Shopping Around For Enjoyment
Published: 01 Mar 2014
Whether window shopping or actually buying, “retail therapy” can be an uplifting experience for most people.
For many individuals, it is simply about the enjoyment of mingling with others and observing passing parades of people in a vibrant community setting.
A group of residents at Glenrose Court are regular visitors to Burnside Village Shopping Centre on bus excursions that create a lot of joy and interaction. From buying necessities and banking to enjoying a quiet chat in the centre cafe, the shopping trips have had a positive impact on the lives and vitality of the residents.
Accompanied by volunteers Lyn Craig, Barb Field and Ron McKay-Smith, the residents visit the shopping centre twice a month, firstly enjoying morning tea together before dividing into groups for browsing or buying.
Glenrose Court Lifestyle & Volunteer Coordinator, Penny McCullough, said the group of about 15 took it in turns to go on the nine-seater bus.
“People in the village shops have got to know the residents who they call the Burnside Bus Group,” Penny said. “It is equally enjoyable for our residents because they look forward to visiting the centre and saying hello to the shopkeepers.
“Something as simple as a shopping trip means so much, and it is a glowing example of how we regularly encourage our residents to Live Every Day.”
The words of the Glenrose Court shoppers clearly reflect their enjoyment in the regular visits to Burnside Village.
Joy Zaharia said she loved the atmosphere of the centre and the opportunity to see latest fashions in clothes. Lesley Lamb enjoys selecting clothing items and asking other residents their opinion of her choices.
“It is also enjoyable just to be there observing people,” she added.
Val Secomb remembers the Burnside Village develop from a small centre and was a regular shopper there. “It is local and much better than being in the city,” she said.
Lilian Hardy was also an enthusiastic village shopper and enjoys her regular visits with the Burnside Bus Group. “I do a little bit of shopping, but it is as much about having an outing and meeting people,” she explained.
Other residents – including June Ranger, Jeff Grivell and Nellie Pinder – expressed similar sentiments about the joys of being able to wander around a colourful shopping environment to meet people and feel at home in the wider community.
