Now is your chance if you have ever wanted to join a local Bingara community organisation.
Bingara District Historical Society is encouraging everyone in the area to save the date for an upcoming “Bingara’s Heart Beats” community support and volunteer group information day.
Speaking to the New England Times, organiser and historical society secretary, Judi Peterson, said on March 16, upwards of 30 community service and support groups will gather at the Gwydir Oval on Cunningham Street to showcase what they do and hopefully attract new members.
Landcare NSW, Vision 2020, the Country Women’s Association (CWA), the Bingara Anglers Club, SES, RFS, the local Lions Club, who are catering, and more have already agreed to come along. Judi says it will be a “feel-good day” for the town.
“As part of the Bingara museum, we saw a need to try and get all the community support and volunteer groups together in one area, on one day, simply so we can see what the groups have to offer, but we also see it as having huge potential for networking within our small town,” she said.
“Who knows, you might even find a new hobby or become involved in a group that urgently needs your skills and life knowledge.”
According to Judi, who knows this first-hand, people who join community-minded groups and help out their neighbours often report a deep satisfaction, companionship, and a sense of achievement.
“We are known as being a friendly town, and I think that might be because we have such a high percentage of volunteer organisations,” Judi said.
The event will be the first of its kind in the town and was born out of a desire to keep the volunteer and community groups alive. Sadly, Judi says many of the groups are struggling to stay afloat, with member numbers hitting all time lows.
“Without the support of the community and its volunteers, some of these groups will not survive; we desperately need the help of new members to keep us going.
“A lot of our current members are all ageing, and we are hoping to encourage community members to get involved in, for whatever time they have available and keep the spirit of Bingara alive.”
Bingara is known for a few reasons, but arguably one of its more well-known claims to fame is once being home to Grace Emily Munro, an activist and one of the founders of the Country Women’s Association (CWA) in 1922.
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