redland City and enhance their experience by providing them with access to facilities that are specifically tailored to deliver our Baby Bridges programme and early intervention therapies under the NDIS”.

The new Centre will be built on Council-supported land at 377-385 Redland Bay Road adjacent the popular Redland Indigiscapes Centre. Redland City Council has given Myhorizon a 50-year lease of the footprint of the new building. Other features include space for a family case management service, employment and training services, and a social enterprise.

An opening date in October this year is expected.