By Callum Ludwig
A host of Upper Yarra community groups have been recognised in the Casey Community and Volunteer Awards.
The Wandin Silvan Field Days Committee were one recipient and President Brad Finger said they are extremely excited by the recognition of this popular and important local community event.
“Our Committee understands the importance of farming in Victoria, and in particular that of the greater Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges, and we are very proud to maintain the tradition of being able to present this major regional event,” he said.
“Several of our committee members have been involved for the duration of the Field Days, and we will work together to ensure its continuation, proudly highlighting this important Community Award,”
“As a not-for-profit organisation, operated by a committee of local volunteers, we endeavour
to maintain our niche ‘Horticultural and Farm Machinery’ theme, actively encouraging the
involvement of all exhibitors, and particularly those who can endorse our theme.”
This year’s Field Days event, the 55th edition, will be held over Friday 11 and Saturday 12 October and there are plans for some special features to mark the milestone.
Friends of the Helmeted Honeyeater also received an award and President Virginia Wallace said without the group’s efforts the critically endangered Helmeted Honeyeater may very well not be with us today.
“We maintain a strong focus on habitat restoration, planting thousands of plants each year to make sure the Helmeted Honeyeater has a home, along with community engagement,” she said.
“At the moment we are working to secure our finances as it’s a very tough time for conservation charities, with cost of living pressures all around us,”
“We’re very grateful for our amazing staff, our volunteers who really are the backbone of our operations, and also our relationships with our stakeholders and partners like Zoos Victoria, DEECA, Parks Vic and local councils and to Aaron Violi for taking an interest in our operations.”
From one location full of plants to another, the Edible Warburton Community Garden was another Upper Yarra winner.
One of the co-coordinators of the garden Tarnya Harper said it. was such an honour to be recognised amongst an amazing array of community groups and individuals at Aaron Violi’s Casey Community Awards.
“It was a beautiful morning listening to some really heartwarming stories, stories that make you proud to be a part of such wonderful communities,” she said,
“The team at Edible have been working hard on maintaining the garden, providing a wonderful space to nurture both the mind and body, a place where everyone can come to connect with the community,”
“Whether it be through events such as skill-building workshops, weekly Garden Buddies mornings, the ‘Mini Garden Buddies’ holiday program for kids, or simply catching up whilst picking herbs and enjoying the view.”
The Edible Warburton garden is currently working on a new compost bay construction, a garden shed project and adding more raised beds.
The final Upper Yarra community group to receive a Community Award was the Golden Opportunity Shop in Wandin North and its volunteers.
Outgoing Committee Member and Manager of the shop Glenda Fraser said they were honoured to receive the award.
“It’s the culmination of 15 years of volunteers, probably 80 or 90 people who were involved in that 15 years of volunteering time put into the Golden Opportunity Shop and I think it’s lovely that their services to the community are being recognised,” she said.
“Community op shops are terrific because every effort that you put in is rewarded doubly by the feedback that you get from the community,”
“I think that’s the benefit of being a volunteer for a community organisation, knowing that the money that you make is really effective in your community.”
