Social Capital in Letters
Social Capital in Letters
Three metres high, and rustic and rusty in appearance, there’s no missing these metal milestones in their high-traffic locations.
Villawood Properties’ giant corten steel letters, a patent signature of the developer, are a fixture of the Surf Coast Highway between Geelong and Torquay, viewed by tens of thousands of motorists every day. For many years, they graced the Geelong Ring Road high on its Wandana/Ceres hillside.
At first glance, the letters might be a little mystifying, but their messages are always thought-provoking, insightful, championing or socially supportive. And the message is always one that’s close to the heart of what drives Villawood – community.
Villawood giant letters are designed to provide a voice, a vehicle, to highlight issues of the day that might need a helping hand engaging the public.
To date, these included such messages as:
- Respect
- Consent
- Call It Out (domestic violence)
- You Can Talk (mental health)
- With Refugees
- Geelong City of Design
- Get Vaccinated
- Say Yes (marriage equality)
- Get Active
- Stay Surf Safe
- Wadawurrung Country
- Gobata Take Care (NAIDOC Week)
- Go Cats
- Welcome Home Gaz (Gary Ablett)
- For the Kids (Good Friday Appeal home auction)
- Employ Local
- Kids Need Play
- Arrive Alive (TAC, VicPol, CFA)
Right now, the letters are supporting community agency Meli’s Foster a Future campaign to recruit more foster parents to care for kids.
Meli operates the Poa Banyul community centre in Villawood’s Armstrong Mount Duneed hub. It is a vibrant and busy facility with kindergarten, maternal and child health services, family support consulting rooms and versatile community spaces.
Sited beside Villawood’s Club Armstrong, Mirripoa Primary School, Bunjil’s Nest district park and the Mount Duneed Village retail/community centre, it is a vital asset – just as its foster parent program is – to the community’s well-being.
If you think you can help, talk with Meli about its foster care program at www.meli.org.au/fostercare/make-a-foster-care-enquiry
In the meantime, keep an eye out for the next giant message coming your way. It might just help improve the life of someone you love.
