Advertisement

Hope for Rosella House residents

Hope for Rosella House residents

The Hope Springs Community Farm will soon be sprouting with vitality as residents of Rosella House get cracking on their new premises.

The revitalised premises will aim to reintegrate people who have suffered substance abuse, with members in the local community, including farmers and others with expertise in permaculture.

The plan is to eventually have a self-sufficient community enterprise, which would sell seeds, seedlings and wood products to the greater community.

“It’s a therapeutic community branched off the Rosella House establishment, which focuses on permaculture and seedlings and seed production and items made from wood and timber on the farm, ” clinical manager Larry Williamson said.

“We work on a therapeutic community model, so community is our prime method of creating change.

“People live together, cook and work together and go through the pressures of life in a natural setting without the use of substances which allows them to deal with anger management and learn to cope with everyday tasks.”

Mr Williamson said there was a big need for community engagement, such as what the farm offered, with substance abuse on the rise in Geraldton.

“We all know there is a methamphetamine explosion of use here, ” he said.

“We have even noticed in our residents, the percentage of alcohol versus methamphetamine cases has turned around. It used to be 80 per cent of our clients suffering from alcohol abuse and 20 per cent from other substances.

But now we are finding 80 per cent of residents suffered methamphetamine abuse and 20 per cent were other substances, so there is a massive need for this in our community especially when you see how it can disrupt the family culture.”

He said the farm was in its infancy stage, but there were plans to construct accommodation for residents on the farm, as well as possibilities to sell produce.

“We are starting to incorporate local farmers and volunteering our time on their farms to help with weed reduction, assisting and helping maintain their farms, ” Mr Williamson said.

“We are gathering seeds at this stage and we also have people advising us about community development to possibly start some profitable ventures on the farm which could be beneficial to community and residents.”