The Rotary Club of Young has been the recipient of two grants that will contribute to the development of the $150,000 Rotaract Park in Prospect Street, Young, NSW.
The Rotary District of 9700 (the District incorporating Young) donated $6,000 toward the project in 2012 and on Tuesday 19th March 2013, Chris Edwards travelled to a meeting of the Young Rotary Club to present a $5,000 contribution from the Rotary Club of Hall.
“The Rotary Club of Hall runs the Capital Region Farmers Market at the Epic Showgrounds in Canberra. The club founded the markets nine years ago and now have over 200 registered stallholders with around 100 selling seasonal produce on any given Saturday morning.
Chris Edwards with Rotary Club of Young President Jenny Somerset
A few years ago the club made a decision to donate a proportion of the profits from the market to the areas our stallholders come. This has led to considerable donations in the last few years to projects in places such as West Wyalong, Crookwell and Batlow. Today it is Young’s turn and we are delighted to partner with the Rotary Club of Young to the tune of $5000 toward this ‘whole of community’ project for the beautification of Rotaract Park,” Chris Edwards said.
“We have seven primary producers from the Young area that sell their seasonal produce at our market and I stress that we are helping to support this project as a direct result of our desire to give back to the areas our stallholders call home. So please don’t thank me, you can thank your local producers by buying local. On behalf of our club I wish you all the best with this project and we look forward to seeing it completed soon.”
President Jenny Somerset, on thanking Chris for the cheque said “I am delighted to receive such a generous amount. This amount, together with the donation from District and coupled with the Rotary Club of Young’s own contribution, totals $16,000 towards the project. As Rotary is famous for its BBQ’s, the amount is specifically targeted towards the BBQ area of the plan. This includes a double hot plate, stand alone electric BBQ and shelter on a concrete slab.”
Argyle Community Housing are the “movers and shakers” behind the project along with Compact, an organisation that links community, schools and business and the Young High School. Last year, the Young High School secured a $15,000, National Australia Bank (NAB) grant to build a Covered Outdoor Learning Area (COLA) with the purpose for classes to be held outdoors where it is thought appropriate.
“Work on these two projects is to start within the next week or so and Argyle Community Housing has agreed to fund any shortfall that may occur with the two projects” said Sheryn Payne, a representative from Argyle Housing. “We are delighted to have such community support for the project and when the garden plantings have been completed by the Young High School, the park is going to be such a lovely spot to be. Argyle Community Housing is really proud of the project and its achievement and is committed to the ongoing improvement of living standards for its tenants.”
Sheryn also said “ Work on the COLA and BBQ structures is expected to start within the next week or so. All the partners on this project are delighted with the support they have received from the Young community. Once the first stage of the garden beds are completed by students from Young High School, Rotaract Park will provide a great outdoor facility for residents. This is the first time that the neighbourhood has had an attractive recreational space that can be enjoyed by families, children and the elderly. Just as important is that residents have seen how willingly organisations like the Rotary Club have offered such generous support to improve their community. This in turn has given them a greater sense of belonging to a much wider community”
“Rotaract Park will be a work in progress as we continue to build on the great work completed to date.”
Trackbacks/Pingbacks