From Playgroup to Community Pillars

19 May 2025
From Playgroup to Community Pillars

Lou and Len Turner at the Hackham Community Centre.
When Lou Turner began taking her grand-daughter to the local playgroup, she never expected to still be there almost two decades later.
Together with husband Len, the couple have been volunteering at Junction’s Hackham Community Centre for almost 30 years between them.
“I came here when my grand-daughter was two and then I took the other grandchildren too,” Lou, 63, said. “I didn’t want it to end.”
"I loved it here, so I decided to volunteer.”
Soon after, Len joined her.
“Sometimes when I came in to pick Lou up, they would ask me to help with the garden, move furniture or hang a picture,” Len said. “They kept asking me to volunteer so I eventually did. Lou seemed to love it so I thought I might like it too.”
Lou’s volunteering mainly involves helping out with administration and sorting donations while Len is a “jack of all trades.”
“I mainly do gardening and maintenance,” the 70-year-old said. “I fix a lot of broken toys.”
“When I started, there was this one boy who wasn’t connected with his Dad. I was hanging some shelving and he sat with me and asked if he could help. So, I got him to pass things to me and you could see how special it was to him.”
Since Lou and Len started volunteering, the world – and the Community Centre – has changed significantly.
“When we first attended playgroup there was six or seven families,” Lou said.
“Now there’s about 400 people (at the Centre) each week for different programs. Recently we had 60 children at a playgroup.”
"Seeing it made me realise how far this place has come from those early days.”
Junction CEO Maria Palumbo said Junction was fortunate to have around a dozen volunteers supporting its work across housing and community services.
“Our volunteers complement our workforce adding different perspectives, experience and knowledge,” Maria said.
She described Lou and Len as stalwarts of the organisation and community.
“We cannot thank them enough,” Maria said. “The positive impact they have on our staff and the people we work with is immense.”
Lou said volunteering enabled her to stay connected with community.
“I’ve had health issues but Len knows there are people here to help me if I need it,” she said. “We’ve both found it a safe place to be. It’s a gift in many ways.”
Len agreed. “I certainly feel useful,” he said. “We get a lot out of it too.”
This week is National Volunteer Week, taking place from May 19 to 25.
To find out more about Volunteering with Junction, visit: junctionaustralia.org.au/volunteer/