We have taken lots of registration inquiries from all around NSW and we are very excited for this fabulous event to showcase our beautiful community.

All funds raised from the event will go towards supporting the running costs of the community centre to ensure that we can keep the doors open and provide the much needed support, care and assistance to our community.

With the inquires about the event there have also been questions about where the funds will go and a common statement is  ‘I wont be  supporting your fund raising event because I think the government should pay’.  Which is often followed by the question ‘Aren’t you government funded?’

The short answer is ‘Yes we are’.

The long answer is ‘Yes we are government funded, however this funding does not cover all the activities and program costs the centre incurs.

Nor does it cover the running costs of the centre – the power, phone and internet bills.

The funding we receive covers wages for the staff, any program costs needed to provide the services and activities is not covered by our funding. The cost of computer replacement for the staff and for the community access computers is not covered by our funding.

The costs of printing of posters, fliers or program materials is not covered by our funding, nor is the refreshments provided to community members who attend our many programs and activities covered by our funding. Doug the Reading Bug program receives no funding.

Our community garden receives no funding. Our community pantry receives no funding.

Our Christmas programs – hampers, giving tree and Christmas lunch receives no funding, just to name a few.

Any one off grants we receive to develop new programs or resources for the community do not cover wages so the community centre must provide the staff costs ourselves.’

And while the management committee, staff and volunteers agree with the statement – ‘The government should pay’ the reality is that it does not provide the funds to cover all the costs and without the programs, support and resources that the community centre provides 3,000 people in our Shire would not receive the vital support and care they need.

This support can range from assistance understanding what is required when you retire and need to claim the pension, or  how to access the financial supports available when you have your first baby through to assistance paying bills, putting food on the table or finding a home for yourself and your kids. Without the Community Centre our community would not have programs like Doug the Reading Bug, Centrelink Agency, Boomerang Bags, Bee Wrap, Growers Market, New Parents Support Group, Nourish, Emergency Relief, Youth Services – Horsetails, Rhythm to Recovery, case management and counselling and many many more.

So if running or walking one of the fabulous, picturesque trails is not your thing, but you value the amazing work of the community centre and want to make a contribution to the centre and our programs you can make a donation through our website or you can drop by the community centre to see how else you can help.