News from The Grove Ngunnawal
Whether they are community highlights or upcoming events, stay in the loop with what’s new at The Grove Ngunnawal.
From resident activities to a variety of building upgrades, stay up to date with everything happening at The Grove Ngunnawal.
The new clubhouse is the prfect place for friends to connect
In the Groove with the Grove Singers
The new clubhouse is the perfect place for friends to connect
Monday, 22 July 2024
When it comes to spending time with friends, a retirement village clubhouse is the perfect place for friends to enjoy activities and share a meal or happy hour drink. The residents of The Grove Ngunnawal know all too well the benefits of flourishing friendships. And now they have a brand new place for their community friendships to thrive. The residents celebrated the launch of their new clubhouse. A warm, welcoming and luxurious space that’s become the social heart of this vibrant village.
At a $3.9 million investment, the new clubhouse brings ongoing benefits of fun and friendship that money can't buy. With a focus on health, wellness and social engagement, the clubhouse gives residents the perfect place to swap stories, share history and make memories.
Clubhouse amenities at The Grove Ngunnawal include:
- Arts and crafts room
- Gymnasium
- Indoor swimming pool
- Library
- Lounge
- Men's shed
- Outdoor bowling green.
There are also commercial cooking facilities and an ideal space to host social gatherings and functions onsite.
Friendship and community lead to a longer and healthier life
For residents at The Grove Ngunnawal, the friendships that flourish in their clubhouse could improve not only their lifestyle but also their health. This rings true for Fran Gannon, who was the first to move into The Grove Ngunnawal when it opened in April 2015. She says the new clubhouse is a life-enhancing addition.
‘It's a great opportunity for residents to become even more socially engaged and to meet new people. I'm especially looking forward to the water activities and the gym, as exercise is so important for maintaining good health,’ she says.
‘The clubhouse enables us to come up and have a cup of coffee, socialise if we want. Or simply have quiet time reading surrounded by other people. It promotes a great sense of community.’
In the groove with the Grove Singers
Monday, 22 July 2024
Written by Jessica Cordwell for Canberra Weekly.
The Grove Singers come together each week to sing at the retirement community to share their tunes with neighbours, friends and the broader community. It all started when a married couple who live at the village had the idea of starting a singing group and although neither knew how to play music they saw the value in it. Forming in 2020, the group started practising with a hired pianist.
Soon it was obvious the cost was unsustainable, so Renate, the conductress of The Grove Singers, offered to play, leaving the group without a conductor. Then Fay, a retired university lecturer came on board to play the piano.
An ever-growing repertoire
Since its inception, the group has acquired more than 300 songs in its repertoire, all of which were planned by Renate, who says the concert themes just come to her when she’s in bed. “I tell them what we’re singing and some of them say ‘I hate that song’ but by the time they’ve learned it, they love it,” says Renate. “Some of them say, ‘Do we have to sing that one, it’s too hard?’ My idea is to make it challenging so that each time their voices are improving.”
Originally practising for one hour once a week, the session gradually crept to two hours as the singers didn’t want it to end. Now, they get together in the village theatre every Wednesday and Sunday afternoon for two hours, perfecting the notes for their three major concerts a year and performances around the village.
Building community through song
Celebrating the festive season, the Grove Singers hit the community to spread Christmas cheer with their neighbours last year. The group’s core 25 singers started the carolling by visiting the marked destinations they sent to residents ahead of the day and their numbers grew with each stop. Led by people dressed as Santa, they handed out lyrics to the new recruits so everyone could join in. “By the time we got to the final spot we had easily 70 people following us and singing. Then we came in to the clubhouse, some brought family, some brought friends,” says Renate.
Sharing joy beyond the village community
After the concerts are performed in their retirement community, the singers head to the Isabella Gardens Retirement Village to share their fun with residents there. The word about the singers is spreading; from next year they will also tour the concerts to Goodwin Village in Farrer. The group usually sits at around 25 performers and varies depending on circumstances.
Boosting wellbeing through music
For occasions like Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, they sing songs that fit the theme; other times it’s the classics that might bring back memories. “All the medical research says that music is one of the best things for dementia because it brings back memories. They can relate to it, it has a lot of medical benefits,” says Renate. On occasion, the group will also take requests. “We have one lady who wanted us to sing Danny Boy because it reminded her of her dad and while we were singing, she cried the whole time. It means different things to different people,” she says.
The power of music
Knowing it’s important to have an active interest or hobby in retirement, Renate says she derives tremendous pleasure from her involvement in the group. “I had learned the piano and sang in school choirs, but I had never done any conducting and it’s opened a new door for me. It’s meant that I come, and I laugh, we laugh, we have fun, we joke; it’s opened a whole new avenue,” she says. Fay has also benefited from playing for the Grove Singers. “I hadn’t played the piano for 40 years until I came here. I bought a piano and tried to learn again … I have enjoyed playing,” smiles Fay.
Available for concerts in the broader community, the amateur group doesn’t charge for their performances.
