Sophie Conlon
Since unveiling a mural on the side of their clubrooms at the 2023 Penola Coonawarra Arts Festival, the South Australian Country Women’s Association (SACWA) Penola Terra Rossa branch have been working hard to revitalise and refresh the site.
Most recently the club unveiled an upgraded entrance, including a handrail and ramp for easier disability access and a defibrillator.
President Helen Zadow said the new access would benefit people with disability and the community as a whole.
“We do have one disabled member, and there is also one in a group who hires the hall so we thought we would do it to help them out and the hall is hired quite regularly too,” she said.
The construction was completed by a local builder and supported through grant funding by the Wattle Range Council.
Ms Zadow said they decided to install a defibrillator with grant support from SA Health as there were not many around that part of town.
“It’s always sort of been on our list and it can service the Mary MacKillop Centre and the school and so forth too until it becomes law to have one everywhere,” she said.
Along the way the group also installed new benches in their courtyard and painted the hall and Ms Zadow said the whole process had smartened the site up.
Secretary Angela Winter said having the refreshed facilities available supported the community.
“It’s just another way that we try and contribute to the community, that’s what we do,” she said.
“We make sure there’s facilities for the community, whether it’s the defib or the hall that people use, it’s just there for the community.”
So far Ms Zadow said they had had wonderful feedback on the renovations with people writing letters of thanks to the club.
The SACWA Penola Terra Rossa branch meets on the second Tuesday of each month from 7pm at their clubrooms, corner Portland and Young Streets, Penola, and new members are always warmly welcomed.
