“It’s been my life, I built it from the ground up,” Glenys said.
“I had an antique shop before I ever started doing this.
“I'd go to the tip and scrounge for goods, then go to the market and sell them along with my relish.
“Eventually someone offered me a room and then we moved to a house … it just birthed itself getting bigger and bigger.”
For the girl who left school while still in Year 7, Glenys’ story has been a huge success.
Now her legacy in supporting local projects, along with schools and a medical centre in Uganda, will continue in the hands of her own church, Ignite Life.
“It’s not over; it will continue to help wherever the need is.“
“It’s not over; it will continue to help wherever the need is,” she said.
Glenys was farewelled at a morning tea last Friday where the new managers and volunteers came together to show their appreciation, and where she expressed her “true gratitude” to the community and the many volunteers who had stuck with her over the years.
“Particularly Alistair McLellan; without him this would never have happened,” she said.
“You know I can hardly read or write; I really struggled at school, so I could never have done this without Alistair.”
Glenys has an addictive nature and with two sheds at home still full of antiques, she says there might still be a bit of wheeling and dealing ahead.
“I don’t know what I’ll do really, but I’ve always believed I could make money out of rubbish,” she said.
