Who are the people behind Canberra’s most sustainable community? This week we meet Peter Bartholomew, Ginninderry’s Ambassador and Office Assistant.

Peter has wide-ranging responsibilities, not least keeping team morale high! But that’s not all, of course. In celebration of Peter’s 5-year work anniversary, we sat down with the man himself and started by asking…

What do you do at Ginninderry?

I check my emails every day, make sure the coffee machine is set up and check the dish washer. Once a month when the board meeting is on, I look after the board meeting, greet them, and serve them coffee. Every Wednesday I put the kitchen recycling into the bin in the photocopy room and then take it to the top to be collected. Another job I do is laminating – the phone list and birthday list. I also laminate and bind lots of things for people in the office. Each month I oversee birthday cakes; two people’s birthdays are in October!

I check the fire rating each morning on the ESA website and change the ratings around The Link, so the staff and visitors know what the rating is.

The only person in my family that does gardening is my father, and he looks after the garden around the church. I also help Jessica Stewart and Tulitha King with the InvertiGro Wall. Sometimes it is very hard to put the seeds in each of the pots, and sometimes I clean the large columns and now I am cleaning the little white pots.

Jessica has recently asked me to check all the first aid supplies in the kitchen and photocopy room. Once a year we must check we have enough stock, and we check the expiry date on all the items. I make a list of everything to order and this year for the first time I got to order everything.

Every Wednesday my support worker comes to The Link to check on me and make sure everything is ok. Last Thursday he met my mum for the first time.

Tell us a bit about yourself?

I have two jobs – my other one is a kitchen hand at Daana Indian restaurant. I have worked there for six years. I do a lot of washing up and setting up silverware and plates and bowls.

I enjoy playing basketball and tennis.

I have two nephews: one 10 and one 5. I play PlayStation with my nephew, and I have one niece. She is one and is starting to talk – she is starting to call me uncle peter. I have two brothers. My big brother is 40 years old, and my younger brother is working at the University of Sydney.

I catch the action buses to get to work on time, and people from Ginninderry used to pick me up from Kippax. It was a good opportunity to get some one-on-one time with people in the office. Now I am catching the Ginninderry bus to collect the mail from Kippax.

I like cooking with Anglicare on Wednesday. I make spag bowl and meatballs stir fry and today I am making lasagne.

What is your best memory at Ginninderry?

I have been on the Ginninderry bus over 100 times! I got a cake of the bus and I still have the card and picture with the cake.

What have you learnt in the last five years at Ginninderry?

I have learnt a lot at Ginninderry in the last five years – binding, laminating and filing.

I have learnt lot of computer work and emails. I practice typing and answering the phone, and I go looking for jobs when I don’t have any.

What is the best part about working at Ginninderry?

The best part is answering the phone, because it is easier for me to know which button to press and which people to talk to. And meet the new people, like Robert. The best thing is the interaction with people in the office and I enjoy getting new jobs and learning new things.

A fun Fact?

I always get to work on time and I got to meet every Prime Minister except for Julia Gillard. Last time I met Kevin Rudd and I introduced myself as Peter and he called me Phillip.

What is your favourite comic?

Spiderman, Tintin, Batman and X-man. I read Batman every week while waiting to get picked up.

Thanks for everything you do, Peter. Congratulations on your 5-year anniversary!