Gilgandra Lifestyles

15/09/2025

🌸 Cooee Lodge Turns 40 – What a Celebration! 🌸

We couldn’t have asked for a more perfect spring day to celebrate Cooee Lodge’s 40th Birthday on Saturday, 13 September! ☀️🌼

It was wonderful to see so many friends, families, and community members come together to mark this special milestone. Guests enjoyed delicious food, refreshing mocktails from Frothy Filly, barista coffees from The Coffee Cart, a walk down memory lane – revisiting the history of the Cooee Lodge, and entertainment from Maxine and Alana - with a tune from our very own Cooee Lodge staff! 🎶

We were also delighted to welcome Jamie Chaffey and his wife, with Jamie joining us as a guest speaker on the day. 💛

Thank you to everyone who joined us to celebrate 40 wonderful years of care, connection, and community at Cooee Lodge - it was a fantastic day enjoyed by all. 🎉

12/09/2025

COOEE LODGE MEMORIES - DO YOU REMEMBER? 📷

40 years of stories, laughter, and connection – thank you to everyone who has been part of Cooee Lodge’s journey. Share your memories with us! 🥰

Join us for more memories as we celebrate 40 Years at Cooee Lodge tomorrow from 10.30am - 1.30pm!

11/09/2025

COOEE LODGE MEMORIES - DO YOU REMEMBER? 📷

Cooee Lodge has been a place of care, comfort, and connection for four decades. Share your favourite memory in the comments! 💛

Join us for more memories as we celebrate 40 Years at Cooee Lodge this Saturday, 13 September 2025, from 10.30am - 1.30pm!

11/09/2025

🎉 ONLY A FEW DAYS TO GO – COOEE LODGE TURNS 40! 🎉

This Saturday, 13 September, we’re celebrating 40 wonderful years of Cooee Lodge Hostel – and the whole community is invited! 💛

🕥 10:30am – 1:30pm
📍 Cooee Lodge Hostel, 2 Townsend Drive

What’s on:
🫖 Morning tea & light refreshments
☕ Coffee cart
🍹 The Frothy Filly mocktails
🎶 Entertainment
🎨 Face painting for the kids
🎂 Birthday cake
💛 Plus the chance to share memories with past & present residents, families, and staff.

For more info or to RSVP, call 6817 8744.

Don’t miss this free community celebration – we can’t wait to see you there!

10/09/2025

COOEE LODGE MEMORIES - DO YOU REMEMBER? 📷

So many special moments have happened here over the decades! Which memories does this photo bring back for you? 🥰

Join us for more memories as we celebrate 40 Years at Cooee Lodge this Saturday, 13 September 2025, from 10.30am - 1.30pm!

09/09/2025

COOEE LODGE MEMORY LANE - DO YOU REMEMBER? 📷

Cooee Lodge has been part of our community for 40 wonderful years. Take a look back at some of the memories shared by residents, families, and staff. 💛

09/09/2025

⏰ COOEE LODGE TURNS 40 THIS SATURDAY! 🎉

We’re celebrating 40 years of care, comfort & connection at Cooee Lodge Hostel, and you’re invited to join the festivities! 💛

📅 Saturday, 13 September 2025
🕥 10:30am – 1:30pm
📍 Cooee Lodge Hostel

Enjoy a morning tea with:
🫖 Light refreshments
☕ Coffee cart (thanks to Jenny Sandford)
🍹 The Frothy Filly mocktails
🎶 Entertainment & face painting for the kids
🎂 Birthday cake
💛 Plus the chance to share memories with past & present residents, families, and staff.

For more information or to RSVP, call 6817 8744 or visit the staff at the Gil Care Connect at 41 Miller Street.

Come along and help us make this milestone celebration one to remember!

01/09/2025

🎉 COOEE LODGE TURNS 40! 🎉

We’re excited to share that Cooee Lodge is celebrating 40 wonderful years of caring for our community! For four decades, Cooee Lodge has been a place of comfort and connection for many families, and now it’s time to celebrate together! 💛

📅 Saturday, 13 September 2025
🕥 10:30am – 1:30pm
📍 Cooee Lodge Hostel

Enjoy a wonderful day of entertainment, light refreshments, and sharing memories with family and friends.

For more information or to RSVP, contact Cooee Lodge on 6817 8744.

Come along and be part of this special celebration – we’d love to see you there! 🥳

27/08/2025

⭐🚗 NATIONAL MEALS ON WHEELS DAY! 🚗⭐

This National Meals on Wheels Day, Gilgandra is celebrating the local volunteers, customers and community members who make it all possible - highlighting the vital role this service continues to play in the lives of people across our region.

Join us in saying Thankyou! to these dedicated volunteers, who know their community best! ☺️

Each day in Gilgandra, Meals on Wheels volunteers hit the road to deliver freshly prepared meals and check in on customers. These daily visits offer more than nutrition, they offer reassurance, connection and assist people to live independently in their own homes.

Join us in making a difference – volunteer, donate or spread the word this National Meals on Wheels Day!

To learn more about Meals on Wheels in Gilgandra, and how you can be involved, contact Gil Care Connect on 6817 8750 or follow the link below 👇
https://www.gilgandralifestyles.com.au/Community-Care/Services

17/08/2025

🥕 MICK'S GREEN THUMB @ COOEE LODGE 🥕

Mick has put his green thumb to work, harvesting a wonderful crop of carrots from his garden at Cooee Lodge.

Gardening is not only a rewarding activity but also a great way to enjoy the outdoors and stay active. Mick’s hard work and care have certainly paid off. Well done, Mick!

07/08/2025

💕 AGED CARE EMPLOYEE DAY 💕

This Aged Care Employee Day, Thursday 7 August, we say a heartfelt to the incredible people who work with dedication, compassion and resilience to support older residents in our community.

From care teams to support staff, our people are the backbone of Gilgandra Lifestyles, enriching lives every day with kindness, respect and professionalism.

Thank you for all that you do – not just today, but every day!
Ageing Australia

11/06/2025

Gilgandra Shire Council have taken home the Highly Commended Award at the 2025 NSW Local Government Excellence Awards, for their project ‘Future-Proofing Aged Care and Disability Services in Gilgandra’!

📢 MEDIA RELEASE: FUTURE-PROOFING AGED CARE AND DISABILITY SERVICES IN GILGANDRA 📢

Gilgandra Shire Council (GSC) have taken home the Highly Commended Award at the 2025 NSW Local Government (LG NSW) Excellence Awards, for their project ‘Future-Proofing Aged Care and Disability Services in Gilgandra’.

On Thursday, 5 June 2025, Director Aged Care and Disabilities Donna Dobson, Cr Nick White and Executive Assistant Julie Prout attended the LG NSW Awards Dinner as category finalists for the Special Project Initiative – Under 50k Population category.

The highly commended project was a result of workforce skills shortage and difficulty recruiting in our regional and remote location, impacting on Gilgandra Lifestyles’ and Orana Living’s ability to recruit and retain staff. The consistent vacant positions in an already difficult to fill industry was further overstretched by the Royal Commission enforcing the requirement for staff ratios.

GSC took the initiative to look beyond borders and partnered with Groworx, a skilled workforce solutions company for Healthcare Providers to assist in providing a staffing solution. After months of preparations, Gilgandra welcomed the arrival of 16 care workers from the Philippines in late 2023 and early 2024 to start their employment with GSC’s Aged Care and Disability Services. The staff were a mix of overseas trained registered nurses and care workers, arriving on student visas and in the final stages of completing a certificate III in Aged Care with an Australian training organisation.

Director Aged Care & Disabilities, Donna Dobson, says,

“This partnership with Groworx and recruitment of new staff from Philippines has been remarkable, not only in terms of financial outlay, but also in the service, program and procedures delivery across our Aged Care and Disability services. The full complement of staff has also met our legislative requirements, ensuring our services provide the level of care our clients expect and deserve."

To read the full Media Release, please visit Council's website 👉 https://www.gilgandra.nsw.gov.au/News/Media-Releases/Future-Proofing-Aged-Care-and-Disability-Services-in-Gilgandra