Residents from four different Keyton retirement villages gather for a xmas celebration at the Elliot Gardens in South Australia...Photography Jeremy Piper.

Four villages and a party

Monday, 29 January 2024

Four Keyton retirement villages across South Australia came together to celebrate their joined community.

It’s already fun when residents of one retirement community come together - but try having 4 villages in one spot and you will definitely have a party!

That's what happened when the residents of Townsend Park, Trinity Green, Elliot Gardens, and Vermont Estate got together for their annual '4 villages and a party' event.

A new tradition in the making

It was 2022 when the village managers of the 4 communities across South Australia came together to brainstorm ideas. The mission: Bring the residents and staff members of the villages together so they can get to know each other and build better relationships. That's when the fantastic idea of ‘4 Villages and a Party’ emerged.

Elliot Gardens was this year's host

With the event going into its second year, it was Elliot Garden’s turn to host the festivities. The event started with various activities involving sports like Pétanque, outdoor bowls, pickleball, croquet, and darts. The residents also participated in a snowman and line dancing competition.

The residents of the four villages having fun

The snowman competition was judged by three primary school boys. Vicki, Village Manager at Elliot Gardens, recalls, “I had asked Nathan, our CEO, to present the cup for the overall winning village for the snowman and line dancing competitions but the kids trumped him and were begging to hand over the trophy. I also had them hand out the prizes to the people who won all the other activities. They loved it and thought it was hilarious that one of the prizes was a roll of “I don’t give a crap” toilet paper.”

Pam Pudney, Village Manager at Townsend Park, concludes, “The day went so quickly. The residents loved seeing one another. For me, the highlight was the competitiveness between the villages, especially those with a team in every event."

The event was a big success with everyone involved and the residents are already looking forward to next year's instalment of '4 villages and a party.'

For more information about the lifestyle and support offered at our retirement villages, call our customer service team on 1800 550 550 or send us an email here.

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