Hello,

As December draws to a close and this will be the last newsletter for 2022, I would like to take the opportunity to wish you a relaxing and enjoyable festive season and a Happy New Year. It has been an incredible year with many highs and lows, the highlight for me has been joining the team here at Green Connect. I am now 21 weeks in and still loving it. It’s a challenging role, but also rewarding. Green Connect does so much good and has potential to do so much more. Next year will be an exciting year for us, so keep an eye out for further updates.

In Brief

  • We have a new Staffing Solutions Coordinator, Charity Avery. Welcome!
  • Green Connect was at the Jack Johnson concert at the Sydney Opera House.
  • We have new pigs and a baby goat on the farm.
  • Lots of work to do on the farm and we are hoping you will join us for our bi-monthly farm blitzes.
  • Our Op Shop in Unanderra is getting a makeover.

New Staff

We have had an amazing human join the Green Connect team:

Charity Avery, Staffing Solutions Coordinator. Charity joined the team recently, Charity has over 30 years of experience in customer service and comes to us from the Disability Trust where she was a Team Leader. We are fortunate to have her join the team.

Green Connect at Jack Johnson Concert

We were invited to table at the Jack Johnson Concert, which was amazing and inspiring.

Zero Waste Manager, Bella at the concert telling concert goers about Green Connect.

Farm Update

The farm has finally dried out and for the first time in over 12 months we have had to connect our drip irrigation system.

We got a new batch of pigs, and another baby goat (Alfie) was born at the farm.

Farm Activities

Keep an eye out for public farm tours they will be ramping up and if you have not come to see the farm, you should, it’s amazing.

School tours are also running and we’re loving seeing busloads of kids arrive for a look at how food is grown and to meet our farmyard animals.

Private tours & corporate days are available.

We are starting a bi-monthly farm blitz and community day. It will be a family friendly event with work for everyone, no matter ability. Come one, come all and work alongside our team for our bi-monthly Saturday farm blitz held from 9am to 12noon with a BYO BBQ to follow. It is amazing what many helping hands can do in one morning. You will work alongside a Green Connect team member and there will be nature-play activities for the kids.

Bi-monthly Farm Blitz

2023 FARM BLITZ DATES

SATURDAYS 9:00AM – 12:00PM

14 Jan
11 March
13 May
8 July
9 Sept
11 Nov
9 Dec – Community Open Day

If you are intending to come along to a farm blitz, if you could let us know, that would be great! Please email [email protected] with Farm Blitz in the subject line and the date and the number of people you are bringing. And if you decide on the day that you’d like to join us that’s fine too!

New Year, New Look for the Op Shop

We are re-organising the Unanderra Op Shop. We will be closed from today, December 23rd to January 3rd and we are using the opportunity to change things up. Please come and visit us in the New Year to see the new look.

This is a current photo of the Op Shop.

Foreshore Cleaning

We are working with Wollongong City Council again this year to keep the beaches clean, keep an eye out for our staff when you visit the beach. They will be there in the afternoons litter picking.

Thankyou

Green Connect would not be here without the support of some amazing individuals and organisations. While it is too large of list to thank everyone, we would like to acknowledge a few.

Special thanks to:

–          Our amazing staff

–          Our casual staff

–          Our army of volunteers

–          UOW

–          UOW Pulse

–          The City of Wollongong

–          The Westpac Foundation

–          The Capricorn Foundation

–          The Ian Potter Foundation

–          The Paul Ramsay Foundation

–          Commonwealth Bank

–          Tibra

–          Alison Byrnes (MP)

–          MCCI

–          SCARF

 –          Rotary

–          Landcare

–          Bushcare

–          Flagstaff

–          SCE

–          Illawarra Sports High School

–          Warrawong High School

And all our amazing customers who support us by shopping at our op shops, buying our veg boxes, farm tours and experiences and our Zero Waste, Gardening and Landscaping and Staffing solutions customers… You support us to support those who come to us looking for training and employment opportunities.

And finally, thank you to you for reading our newsletter.

Best wishes for the holidays,

Robert