Lions Ulladulla District Community Foundation's plan for Jindelara Cottage

Plans being formalised by the Lions Ulladulla District Community Foundation [LUDCF] are stunning.

The function of the Ulladulla-based Jindelara Cottage for people with a disability will change from a four-place overnight respite facility that has also been providing day respite to a two place overnight respite facility with seven permanent residents.

There will be overnight accommodation for two to four staff depending on need and an alternate site is being set up for the day respite.

Project facilitator, Graham Sweet, said it was the type of project that everyone was happy to support.

"The Lions Ulladulla District Community Foundation committee also has Apex and Rotary Club as members. Expanding the Jindelara Cottage has had active support from the entire political spectrum," he said.

Local tradespeople, professions and suppliers have donated in cash and in-kind over the years.

"Donations have been received and more promised by all of the local clubs [bowling, golf and Ex-Servos]," Mr Sweet said.

"In the past we have even received support from Lions International [$US100,000].

"It is truly humbling to live in such a great and generous community."

The foundation made moves last year to focus on Jindelara's expansion when they handed the running of the cottage to Yumaro - a local disability provider.

Renovations needed in the existing building and integrating the new and the old will see costs for the project range between $1.6 to 1.75 million.

The group received a Federal Government of $638,000 which they must match.

"We now have most of our required money in the bank which has mostly been provided by the Lions Bookshop in Ulladulla and there has also been a one off donation from Jindelara Services," Mr Sweet said.

The group recently received a donation from the State Government which Mr Sweet said was appreciated.

The project is advancing in a steady fashion.

"The plans have been finalised with the disability consultants and are being passed from the designer to the builder who will arrange for the certification and a DA with the Shoalhaven City Council," he said.

They hope "the first sod" will be turned in July 2023 - hopefully for a finish by December 2023.

Mr Sweet said they want to build a home - not an institution.

"The people who use the facility will be residents and visitors - this will be a home or a home away from home," he said.

"The facilities will be specified to allow the residents and guests to live as close as possible to the life that people who are not disabled live. For example in the average home a disabled person cannot cook their dinner because of the position of stove tops nor can they wash up afterward.

"The kitchens in the expanded Jindelara will have stove tops that can be lowered and used by a person in a wheelchair, and same for the sinks. All of this has to be unobtrusive and the ambiance cannot be an institution, it should feel like home not like a hospital, for this reason, it also cannot be too big."

Seven permanent residents, up to two visitors, up to four staff will make use of the facility.

Yumaro, a registered charity that run, amongst other things, a similar complex in Moruya, the Mullala nursery in Ulladulla and a recycling centre in Milton will operate the facility.

Lions Ulladulla District Community Foundation [LUDCF], an incorporated association run by a dedicated committee of volunteers who have a focus on the accommodation needs of people with a disability in the Ulladulla region.

LUDCF with the financial support of the Ulladulla Milton Lions Pre-Loved Bookshop and the local Ulladulla Milton Lions Club are responsible for the outstanding achievement of fundraising, building and overseeing the Jindelara Cottage (respite house) in Ulladulla and will continue to oversee and own this community asset for the benefit of future generations.

Yumaro (formerly known as Mullala) is a registered NDIS provider with 40 years of experience in disability services within the Ulladulla community.

Since 2020 Lions Ulladulla District Community Foundation LUDCF and Yumaro have been sharing expertise and information relating to the local demand for disability housing, best practice in housing design and ultimately how the community can best respond to meet the disability housing demand.

Yumaro expertise draws upon its successful Specialist disability accommodation facility that they designed and built in 2018 and continue to operate today.

Not only have Yumaro and LUDCF partnered to run the Jindelara cottage respite home, but they have been working closely to design a new Specialist Disability Accommodation facility beside the respite cottage on land that is being donated to LUDCF by the Shoalhaven City Council.