By Derek Schlennstedt
Cire Community School in Mt Evelyn is offering a new service to help mow, and clean people’s yards and gardens.
The service is part of a year-long business-building venture run by VCAL students at the community school and focuses on helping disadvantaged and elderly people who are unable to do their own yard work.
The service is part of a new school program that runs over four terms and culminates in students understanding what’s required to run a business, according to Ashley Kirkwood, VCAL teacher at Cire Community School.
“The first term is how to run a business, and then term two and three they run the business themselves.
“In term four they do all the paperwork and decide which charity they are going to give the money raised to,” he said.
“It gives them the skills to run their own business, how to deal with customers, phone skills … really a taste of how a small business runs.”
The Year 10, 11 and 12 VCAL students will assist in cleaning up, removing branches, mowing and whipper-snipping around the yard.
A healthcare card is the only requirement and for $40 the students from Mt Evelyn’s Cire Community School will lend their skills and talents to help landowners clean-up their yards for over an hour.
Mr Ashley Kirkwood said the service was aimed at helping those people in the local community who found yard work difficult, or were unable to do their own.
“It’s giving back to the community and helps to give those people who are unable to do their own yard work a hand in life,” he said.
All the money earned by the students is donated to a charity of their choice at the end of the year.
To find out more, landowners in the areas of Lilydale, Mt Evelyn and Mooroolbark can contact Cire Community School on 0456 656 274.
