Milpara leader calls it a day
SANDRA Webster said for the first nine months her feet won’t touch the ground.
Once they do, she will, she has no doubt, be back at Milpara Community House taking advantage of some of the courses on offer.
Mrs Webster has run Milpara House for 28 years but retires in a month. She is particularly keen to try her hand at painting and creative writing inspired by the many who have gone on to have published novels and poetry.
Sandra has many other plans as she joins her husband in retirement.
“It might be nice to join the grey nomads,” is one idea since she and Laurie bought a caravan two years ago.
“I love roses and the vegie garden needs some tender loving care.”
In mid 2015 the couple are heading overseas to Canada and Alaska and have included a light plane flight over the north pole in their itinerary.
What Mrs Webster is looking forward to more than anything is spending more time with her grandchild.
“I love being a nanna,” she said.
Her daughter who lives in Yallambie near Greensborough, a north eastern suburb of Melbourne, is expecting her second child in January so the Webster’s grand parenting joy is set to double.
When she started at Milpara Community House it was a tiny old house which has grown as the services it offers have grown.
“And I have grown with it,” she said.
“I’m not as judgemental now as I was might once have been.”
Mrs Webster said she is constantly amazed by the generosity of people and the work of volunteers: we have 10 volunteers on our committee of governance plus another 20 volunteers doing such work as tutoring, gardening, working with the food bank and as play group leaders.
“Milpara grows volunteers by providing people with opportunities.
“This is a job I love but there comes a time.
“The organisation has such a fantastic committee and staff right now, it is in a really good place; the decision to retire feels right.”
About 12,000 people a year pass through Milpara Community House each year and Mrs Webster said she has met an amazing array of people and had many startling experiences such as seeing children from three year old kinder grow up and be taller than herself on the basketball court.
“It has been constantly invigorating to see people who come here seeking help go on to find successful employment.”
One thing she will not miss is the paper work which she said has seemed to increase over time, especially with the advent of computers.
As the adult education provider in Korumburra, next year Milpara is providing a Certificate of General Education for Adults (CGEA) in partnership with Bass Coast Education Centre.
It is taking its adult literacy courses a step further into more accredited courses.
Mrs Webster said Milpara is not an institution but a friendly environment.
“I would encourage the community to find out what it can do there.
“People don’t realise the breadth of what we offer.”
Four times a year Milpara has a newcomers’ lunch which is a great opportunity for people new to the town to go along and find out what Milpara has to offer.
Next year the house is conducting a community needs survey but it will be the newly appointed Jenni Keerie who will be in charge of that inquiry.
Jenni has been working with Mrs Webster for two years and the retiring boss is confident she will continue to ensure Milpara meets the needs of the community.
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