The Samford Grove community continues to grow as we welcome our newest residents, Don and Robbie Creed, who have recently moved into their home in Stage 3A. 

 Drawn to the peace and tranquility of Samford, the friendly and active village lifestyle and being close to family, Don and Robbie relocated from Sydney to start an exciting new chapter in their lives. 

 “After I had a health issue in March 2022, Robbie and I realised we needed to live in a low-maintenance home that was part of a supportive community, that still emphasised an active and independent lifestyle,” said Don. 

 “We have two daughters (and their families) in Brisbane who are only 15 minutes away and our son who recently relocated from Sydney, who is now 10 minutes away. Being close to our family is so important. It is lovely to all be reconnected again.” 

 Robbie said she is already embracing village life, taking part in Pilates and visiting the community Homestead, and is now excited to join nearby Probus and University of the Third Age (U3A) clubs. 

 “Everyone at Samford Grove is so friendly and welcoming. It’s refreshing to see that residents are still living active, social and independent lives. The village atmosphere is fantastic, and we couldn’t feel more at home,” said Robbie. 

 “We moved into our new home at the end of January and it’s the perfect location. We love to sit out on our patio and look out to the paddock with the horses and listen to the birds and nature. It’s very peaceful. Our home is perfect as it offers minimal maintenance, but we still have the space and privacy.” 

With family living only 15 minutes away in Brisbane, Don and Robbie say Samford Grove is exactly what they were looking for.

“It’s exciting to look to the future and be part of the community here!”

 Ready to call Samford Grove home? Enquire now about apartments, villas and town homes for sale within this vibrant, connected community.  

 To learn more about Samford Grove or to book a private tour, contact us on (07) 3289 3372. 

It’s a magical time of year at Samford Grove with our community well and truly getting into the Christmas spirit, connecting with friends and neighbours for a variety of festive events. 

Although it’s the season to be jolly, Reside recognises that Christmas can be a challenging time, especially for older adults who may live alone or don’t have family close by. That’s why, at our communities, we like to encourage connection and wellbeing during the holiday season and ensure residents feels supported. It’s also a great time to enjoy some fun-filled Christmas events that celebrate our amazing residents.  

We’ve celebrated the silly season all throughout December with a number of parties, functions, workshops and experiences for residents, staff and guests. 

Our community has been shining bright all month as many of our residents are proudly decorating and lighting up their villas with festive light displays. It’s been wonderful for residents to walk through the village in the evening and enjoy the Christmas lights. 

Kicking off the Christmas celebrations was our special Samford Grove Resident Christmas Party which was a fun-filled evening event with Reside CEO Glen Brown and Chief Operating Officer Craig Syphers joining in on the festivities. 

Even our four-legged friends joined in on the Christmas celebrations with a Santa Paws photo opportunity. Residents and staff brought along their pooch for their picture with Santa, receiving a photo gift as a keepsake. 

 

One of our own masterchef residents even hosted a Christmas café decorating class which was a huge hit! Teaching other residents how to decorate the perfect Christmas cake, we can’t wait to taste the creations soon!  

Music to our residents’ ears, we also recently welcomed local school students to the community to sing Christmas carols, meet some residents and exchange gifts. 

Wishing all our residents a very Merry Christmas and a happy New Year! 

To find out how you too could call Samford Grove home and be part of our connected community, call us on 07 3289 3372 or fill in this contact form. 

Our residents and staff laced up their sneakers, sported their best red shirt and dug deep for an important cause – Day for Daniel. 

The annual event is Australia’s largest child safety education and awareness day in memory of Daniel Morcombe.  

An important cause very close to our hearts, this Day for Daniel our communities came together to shine a spotlight on the amazing work on the Daniel Morcombe Foundation. 

At Brookland Robertson and Samford Grove, more than 60 residents and staff enjoyed a group walk around the community, followed by refreshments over morning tea, fundraising activities and a discussion on the important link between grandparents and grandchildren. 

Kickstarting their day bright and early to join Bruce and Denise Morcombe and thousands of other fundraisers, Reside Communities CEO Glen Brown and Chief Operating Officer Craig Syphers participated in the Sunshine Coast march in honour of Day for Daniel.  

See if you can spot them in the video here! 

A few hours later, over at Brookland Robertson, Glen said it was great to see residents embracing their new partnership with the Daniel Morcombe Foundation and hitting the pavement to raise awareness.  

“Our new partnership with the Daniel Morcombe Foundation is an important first step in builder safer communities for children,” Glen said. 

“Starting with this years’ Day for Daniel fundraising activities, we’re looking forward to enjoying a long-term partnership and getting involved in future events.” 

At Samford Grove, Craig led residents and staff on a stroll around the beautiful community surrounds, followed by a well-deserved morning tea with fresh scones and raffle prizes. 

“It was great to watch the sea of red at Samford Grove in support of our new partnership with the Daniel Morcombe Foundation,” Craig said. 

“We believe the link between grandparents and young people is so strong and offers a unique opportunities for our communities to help raise awareness of personal safety, both online and offline, for children.” 

View all the images here! 

Samford Grove resident and breast cancer survivor Wilhelmina (Willy) Kranenburg has paddled into the best years of her life, joining a senior squad of cancer survivors to form a dragon boat paddling team.   

After being inspired to take up the sport by a young mum and fellow breast cancer fighter in late 2007, Willy took to the water with a group of cancer survivors. The group train and participate in the community-based watersport all over Australia and the world.  

Initially shy about the physical requirements of the sport, which requires groups of 8 to 20 to manually paddle a watercraft between 200 and 2,000 metres, Willy, who had also undergone a hip replacement, instantly fell in love with the sport.  

“I didn’t think I would be able to try dragon boating, because of my age, but my friends and husband told me that I should try it, so I did,” Willy said. “I tried paddling for the first time when I was 68 and I got lost in it. I absolutely loved it.”  

With her new passion and like-minded community supporting her every step of the way, Willy went on to enjoy many dragon boating events including trips to Canada, Tin Can Bay and Italy.   

Although Willy no longer physically participates in paddling, she is still actively involved and regularly catches up with her fellow dragon boaters and plans to continue travelling with the resilient squad.  

“A group of us ladies made a pact that we would all continue paddling until we reached 80 years old, so that’s what we did,” Willy said. “There are still ladies paddling well into their 80’s but I stopped at that time after 12 years.  

“The last time I paddled was in Florence under the Ponte Vecchio while singing Waltzing Matilda. It was amazing. I’m still looking forward to joining the ladies on upcoming trips. We’re going to New Zealand next.”  

Born in The Netherlands, Willy and her husband moved to Australia where she spent the majority of her working career as a teacher, before retiring in 2005 as a kindergarten teacher, one year after receiving her cancer diagnosis.   

Now living out her golden years at Reside Communities’ Samford Grove retirement village after the sudden loss of her husband in 2016, Willy enjoys an active and fulfilling retirement surrounded by supportive staff and friends.  

Samford Grove Village Manager Bronwyn O’Brien said Willy is an inspiration to the community’s other residents, as well as staff.  

“Willy’s story and determination is so inspiring to everyone at Samford Grove,” Bronwyn said. “Despite everything she has been through she continues to be a beacon of positivity and is always and is actively involved in our community. Willy loves living at Samford Grove and we are so grateful to have her here.”

Entering a recent Samford Community Library raffle was a no-brainer for Margaret Baltis after the 86-year-old saw the winning prize – a one-hour scenic flight as a passenger in a Tiger Moth plane. 

Surprised and beaming with excitement when she was told she had won, Margaret’s mind flashed back 65 years to when she last took a flight in the same plane.  

“From the age of 10 my heart was set on learning to fly,” Margaret said. 

Following her dream she first learnt to fly in a Tiger Moth plane by the age of 21 and by 1958 Margaret had obtained a private pilot licence. 

In 1960 she worked as a flight attendant before getting married to her now late husband Edward Ernest, before having her five children. 

Although her aircraft career lasted only five years, it remains Margaret’s most prominent passion today. 

With her home within the Samford Grove community filled with pictures of her airborne past, particularly in Tiger Moth planes, Margaret’s winning experience on May 3 this year was a dream come true. 

 

“I flew for my own pleasure. Those five years in flying were the only times I did anything for myself, and the past has joined with the present,” Margaret said. 

Multiple Samford Grove residents stood awaiting Margaret overhead as she flew over the community she has called home for nearly two years.  

“It was my choice where I wanted to fly, and I said I wanted to fly over Samford Grove to take photos of the place. I wanted to see where I lived and all the places around it,” Margaret said. 

Samford Grove resident Vicki Svensen was one of those who watched on. 

“We were all waving. How great for Margaret,” Vicki said. 

It truly was a day that Margaret will never forget. 

“I was so surprised when I won, I had bought five tickets and just happened to win (the raffle competition). It was my first time in 65 years since I put my foot in the cockpit of a Tiger Moth plane. It was very strange, but I loved it.”