Aviation consultancy firm Airbiz gave Jesuit Social Services’ Bush Hut an early Christmas present last month, with 35 staff members volunteering their time to clean, repair, design and construct new facilities for the site.
AirBiz staff working at The Bush Hut.
The Bush Hut, located in Kew, is a heritage-listed house surrounded by native bushland. It is the base for The Outdoor Experience, a long-running program that facilitates outdoor adventure intervention experiences for vulnerable young people aged 15 to 25.
Every December, members of the Airbiz team from both Australia and New Zealand gather for a training workshop, these workshops always include a day volunteering their time to support a local community project or organisation – and The Bush Hut was the recipient last year.
Airbiz has supported Jesuit Social Services’ work previously, painting the interior of a half-way house in Nicholson Street. They have also help individuals impacted by the earthquake in Christchurch, bushfires and floods in rural Victoria.
Coordinator of The Outdoor Experience, Jenny Vran, says the Airbiz team completed a range of tasks both inside and out such as removing a fallen tree, mulching vegitation and pressure hosing the whole of the house.
The volunteers also repainted the garage which had been tagged, weeded garden plots and installed anti-slip treat on the Bush Hut’s outdoor decking area.
“We also needed to re-organise our storage shed where we store sea kayaks, and Airbiz were able to design and construct racks for us, as well as relocate our existing racks,” she says.
“The work Airbiz did for us has given a breath of fresh air to The Bush Hut, and we would like to thank Airbiz’s Managing Director, Greg Fordham and Volunteer Coordinator Hugh McKechnie for their help in arranging the day.
“Everyone at Jesuit Social Services is extremely appreciative for their generosity and support”.
