Juniper Chief Executive, Vaughan Harding, said the facility is part of Juniper’s broader plans in the Great Southern that will see the creation of a major new service hub for the community and older residents.
“With this new centre we aim to provide a high quality, thriving and welcoming community space, providing the local area with access to a vast range of activities, services and programs,” he said.
“The Beryl Grant Community Centre is a place where people can meet and where families can gather and there are openings for local groups who are invited to take up space to offer their services from the Centre.”
Created in consultation with a local Community Advisory Group and utilising local architects, builders and suppliers, the $3.5 million centre has been carefully designed to cater for a variety of uses.
Features include multi-purpose function rooms, a workshop space, a café, kitchen facilities and a barbecue area. The facility will also provide office accommodation for sister Uniting Church agency, UnitingCare West, boosting its capacity to deliver its services to the community.
“The opening of the centre is the first stage of Juniper’s long-term vision for the Lockyer site which includes a new 100 bed residential aged care facility, to meet the growing demand in the Great Southern,” Mr Harding said.
Additional proposed plans for the site include the creation of more retirement living units and the development of other health and community services to be created in collaboration with other partner organisations.
Miss Beryl Grant AO OBE was Juniper’s first female chairperson and the first female Moderator of the Uniting Church in WA and has made an outstanding contribution to families and communities in Western Australia throughout her life.
