Small steps make a big difference

22 August 2022

Colin* was an avid gardener all his life and was very upset when, due to health complications, he was unable to get down to his own backyard from his house. His garden was down some steep stairs that he was no longer able to navigate.

In a conversation with his Trust Officer, he mentioned that he was saddened that he couldn’t get to his garden anymore. The Trust Officer spoke with Colin and his support network and arranged for a Building Inspector to come out to Colin’s house to do an assessment.

The assessment came back noting that the stairs from the house to the garden were unsafe and a pergola and a retaining wall required some work to ensure that they were also safe for Colin. Talking with Colin and his support network, the Trust Officer got approval to make the necessary repairs to Colin’s backyard.

The pergola was removed, and a small verandah was put in for Colin instead. His stairs were also made accessible so that he could easily and safely move between his house and the backyard.

Colin was thrilled that he was able to access his garden again and look after his plants.