Nursery a place of growth

By Paul Dunlop
A PAKENHAM plant nursery is helping a group of local people develop a new lease on life.
Outlook, formerly known as Minibah, develops programs for people with a disability with a special focus on encouraging participation and partnerships with the wider community.
The nursery has long been a feature of the Outlook centre in Toomuc Valley Road but has recently developed a new retail arm.
It sprang into life last weekend with a host of opening celebrations.
Outlook community services manager Anne McCormick said the nursery had been part of the facility for about 10 years, but had recently been given a new retailbased makeover.
“It’s something we can offer to the broader community,” she said.
“It helps people wanting to get back into the workforce and also helps us to be financially self sustainable.”
The nursery provides employment for almost 20 people, giving them a range of horticulture experience as well as valuable retail training.
“It’s a road back for them, it gives them an opportunity in a supportive and tolerant environment.”
Ms McCormick said the nursery boasted more than 300 varieties of plants, including succulents, potted colour and natives.
The plants were grown from seedlings under the guidance of Allan Young and his team.
Ms McCormick said the nursery was part of the innovative practices adopted by the service provider as it helped integrate people with a disability into the community.
“We don’t try to make the person fit into the system, we fit the system to suit the individual,” she said.
“It’s not just about employment skills either, they also learn social skills and interact with the broader community.”
The nursery was built from an original $5000 donation and is now an oasis of greenery at the entrance to one of Pakenham’s most picturesque areas.
“It’s well worth coming to check us out,” Ms McCormick said.
Victorian governor John Landy paid tribute to the work done by Outlook when he officially launched the new name and new image for the organisation earlier this year.
He said it would better suit the vision of the organisation that had constantly evolved and responded to the community’s need for the diverse services it provided.
The former Minibah Special School for children with intellectual disabilities opened its doors in 1975 and has developed steadily over the last 30 years.
“I believe that Outlook, as it stands today and what it stands for, provides a positive example to all of us,” Mr Landy said.
“It provides a reminder of the importance of setting goals, of responding effectively to change, of questioning the status quo and renewing this when appropriate.”