The Give Where You Live Foundation is excited to announce it has successfully purchased ‘The Paddock,’ a seven-acre farm in Leopold, which was previously owned and run by Encompass Community Services.
Meg Price, Acting CEO, Give Where You Live Foundation said the Foundation was very proud to confirm the purchase of The Paddock, which sees the property retained as a community asset.
“The Give Where You Live Foundation exists to create a fairer community, where all people and all places thrive. The Paddock has been a much-loved community asset for over 15 years, providing a unique setting for people of all abilities to explore new experiences and learn new skills, in areas of horticulture, grounds maintenance and cooking.”
“The Foundation’s decision to purchase The Paddock strongly aligns with our goal to build community assets and support learning and employment pathway opportunities, particularly for people facing barriers. We’re proud that the time, money, effort and commitment the community has put into The Paddock will be retained and built upon.”
“It has been wonderful to see so many of the people who were previously accessing The Paddock excited to be back, reconnecting and maintaining the property while the Foundation works to explore all options for the future of The Paddock over the coming months,” she said.
The Foundation will explore further models of operation and potential new opportunities for the Paddock over the coming months. The Foundation will be seeking to broaden the connection the community, local businesses and additional service providers have with the property and increase access and inclusion to this incredible community asset.
“We’re looking forward to engaging with a range of stakeholders over the coming months as we plan the next phase of The Paddock.”
“We would like to thank the community for their continued support of the Foundation, the feedback we have received on our decision to purchase The Paddock has been overwhelmingly positive and we’re incredibly proud of this outcome,” Meg added.