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JANUARY 2016 | Joanne Eisemann

SADLY, DELORAINE is saying farewell to one of its ‘movers and shakers’ of recent years.

Due to health and family reasons, Ros Albiston, Coordinator at Deloraine House, is taking early retirement and moving to Hobart.

“I’m rapt that I’m not going before the extension is in process. I’d put that at the top of my list, getting this new space”, says Ros of the things achieved in her time managing Deloraine House.

The extension was something ‘the house’ has been saving to construct but, as luck would have it, only a small amount was needed thanks to State Government capital funding to Neighbourhood houses for upgrades.

Another milestone was taking over management of the Community Garden from the Regional Health Service and getting more people involved. A Colony 47 aboriginal community group has been involved for over a year now.

“It’s satisfying to have broader involvement with the aboriginal community than just the one-off projects we’ve had previously”, comments Ros.

“Another category I’ve developed is partnerships with a whole range of other service providers for all sorts of different one-off and longer term projects. There is a lot more of that happening.”

One of those is the social enterprise project, again funded by the state government, looking at what social enterprises can be developed around improving people’s access to affordable and healthy food.

Her successor, Narelle Whatley, lives locally and in the past has worked with a local school as the school social worker.

More recently her work has been in the area of family violence in both practical and teaching capacities. Thrilled and a little daunted by her new position, Narelle explains, “I know that I’m moving into something that has been well built”; she adds, “the plan at this stage is to continue the good work that Ros has done and build on it where I can.”

 [udesign_icon_font name="fa fa-camera" color="#000000"] Mike Moores