Gold Coast University Hospital is looking for budding gardeners with a social conscience to dig in and help plant, maintain and harvest an on-site community garden.
Established earlier this year the garden provides a sustainable environmentally friendly opportunity to produce nutritious herbs, vegetables and native garnishes to enhance the hospital menu for inpatients and staff through the Pulse Caf¨¦.
Helen Clifford, from the Gold Coast Health garden project team, said staff volunteers watered the gardens but there was a need for a dedicated community garden coordinator and a gardener.
¡°These are volunteer positions which we hope will provide some members of the community an opportunity to feel social connectedness while being a part of a wonderfully sustainable initiative.
¡°We are looking for people who have good communication, a friendly helpful manner with the ability to work outdoors, use garden tools and apply safe work practices,¡± Ms Clifford said.
¡°We have big ideas for our community garden. We hope to create horticultural therapy opportunities for in-patients as well as enhanced social connection for our staff and visitors through shared gardening.¡±
The community garden is an initiative kicked off by a $10,000 Improvers award in 2016 to enhance patient care through innovation. This year it has been made wheelchair friendly through local business funding and not-for-profit organisation support.
For more details on the garden volunteer roles, or to apply for the positions, go to the Gold Coast Health volunteer web page at or email [email protected]