Playing at Noreen Towers
18 May 2009
Minutes after Wesley Mission’s Superintendent Reverend Keith Garner cut the ribbon on their new playground equipment, squeals of delight could be heard from the children as they tested the slides, swings and climbing frames.
On Thursday 30 April, a gathering of residents, staff, local church leaders and a group from Wesley’s Frank Vickery Retirement Village joined together at Noreen Towers for the official launch of the equipment purchased from the proceeds of Wesley Fair 2008.
After Carol Garner welcomed everyone, Mr Garner presented a short history of Wesley’s long term commitment to the homeless. The beginning of the Noreen Towers Community stems from Serenity Farm – a half-way home in Horsley Park for men from the Surry Hills homeless crisis centre, Edward Eagar Lodge. In 2000, the government resumed the land to build the Olympic Equestrian Centre and these buildings in Sutton Street, Ashcroft were given in exchange.
Mr Garner said: “In 2004, we converted these dwellings to house homeless families as we could see the great need in the community that nobody else was offering.”
The community is named after the Rev Noreen Towers, for her lifetime of selfless work for the homeless in the inner-city.
Family case worker Allison, shocked the audience by revealing that 15-20 families are turned away each week – a frightening statistic and one that has doubled in the past six months. Allison’s greatest challenge is finding affordable housing for the families once they are ready to move on.
Our thanks to all in attendance.
- Rosemary Cottrell, Executive Officer, Community Partnerships
On Thursday 30 April, a gathering of residents, staff, local church leaders and a group from Wesley’s Frank Vickery Retirement Village joined together at Noreen Towers for the official launch of the equipment purchased from the proceeds of Wesley Fair 2008.
After Carol Garner welcomed everyone, Mr Garner presented a short history of Wesley’s long term commitment to the homeless. The beginning of the Noreen Towers Community stems from Serenity Farm – a half-way home in Horsley Park for men from the Surry Hills homeless crisis centre, Edward Eagar Lodge. In 2000, the government resumed the land to build the Olympic Equestrian Centre and these buildings in Sutton Street, Ashcroft were given in exchange.
Mr Garner said: “In 2004, we converted these dwellings to house homeless families as we could see the great need in the community that nobody else was offering.”
The community is named after the Rev Noreen Towers, for her lifetime of selfless work for the homeless in the inner-city.
Family case worker Allison, shocked the audience by revealing that 15-20 families are turned away each week – a frightening statistic and one that has doubled in the past six months. Allison’s greatest challenge is finding affordable housing for the families once they are ready to move on.
Our thanks to all in attendance.
- Rosemary Cottrell, Executive Officer, Community Partnerships
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 Keith Garner gets ready to cut the ribbon |  Keith presenting a history of Wesley’s commitment to the homeless |
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