Medibank will today bring the outside-in when it opens the doors to a new addition to the corporate workplace – its own Kitchen and Garden.
Inspired by the renowned Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program which forms part of the curriculum in 730 primary schools across Australia, the space at Medibank’s new head office in Docklands, Melbourne, will be officially opened by Stephanie Alexander herself.
She will be joined by a group of enthusiastic Elwood Primary School cooks - all budding food experts - alongside in-house caterers, Bayleaf, at the grand opening.
Stephanie Alexander said she was delighted to see Medibank embracing its health and wellbeing message so wholeheartedly.
“The opportunity to improve the health of community by encouraging children to understand more about what they eat, and to give it a go themselves, is what the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program is all about.
“This is the same ethos Medibank is pursuing: inspiring employees to explore food and healthy living right here in the workplace. It’s really investing in the health of the staff who work here, and I hope the kitchen is well-used and enjoyed by employees and the various external groups who have the opportunity to access it,” Ms Alexander said.
Medibank’s Executive General Manager, People and Culture, Kylie Bishop said the new Medibank Kitchen and Garden spaces will create opportunities for better health and wellbeing among Medibank employees both in the garden and in the purpose-built kitchen.
“Employees will be able to visit the garden to recharge their energy levels or even use it to take their work or meetings outside. It also presents opportunities for them to volunteer to care for the garden itself.
“The adjacent demonstration kitchen provides the perfect venue for making the most of seasonal produce, learning new skills and improving healthy eating practices,” she said.
The new Medibank Kitchen and Garden spaces will not only be available to employees, they will become part of Medibank’s commitment to community through a planned public program that will be rolled-out next year.
“In 2015 a public program will be announced aimed at providing opportunities for sectors of the wider community to access and use the Medibank Kitchen and Garden spaces for healthy living programs.
“Medibank plans to use its new Kitchen and Garden to support external community programs such as STREAT– providing opportunities for people involved in these programs to come together to learn new skills and support one another,” Ms Bishop said.
The Kitchen Garden initiative has grown from the partnership between Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation and the Medibank Community Fund. The Fund is one of the ways Medibank reaches into the community. It works to help people live longer, in better health, by encouraging them to eat well, do more exercise and become more connected with their communities.