1 Aug 25 - Resident stories
A passion for giving back
Lesley and Doug Hutchinson spent their youth living just two kilometres apart, but it took a chance meeting at a friend’s party in 1969 to bring them together. Now married for 54 years the couple were the first to move into Summerset Cranbourne North, making them the very first residents of Summerset Australia!
“We were the only ones here for the first six weeks,” says Doug. “It suited us fine as Lesley was recovering from cancer treatment and she needed peace and quiet. We were so well looked after by the village manager and property manager, they checked in on us often, making sure we had everything we needed.”
In 2010 the couple had relocated to Cranbourne North from nearby Mulgrave, to be closer to their daughter, who had had a health scare. When this reoccurred in 2023, they sold their large four-bedroom house, with its expansive lawns, and moved into a villa that became available just five minutes away from their daughter’s home. The timing was right, and the location ideal.
What particularly drew them to the village was the on-site aged care - a rare offering. “Aged care is the selling point,” says Doug. “We knew people whose partner had to go into care and they could be living three or four suburbs away, but here it’s on-site. If one of us needs it, we will only be 100m from each other.”
Their daughter, now back at work and still undergoing treatment, continues to benefit from their nearby support. The experience has brought the family even closer. With ten grandchildren spread across Japan, regional Victoria, and locally, staying connected has always been a priority.
Though retired, the pair’s days are anything but idle. A former home economics and textiles teacher, Lesley has poured her passion for sewing into volunteering for Backpacks 4 Vic Kids, a charity that provides for children entering emergency and foster care.
“The bags have several changes of clothes, toiletries, school stationery and lunchbox supplies, a soft toy and a blanket each,” says Lesley. Social workers wrap the blanket around the child first, then give them the cuddly toy. “The social workers often report that that is when the children first start to relax and feel safe.”
Lesley has repurposed their spare bedroom into a sewing room, and it is a hive of activity, and material. She crafts everything from nappy bags for infants to rugged, yet soft “monster dolls” for older boys who find solace in something to hold — or throw — in moments of frustration.
“Our granddaughter Caitlyn introduced me to the charity when she was earning her community service badge for Scouts and volunteered her sewing skills,” Lesley says. “I had taught her to sew and went along with her. I have been sewing for them now for eight years. It has become my happy obsession.”
During lockdown, she made hundreds of items, and with each nappy bag taking around four and a half hours to make she often sewed two a day, while Doug did the cooking. Much of the material comes from donations, including offcuts from a curtain factory she has connections with.
Even within their village, Lesley and Doug help fundraise for the charity. By ongoing collecting bottles and cans for the 10-cent deposit, since March they raised have $141 for the organisation, with the help of neighbours. Op shops also contribute books, clothing and toys to include in the backpacks, and fabrics (thank you Fenna).
Meanwhile, Doug, a former business manager and Venture Scouts leader, is committed to supporting his local Men’s Shed where he serves as secretary. The group, originally created around men’s health and wellbeing, has become a vital space for social connection, especially for retirees and widowers.
“Men don’t tend to talk face to face - they talk side by side,” Doug says. Whether it’s working on a woodworking project, trying their hand at blacksmithing, or simply sharing coffee and biscuits, the Shed offers companionship and conversation.
Arthritis means Doug no longer crafts the miniature wooden cars he once made for the backpack charity, but he remains deeply engaged with the Shed’s mission. “Some men are dealing with overwhelming medical issues. Just having a chat while doing something with your hands makes a huge difference.”
The Summerset Cranbourne North village has grown considerably since the Hutchinson’s first moved in, and has a happy, supportive atmosphere.
“We have a lot of fun,” Lesley says, “For the Melbourne Cup we had a fascinator-making session and then wore them on race day, there’s been village sports events and seasonal celebrations.” Doug agrees. “We jumped at this village. We don’t live in one another’s pockets, but we all look after each other here. We have made a lot of friends new since coming here.”
This is an article from the Volume Two of our Summerset Scene magazine