Levande Village Life... Castle Ridge

As a beacon of innovation in lifestyle living, Levande isn't just a workplace; it's a movement towards creating vibrant communities. What is life like in one of our retirement communities? We meet with Allis Petith, Senior Village Manager extraordinaire at our Castle Hill village, Castle Ridge...

What's the best thing about working at Castle Ridge Village?

The sense of community at Castle Ridge is really special. People often comment on there being a really nice “vibe” to the village whenever they visit. The village and the resident body are really optimistic and excited for the renewal project currently underway to even further enhance our community.

What are some of your residents' favourite activities?

Its hard to go past “Margaret's Movie Monday Matinee” held every week in the Clubhouse. A group of roughly 10 ladies enjoy a movie with a few snacks followed by a discussion and a quiz, it’s a fantastic activity. They recently celebrated their 3rd anniversary, that’s over 150 movies!? ?

What does a day in the life in Castle Ridge Village/ Role include?

I start with catch up with the team and reviewing anything that has come through overnight to get a feel for what the day has in store and what my priorities are for the day. There will be a few catch ups with residents throughout the day, some often just to tell you a joke or to drop in some fresh muffins to try. Maintaining a safe and enjoyable village for all is an important part of the role, so each day I walk around a different section of the village to not only wave to a few residents along the way, but to keep an eye out for any hazards or areas of improvement. We have a strong network of village managers throughout Levande, so it is common to connect and collaborate on any shared challenges we may be facing on finding a great solution. Our support services teams are also there to help whenever we need it, such as contract services and accounting, there is always somebody happy to support you to drive great outcomes for our residents.

Tell us your favourite resident story?

When I first started at Castle Ridge, one of my first interactions with the residents was at a management meeting where I presented an update on things like financials and maintenance projects. I was quite nervous about the presentation as I still didn’t know the residents very well at this stage and hoped they would respond positively to me. At the end of the presentation, I nervously asked if there were any questions and the room was quiet until one resident, Grahame stood up. Grahame said “Well Allis, we have all decided to give you a nickname” and I thought to myself ohhh no, this isn’t good, what could this be about?. He said “We are calling you SUNSHINE!”. The entire room of residents then proceeded to sing “you are our sunshine, our only sunshine, you make us happy when skies are grey…”. ?It was a moment I’ll cherish forever.

At Levande, we are always looking for our next "Sunshine" Village Manager. Imagine making a real difference in people's lives every day. If you're ready to contribute to a vibrant, caring community, we want to hear from you. Please visit our careers website to explore new opportunities https://www.levande.com.au/careers-at-levande/