Tracy
“Having paid employment was really good. I felt more confident that I would have that extra bit of security for unexpected financial things that may come up.”
Tracy Landon Lane has had a lifelong love of gardens. Her great uncle volunteered as a gardener at Seymour Square and as a child, Tracy could sometimes see him working there among the perfectly manicured grounds, from her playground at Blenheim School. In fact, a love of gardening runs in her family.
Tracy at work at Selmes Garden Trust.
“I was raised by my grandparents and they had a real love of gardening, so that inspired me. I would describe myself as a very creative person – I love drawing, photography, writing, tapestry, poetry – but I’m also very practical too and I don’t mind getting my hands dirty,” says Tracy.
Tracy survived a traumatic car accident when she was five years old, an accident that left her with permanent injuries which can make processing information and some physical tasks challenging. She has been supported by the team at CCS Disability Action for many years.
“Tracy is an astounding woman,” says Service Coordinator Pamela Watson. “She is a very capable person and has an incredible range of talents and interests and she’s great fun to be around.”
The Nelson Marlborough team have supported Tracy in several different areas of her life, over time. For example, they were there for her when she moved into a flat with friends and again when she got her driver’s licence – an almost essential item in a Marlborough town where so much work is in its horticultural surroundings.
In 2019, Tracy decided she would like to take her passion for gardening and turn it into a career. Her coordinators at the time were there to assist her to enrol in a Certificate in Horticulture course from the Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology and helped her ease into it – just until she felt comfortable and confident to tackle things on her own.
“One of the early lessons involved using the angle grinder to sharpen tools,” laughs Tracy. “I loved every minute of it!”
Tracy with her certificate.
Tracy has a keen intellect and often undertakes detailed research on subjects that interest her. This ability to apply herself was useful with the academic side of the course. Tracy’s tutor Don Cross was also a great support, giving Tracy reasonable extensions if she needed it to complete written assignments and ensuring that everything was in place to ensure her impairment wasn’t a barrier to success.
Tracy loved the practical aspects of the course, where she learnt all the ins and outs of raising healthy seeds and seedlings. Tracy successfully graduated with the rest of her class at the end of 2019. “It felt like a really great achievement,” she says.
After volunteering at Selmes Garden Trust for a couple of years, an experience she really enjoyed, Pamela began supporting Tracy. “I thought: ‘Enough voluntary work! It’s time we get you a paid job!’” Pamela went to it, polishing up Tracy’s CV and hunting down leads to make it happen. The result was a paid position at Butler’s Nursery – it was seasonal work and lasted just under six months, but it paid well and, most importantly, Tracy loved it.
“I like to be helpful. It was a quiet, friendly place to work along with very supportive people. Having paid employment was really good. I felt more confident that I would have that extra bit of security for unexpected financial things that may come up,” she explains.
Tracy put her qualifications to good use and was responsible for lifting rooted cuttings, trimming and potting.
Her hard work did not go unnoticed. “Tracy is eager to learn and has a really good attitude to work. She fitted in well with our small team of staff. We have no hesitation in recommending her to any employer,” says nursery owner and manager Steven Butler.
Pamela was confident that Tracy would be a great asset for a local business and together the pair put Tracy’s CV forward for lots of local positions. When Selmes Garden Trust was on the lookout for voluntary nursery staff, Pamela saw an opportunity to use her local networks to turn the unpaid role into a job for Tracy.
“The team at our local Work and Income New Zealand office are really helpful. I knew about the Flexi-wage subsidy and both Tracy and I felt she had the experience and qualifications Selmes needed. We worked with Tracy’s case manager and with Selmes and were successful in securing the funding that made it possible for them to offer Tracy a paid position,” explains Pamela.
Tracy has been in the role for a few months now and absolutely loves it.
Her responsibilities are similar to what she’s done before with Tracy most often found happily weeding, shifting plants and transplanting pots in the potting sheds. As part of the role, she needed to learn how to use a forklift, something that felt well outside of Tracy’s comfort zone.
“I wasn’t sure if it was something that I could learn to do, to be honest. But having a forklift license is really helpful in the horticulture industry so I really wanted to try. I felt pretty good when I got my forklift license,” says Tracy.
Having paid, stable work has made an incredible difference in Tracy’s life. It’s the little things that come with being employed, like being able to pay her bills on time, that make her feel “independent and capable.”
She’s been grateful to have Pamela by her side. “She’s brilliant,” says Tracy. “She’s so upbeat and positive. She’s the first person to say: ‘You can do this.’ I have appreciated having someone who really believes in me.”
