By Eleanor Wilson
More than 90 residents at Clyde North’s Levande Selandra Rise retirement village celebrated a decade of community on Wednesday 26 April.
Residents had their photos taken alongside birthday balloons, indulged in a special cake made by the residents, and reminisced on the last 10 years at Selandra Rise.
A photoboard with images of the village’s current residents was created to hang alongside a similar board which commemorated the official opening of the village in April 2013.
Resident committee secretary Veronica Ball said the community’s surrounds have developed exponentially since she moved into the village five years ago.
“It’s just grown so much. It used to be paddocks when we moved in, Clyde Road was just a road in each direction with gravel on either side and nothing but cows in the paddocks,” she said.
“Now, you have walking access to the supermarket, there’s shops, a chemist, doctors, dentists, childcare if you want it.
“You really don’t have to leave to get everything you need.”
Levande chief operations officer Michelle Bruggeman said the Clyde North village is one of the most vibrant communities in the company’s 58 village strong portfolio.
“In terms of the whole portfolio of all the retirement villages across Australia, this one has a really active resident base that themselves, continue to improve the village through their different clubs,” she said.
“They would have easily more than 30 activities the week, from bingo three nights a week to bar nights, there’s a craft and quilting group, lawn bowls, water aerobics.”
The retirement village’s very first resident, Tony Watson, who only recently moved into aged care, returned for the special occasion to reconnect with old friends.
He moved into number 1 at Selandra Rise in 2013, downsizing from a five acre property following a Parkinson’s Disease diagnosis.
“My wife and I travelled around for six months looking for a place and these people had a meeting and explained what it was all about,” Mr Watson said of Levande.
“We went to that meeting and that same day we signed up for the property.”
He said he has many fond memories of his time living at 5 Harmony Chase.
“It doesn’t matter where you go, you always have ups and downs, but I got along great with a lot of my neighbours.”
