The Southern Highlands Botanic Gardens has recently purchased a new environmentally friendly electric golf cart to support volunteers and visitors alike. Made possible by their own fundraising and a grant of $10,000 from BDCU through the Collective Impact Community grants program, the cart will allow visitors and volunteers to move around and see more of the gardens.
A major outcome in the creation of the Southern Highlands Botanic Garden is the wellbeing brought to residents who live in a location with a large publicly accessible garden available for everyone to visit and enjoy.
The design of the garden focuses on accessibility and inclusiveness. Many volunteers are elderly, and some have mobility, cognitive or vision impairments. All are welcome and undertake tasks within their abilities. Their participation benefits their physical and mental wellbeing. Working bees are held weekly and attract around 40 volunteers each week, year-round. Additional volunteers come forward to assist with fundraising events which allows SHBG to call upon a volunteer pool of around 200 people, most of whom are local, with some from Sydney and regional locations.
General regular visitors include disability groups and retirement villages who come to the garden for a social outing or for a picnic. Many of these visitors will have the chance to experience more of the garden when they can be driven in the E-Car.
Charlotte Webb CEO of the Southern Highlands Botanical Gardens said “The support of BDCU through The Collective Impact Grant has made a huge difference supporting the Health and Well Being of volunteers and visitors alike. We would like to thank all the team at BDCU for this support and also our tireless fundraisers, collectively we have made a huge difference to the growth of the gardens which is a treasured community resource for everyone in the highlands”.
