A generous $100,000 donation from a member of the Catholic community has helped turn a new, Northern Sydney house – a work of the Daughters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul - into a ‘real’ home for five women with disabilities.
Liana and Julie are two of the new residents of Leia’s Place. PHOTO: Seton Villa website/via Catholic Weekly.
Opened in mid-November, Leia’s Place in Ryde has been specially designed for women with intellectual disabilities and is part of a major $11 million asset redevelopment program by Seton Villa, which since 1966 has provided housing and supported independent living to women with disabilities. The program includes rebuilding five existing Seton Villa properties and purchasing two new suitable homes in the local community, enabling systematic redevelopment of all the houses.
To date, Seton Villa has completed three new homes: Rosalie’s Place, Jenny’s Place and, recently, Leia’s Place, which was named by one of its residents (a Star Wars fan!).
To help raise much-needed funds to fit out the purpose-built home and buy some of the essential items needed to provide the finishing touches, Seton Villa ran a special crowdfunding campaign called Homes for Life. It was a great success, with the charity receiving many generous donations, including the$100,000 donation. The major donor, who wishes to remain anonymous, said she was captivated by the vision of “turning houses into warm and welcoming homes”.
“We are delighted to have received this very significant donation and would like to thank everyone who donated. It’s so powerful and validating that people want to support our work at Seton Villa and the vision of independence and choice for people with disability. Philanthropy such as this will help us grow to support more and more people in our community to live their best lives,” said Seton Villa CEO, Peter Gardiner. “Funds raised by this crowdfunding campaign were to help turn the houses into comfortable and well-equipped homes – and Leia’s Place is a wonderful example. It’s a beautiful demonstration of Seton Villa’s commitment to building capacity and maximising independence and skills for the residents.”
Artist’s impression of the new purpose-built home. IMAGE: Supplied/via Catholic Weekly.
With its contemporary design, light-filled open-plan layout, comfortable couches, well-equipped kitchen (often with a batch of muffins or cakes in the oven!), and outdoor barbecue area, Leia’s Place looks and feels like a warm and welcoming home. And it has been specially designed and outfitted to cater to its residents’ needs while offering them greater independence and choice. Funds raised during the campaign went towards buying soft furnishings, kitchen appliances and specialised equipment including an electric hoist and Carendo shower chair.
Leia’s Place’s five residents moved in on November 15 and like the residents of Jenny’s Place and Rosalie’s Place, who moved into their homes in February this year, they are thrilled with their new home. Two of the five are enjoying increased independence, as they live in a two-bedroom ‘apartment’, which is incorporated under the same roofline as the main home and delivers on Seton Villa’s care model of ‘active support.’
In addition to creating an apartment within Leia’s Place, architects, Kennedy Associate Architects, took into consideration Seton Villa’s desire for a home that builds capacity and maximises independence and skills for residents and the residents’ current and future needs and meets the Specialist Disability Accommodate (SDA) Improved Liveability design standards.
And 2022 looks equally exciting. The fourth new home, Lavender Cottage, is currently being constructed, with residents scheduled to move in at the end of January. Seton Villa also has Development Applications in with the local Council for the fifth and sixth homes, with a view to commencing construction in the new year.