Evelyn Ridge mum one in a million
When Lynne Dickson’s son Allen put her forward for a special Mother’s Day edition of Who Wants to be a Millionaire in 2005, she thought her chances of even appearing on the show were one in a million.
But Lynne’s commitment to being a mum – to seven children, including a foster child - saw her chosen to appear on the show and she went on to win a share of $125,000 with her son Allen.
For Lynne, the winnings provided a timely opportunity to make the move to retirement living and so, a little over two years ago, she relocated from her family house in Hallam to Evelyn Ridge, one of Lend Lease Primelife’s premier retirement resorts located in Mount Evelyn.
“My son and I split the prize money but I knew immediately what I wanted to do with my share,” Lynne said.
“Five of my family groups live in the Mount Evelyn area so my decision to move was driven mainly by the fact that I wanted to live closer to them – having my family network close by is something that has always been important to me.”
Not only did the move to Evelyn Ridge allow Lynne to spend more time with her seven children, 10 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, it has also freed up time to do more of the things she has always loved doing.
“When I made the move it was a big change as I had worked in the same school in Endeavour Hills for more than 22 years. I managed to settle into life at Evelyn Ridge quickly and now I’m busier than ever,” Lynne said.
“I’m a member of the local church in Croydon, I play tennis twice a week with the Mt Evelyn Tennis Club, I volunteer in the canteen at my grandchild’s school and I also teach two classes of Christian Religious Education on a voluntary basis at the local state school.
“The Mount Evelyn community has certainly been very welcoming and Evelyn Ridge is a glorious place to live.”
Lynne also plays a big role in the Evelyn Ridge community where she is part of the Residents Advisory Committee and Social Committee.
“I was convinced from a young age that retirement living was the way to go. Both my parents and my grandparents lived in retirement communities and were very happy so I was well aware of the wonderful benefits of this kind of lifestyle,” she said.
“I did a lot of research into the retirement living options available but when I saw Evelyn Ridge I knew it was where I wanted to live.
“My villa is certainly the nicest house I have ever lived in - it’s very spacious and modern and I immediately liked the fact that Evelyn Ridge offered me the freedom to lock up and go on holiday knowing that everything will be secure and the garden cared for.
“My children were also very pleased – they’re happy knowing that I’m part of a great community of people who are always looking out for me.”
Evelyn Ridge is ideally located on Clegg Road, Mount Evelyn, close to the Yarra Valley but within easy reach of Melbourne.
Stage 1 of the facility’s state-of-the-art new Community Centre has now been completed with café, bar, gymnasium, library, dance floor, lounge areas, craft room, pool table, and a fully equipped caterers kitchen all now available for residents to enjoy. The bowling green is fully commissioned and begin utilised by both residents and visiting bowls groups.
On completion, the $4 million Community Centre project will also include an outdoor bowling green, putting green, indoor heated swimming pool and spa, pampering centre, visiting professional suites as well as a resource centre.
Evelyn Ridge mum one in a million
When Lynne Dickson’s son Allen put her forward for a special Mother’s Day edition of Who Wants to be a Millionaire in 2005, she thought her chances of even appearing on the show were one in a million.
But Lynne’s commitment to being a mum – to seven children, including a foster child - saw her chosen to appear on the show and she went on to win a share of $125,000 with her son Allen.
For Lynne, the winnings provided a timely opportunity to make the move to retirement living and so, a little over two years ago, she relocated from her family house in Hallam to Evelyn Ridge, one of Lend Lease Primelife’s premier retirement resorts located in Mount Evelyn.
“My son and I split the prize money but I knew immediately what I wanted to do with my share,” Lynne said.
“Five of my family groups live in the Mount Evelyn area so my decision to move was driven mainly by the fact that I wanted to live closer to them – having my family network close by is something that has always been important to me.”
Not only did the move to Evelyn Ridge allow Lynne to spend more time with her seven children, 10 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, it has also freed up time to do more of the things she has always loved doing.
“When I made the move it was a big change as I had worked in the same school in Endeavour Hills for more than 22 years. I managed to settle into life at Evelyn Ridge quickly and now I’m busier than ever,” Lynne said.
“I’m a member of the local church in Croydon, I play tennis twice a week with the Mt Evelyn Tennis Club, I volunteer in the canteen at my grandchild’s school and I also teach two classes of Christian Religious Education on a voluntary basis at the local state school.
“The Mount Evelyn community has certainly been very welcoming and Evelyn Ridge is a glorious place to live.”
Lynne also plays a big role in the Evelyn Ridge community where she is part of the Residents Advisory Committee and Social Committee.
“I was convinced from a young age that retirement living was the way to go. Both my parents and my grandparents lived in retirement communities and were very happy so I was well aware of the wonderful benefits of this kind of lifestyle,” she said.
“I did a lot of research into the retirement living options available but when I saw Evelyn Ridge I knew it was where I wanted to live.
“My villa is certainly the nicest house I have ever lived in - it’s very spacious and modern and I immediately liked the fact that Evelyn Ridge offered me the freedom to lock up and go on holiday knowing that everything will be secure and the garden cared for.
“My children were also very pleased – they’re happy knowing that I’m part of a great community of people who are always looking out for me.”
Evelyn Ridge is ideally located on Clegg Road, Mount Evelyn, close to the Yarra Valley but within easy reach of Melbourne.
Stage 1 of the facility’s state-of-the-art new Community Centre has now been completed with café, bar, gymnasium, library, dance floor, lounge areas, craft room, pool table, and a fully equipped caterers kitchen all now available for residents to enjoy. The bowling green is fully commissioned and begin utilised by both residents and visiting bowls groups.
On completion, the $4 million Community Centre project will also include an outdoor bowling green, putting green, indoor heated swimming pool and spa, pampering centre, visiting professional suites as well as a resource centre.
Craft has always been a passion for Betty Millott.
The 76 year-old Evelyn Ridge resident has dedicated hours to making more than 50 quilts in the past 15 ears – and recently more than 30 of them were used for a very worthy cause.
“We recently organised a quilting and craft exhibition in support of the Cancer Council’s annual Biggest Morning Tea fundraiser,” Betty said.
“I displayed a number of my hand-made quilts and entry to the exhibition was by gold coin donation. “The fundraising event proved to be a great success - we received fantastic support from the extended community and managed to raise more than $2,300 for the cause.”
While quilting is her main passion, Betty also makes dolls and teddy bears.
“I’ve always been crafty; I made my first porcelain doll more than 20 years ago after attending a doll show,” Betty said.
“I then decided I’d have a go at making teddy bears and I now have a collection of hundreds and hundreds of them, ranging in size, shape and material.”
Arthritis means Betty’s fingers are now no longer nimble enough to make dolls or teddies, but she still finds time to create her unique quilts.
“Two out of our three bedrooms are dedicated to my work. One of the rooms is full of my bears and dolls, while the other I use for my quilting materials,” she said.
Betty and David moved to Evelyn Ridge, in Mount Evelyn, close to 18 months ago in an effort to downsize and have more time for their recreational activities and hobbies.
When she’s not busy quilting, Betty still finds time to play bowls and take part in many of the village’s social activities. She also has 16 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren to keep track of.
For a further update on the money raised at the Biggest Morning Tea fundraiser, please see our story on page 3.
For more information about Evelyn Ridge, please call the village on 9737 0823.