Bank on community

By Kath Gannaway
HEALESVILLE 3777 will host a public meeting on Monday with a three-pronged approach to community building.
The meeting, at Healesville Memorial Hall, will take the group’s town entrance project to an exciting next step, provide a forum for Chum Creek, Badger Creek and Healesville residents to engage in a workshop run by the Victorian Bushfire Authority and the Shire of Yarra Ranges, and provide information about plans for a community bank in the town.
Community 3777 chairwoman Kath Holton is rating the night as a “must do” event for people of all ages in the communities which come under the 3777 postcode umbrella.
Community 3777 has enlisted the help of renowned community motivator Peter Kenyon to facilitate the next step of the town entrance project which kicked off with the Hollywood-style ‘HEALESVILLE’ sign at the entrance to the town, YouTube exposure and displays.
Widely known as the “small town doctor”, Mr Kenyon is acknowledged as one of Australia’s great community motivators.
He will talk at the meeting as well as working with local schools earlier in the day to get young people engaged in the creative process.
“Peter has a wealth of experience in working with small towns,” Ms Holton said.
“He has travelled Australia and the world spreading his message of communities taking control and inspiring the next generation of leaders, our youth, to play their part too,” she said.
As one of many Chum Creek residents who fought to save her family home on 7 February, Ms Holton said Community 3777 welcomed the chance to “value add” to the meeting with the VBRRA/Shire workshop aimed at facilitating bushfire recovery among Healesville people.
“What projects do we want to see? How can we re-build, reshape, regrow post the traumatic events of Black Saturday,” she said.
“We have an opportunity now to drive the recovery process for our communities.”
Information will also be available on the night on the Healesville Community Bank (Bendigo Bank branch) project.
The meeting is on Monday 10 August at Healesville Memorial Hall starting at 7pm.
For further information phone Ms Holton on 5962 1033.