It started over tea and cake between two neighbours — and nine months on, the Lions Park Burrill Lake Community-Led Project has grown into something the whole community has got behind. Now the team behind it wants you to be part of what comes next.
When Simi Chee moved in down the road from Laura Grabia, the two hit it off straight away. Laura has three girls, Simi has three boys, and they shared the same hopes for their corner of Burrill Lake. Morning beach jogs turned into brainstorming sessions, and one idea kept coming up: Lions Park was lovely, but it didn’t quite welcome everyone. A meeting with a local MP brought Emily Jenkins and Jaya Pimm into the fold, and four locals with overlapping dreams became a team, backed by the Lions Club of Ulladulla Milton Inc.
Since then, 863 locals have had their say in a community survey, a nature-inspired playground and dog off-leash area are taking shape as stage one, and a long wishlist — skate park, pump track, amphitheatre, fitness trail, bush tucker walk, community garden and more — is on the horizon.
Now the team wants to grow. “Over the past nine months, we’ve been blown away by the passion, ideas and support our community has shown for the project,” the team says. As it continues to grow, they’re after a collaborative, enthusiastic group of people to help bring the vision to life — whether you’ve got a few hours a month to spare or want to dive in more deeply.
No experience needed. They’d love to hear from people with a knack for any of the following:
- Taking meeting minutes and helping keep things organised
- Fundraising and sponsorship
- Grant writing and research
- Social media, photography or graphic design
- Event planning and community engagement
- Administration and communications
- Finance or bookkeeping
- Gardening, landscaping or environmental knowledge
- Building, trades or project management
- Working with local schools, sporting groups or community organisations
- General volunteers happy to help wherever needed
If any of that sounds like you, get in touch and let them know what skills you’d bring, what kind of tasks you’d enjoy, how much time you could realistically give, and any ideas you’d love to see happen at the park.
The project is proudly led through the Ulladulla Milton Lions Club, and new Lions members are just as welcome. Joining isn’t just about meetings — it’s about making a real difference, meeting good people and helping build lasting projects for the community. If you’ve ever wondered what Lions is about, this is a pretty good place to start.
Start here: email lions.park.burrill.lake@gmail.com, or call Laura on 0404 095 532 or Simi on 0418 623 009.