Celebrating Bayley House volunteers at the EcoCentre

Volunteers from Bayley House have established a solid connection with the St Kilda EcoCentre.

They can be found there most weeks, where they work alongside the local team and other volunteers to help care for the gardens and support the site.

Their last visit was particularly meaningful as it marked the end of National Volunteers Week. This was a chance to be recognised for the important contribution made by volunteering at the EcoCentre.

Our volunteers have become a vital part of the community there, helping with practical, hands on jobs across the site. This has included building garden beds, moving heavy materials, digging, planting and preparing the grounds around the new building.

The volunteers have also helped establish and plant the EcoCentre’s community vegetable garden. Each week, they enjoy the fruits (or plants) of their labour by taking part in the garden to plate volunteers lunch. They have also propagated and grown native plants to help regenerate the penguin habitat at the new St Kilda Pier as well as being part of the EcoCentre’s exciting new chapter. The team assisted with the move from the temporary EcoCentre at the Cora Graves Community Centre into the new building and supported landscaping before the site officially opened.

The group recently joined the EcoCentre team during Parks Victoria’s community planting day, helping with native planting and spreading mulch. It was a busy morning, with everyone working together to support the new garden spaces. They were then invited to the National Volunteers Week lunch hosted by the EcoCentre. This was a great chance for the Bayley House volunteers to be recognised by their peer community and thanked for the role they play each week.

Volunteering at the EcoCentre creates opportunities to connect with others, contribute to a shared purpose and take pride in meaningful work. Some have even introduced their own family members to volunteering there, showing how community connection can grow well beyond a single program.

This was a wonderful reminder that volunteering is not just about giving time. It is about connection, respect and belonging.