Group home goes to tender

WOODBINE Board of Management have voted unanimously to proceed with the tender process for the Individual Residential Lifestyles Group Home to be built in Noall-st Warracknabeal.
Following a setback in April when their application for funding from Federal Government’s Supported Accommodation Innovation Fund was unsuccessful, the board have had to approach philanthropic organisations.
The Geoff and Helen Handbury Foundation is the latest in a line of private donations and philanthropic trust grants to support the project.
Last week the Geoff and Helen Handbury Foundation provided $20,000 towards the building fund, while the Woodbine Board of Management have also doubled their earlier commitment of agency reserves and are now providing $300,000 towards the project.
Woodbine chief executive officer Bernie O’Connor said he was delighted with the recent developments and the commitment of the board of management.
Donations
The project has been completely funded by philanthropic and private donations, which include the McLennan Trust Fund, $156,000, philanthropic trust funds, $52,000 as well as donations from the Woodbine Ladies Auxiliary and the Woodbine Board of Management.
A donation of $50,000 was received from a donor who wishes to remain anonymous and was closely followed by a pledge of $100,00 by former Warracknabeal resident and pharmacist Peter Hocking.
Mr O’Connor said there had been no government grants received to date.
“When Government money doesn’t fall from trees, some people suddenly decide that their project is either unworthy or all too hard,” Mr O’Connor said.
Commitment
Mr O’Connor said the Woodbine Board of Management had remained committed and had not baulked from their vision of providing excellent accommodation for people with a disability in Warracknabeal.
“The project is as good today as it was when it was first mooted and even more urgent,” Mr O’Connor said.
“We would have liked additional funds, but we are not prepared to keep people waiting for individual responses in their time of need,” he said.
Hooke Architecture will call for tenders in the near future and will project manage the development, which will provide accommodation for six people who have high support needs.
The Individual Residential Lifestyles Group Home will be a seven bedroom house, which will accommodate six people with disabilities as well as having a bedroom to accommodate staff in a “sleepover” system.
Mr O’Connor said he was hopeful building would start by the end of the year and that he would expect it to be completed in four to five months.