More than 50 volunteers from the Halikos Group rolled up their sleeves and blitzed the Frontier Services Respite Options for Senior Territorians (ROST) All the volunteers at the Halikos Group working beecentre in Darwin on Sunday, 29 July.

Community Care Manager Pauline Wardle said the volunteers, which included a whole soccer team from the Darwin Olympic Sporting Club, transformed the centre in just a couple of hours.

The volunteers painted the inside of the building and an outdoor gazebo, put plants in the garden, tidied the garden shed and completed many other tasks.

“You could really see the change before the working bee and after,” Ms Wardle said. “It was fabulous. I came away buzzing.”

The Darwin Olympic Sporting Club soccer team, for which John Halikos is a major sponsor, spent the morning working at the centre and then went on to play their soccer game.

Frontier Services is one of the charities which The Halikos Group has chosen to support this year by raising funds and by giving their time to physically lend a hand.

ROST Darwin Coordinator Jane Darwin Olympic soccer players on the jobMcQuade said she was very grateful for the support of The Halikos Group and said their efforts would brighten the day of the clients who use the centre.

ROST provides day-time respite for carers of frail elderly people, people with dementia and other cognitive and behavioural disorders and younger people with a disability. Each day, clients attend the ROST centre in Darwin and another centre in Driver, taking part in games, gardening, outings and other stimulating activities. ROST also operates at two centres in Alice Springs.

Frontier Services is The ROST backyard after the blitz very grateful for all those who volunteered on the day and for the invaluable support of The Halikos group.

Many thanks also to the businesses that supplied materials for the working bee including:

• Allora Garden Nursery donated plants
• Harvey Norman Commercial donated a microwave
• Resort Interiors gave $200 cash
• Smeg Appliances donated a dishwasher
• Veolia Environmental Services provided a 9m Skip and dump fees
• Wayne Zerbe and the Around Palmerston crew filming on the dayWattyl Trade Paint Centre donated up to 200 Litres of paint.

Find out more about The Halikos Group.