General News
31 December, 2023
Marg calling time on 'house duties'
MARGARET Van Veen is drawing her 10-year connection with Wedderburn’s community house to a close. The long-time community advocate is planning summer at the beach before heading to Europe in April. “Other than that, there’s no definite plans...
MARGARET Van Veen is drawing her 10-year connection with Wedderburn’s community house to a close.
The long-time community advocate is planning summer at the beach before heading to Europe in April.
“Other than that, there’s no definite plans and we’ll see what adventures are ahead,” Margaret said after wrapping up a successful Christmas on High.
The festive event has been one of Margaret’s big projects since joining the community house team as education officer a decade ago.
Margaret then moved into the co-ordinator’s role after Jude Raftis stepped down six years ago.
“When I was education officer we started a lot of courses, introduced the shuttle bus, the dances and Christmas on High,” she said.
“I’ve always looked for a large project every couple of years - there was the Rejoov Salon run by a community sub-committee.
“And the Bird’s Eye View murals - we’ve just turned on the lighting that marks completion of stage two.”
Margaret hopes to see the next stage, sculpture-based art installations, progress soon. “And then we opened the Peppercorn op-shop (two years ago). We’ve now done a lot of repairs and expanded the store,” she said. “We hope to have all the work completed and the shop looking fabulous by the time I leave in January.”
Margaret said the community house staff and volunteers had been wonderful during her 10 years. “I feel very fortunate to have worked with this incredible crew and I have loved every day being there with them.”
The community house was established 30 years ago and Margaret said “people have worked hard to build the house to what it is today”.
“I looked at what Jude and others had done ... I couldn’t walk away and that was the start of my time as co-ordinator,” Margaret said.