For many retirees, downsizing can bring a slower pace of life and new opportunities to pursue hobbies. For the residents of Anglicare’s Oran Park Village in Sydney’s south-west, it has also become an opportunity to make a meaningful difference in the lives of children experiencing hardship.
Inside the village’s woodworking workshop, known as the Mitre Joint, a dedicated group of residents spend their days handcrafting wooden toys for children fleeing domestic violence. From trains and tractors to doll beds complete with handmade sleeping bags, each toy is carefully built, painted and finished by hand.
At the heart of the project is 84-year-old resident Brian, who has called Oran Park Village home for the past 12 years.
Originally from South Africa, Brian migrated to Australia, where he raised his two children before meeting his wife later in life. When it came time to plan for retirement, the couple wanted somewhere that would offer both support and companionship.
“We decided a long time ago we needed somewhere comfortable, close to medical services, and with lots of friends around,” says 84-year-old Brian.
“And here, instead of five or six friends, you’ve now got 60 or 70 friends. We all know each other’s names, and we care for each other.”
Brian first discovered Anglicare’s Oran Park Village while accompanying family members to an open day.
“We went in there and had a look at the plans. And I was more intrigued than they were, so I put my deposit down then, and then they turned around and did the same thing,” he says.
Not long after moving in, Brian saw an opportunity to establish a workshop where residents could come together and share their woodworking skills.
“I spent my life playing with wood and woodwork and [making] toys, so I was quite interested to take it on. I was the president in the workshop for eight years,” says Brian.
The Mitre Joint initially made nesting boxes for local councils before partnering with humanitarian organisation Samaritan’s Purse to create toys for children overseas. However, Brian wanted to support children closer to home.
“When the family splits and the wife has got to take off, she grabs the kids and they go to a safe house. They don’t take any toys with them. They just grab their total essentials, and they might be there for quite a while,” says Brian.
“So we decided to help cover that and supply toys. It gives the kids something to do and something to own and take home.”
The workshop now produces around 40 to 50 toys each week, but the benefits extend far beyond the children receiving them.
“It’s a really good bunch of guys to get together, and it’s great because it’s camaraderie, and it gives the guys something to do. When they first come here, they’ve come out of a big house, big garden, and then suddenly they’ve come down to a smaller environment, and the men find they’ve got nothing to do,” says Brian.
“This gives them a little outlet to come out and do something, socialise and maybe have a bit of fun and talk about different things. Some of them have never done this stuff before, so we train them on the machinery. It’s good to spread the knowledge.”
For the residents of Oran Park Village, every toy represents more than just a gift. It is a reminder that retirement can be a time of purpose, friendship and giving back.
Images: Anglicare Oran Park
