DWG Refurbishment

After the Refurbishment

All good ideas need others to propogate them; all groups need individuals to join them and all journeys begin with a few first, small steps. When the team that took on operation turn-around began the transformation of Baker House from the utilitarian, drab, unequipped and cold environment it was into the wonderfully warm, rich and embracing series of rooms you encounter today, full of professional equipment, we had relatively few members, little money and not a whole lot of commitment within the general member body, which was due to all kinds of external factors, but was primarily a result of the ageing of a demographic body brought in on the last oil boom. What we were facing, on the other hand, was the beginnings of what was to be an influx of a far more diverse and multi-cultural society from the next oil boom, complete with kids. 

But little were we concerned with history at the time, what we needed was a community, and the way to go about creating such a community was through working with what we had: a wonderful structure which was in great need of refurbishment, a need to make it a welcoming space for women and their families. Strategically, we changed policies and procedures, practically, we changed the space through fabrics and furnishings, with enormous and continued help and commitment from Recreation, which undertook all the major, structural changes required on our behalf, and Gardening, which took over the gardens for us, and huge thanks and appreciation go to both of them. 

The first room to be tackled was what is now the childrens’ room, and thanks to the generosity of those who believed in the project, we had raised some funds from a dinner to tackle it. For me, it marked a huge transition, and I remember how, when faced with the blank, white canvas that was the walls, I saw many faces that pitied me and this initial endeavour. However, like Tom Sawyer, it began with just one thing: 

Our first red crab: a Tom Sawyer moment - thank you Seonaid and Mandy

a large red crab that adorned the wall, and with the help of friends and artists who were roped in, we began painting part of a wall, and then suddenly a whole wall was full of vibrant, colourful murals, and people stopped just walking by, but actually stopped – and offered to help. By the end, a total of 18 people had contributed huge time and effort to the wall, many of whom had never painted anything before. 

The Children's Room with Murals painted by our Community

For me, it was symbolic of all the efforts put in by the community to transform this facility, to make it their own, and that is what we must always focus upon. It is our community and our efforts which make it so. The women who came and contributed their time and energy to Baker House became our first community, and from there, we were able to reach out and bring in more, and from then on, more and more happened. 

Before: Big Room

After: Big Room

Before: Stage

After: Stage

Through working together, we bonded, we became more than we could ever be as individuals, learned more, grew more, began celebrating our diverse and multi-cultural identities within a warm, accepting and embracing community. 

I salute you, one and all, current members of the DWG, and thank you for your continued participation for it is that which renews community life for us all. We all move on, sooner or later, our legacy is to leave behind a community that is just that little bit better or happier or more learned because of what we did within it. Each individual contributes, even if all you do is simply show up: without each person simply showing up, we’d have no community to celebrate, now, or in the future. 

Congratulations on your 65th anniversary, here’s to many, many more happy birthdays!

The playroom in action