Fest funds to flow to local partners

SPRINGFEST is less than two months away, and Rotary Club of Ballarat members have announced the four community partners who are benefiting, and supporting, the event.

Miners Rest Primary School and kindergarten, and Phoenix P-12 Community College are back on board, joined by Cafs who also part of the event for the first time.

Local and international Rotary projects will also receive a portion of the money raised, and new partner The Support People won’t be allocated funds, instead offering hands-on help.

“These groups are proactive in the planning and running of SpringFest Ballarat, which provides positive opportunities for them to get involved in a large-scale community project,” event coordinator Nicole Bartlett said.

“Engagement with these community partners will ensure the event continues with a strong community focus and the manpower to roll out the event year after year, under the guidance of the Rotary Club of Ballarat.

“Every dollar raised from SpringFest Ballarat is donated back into the local community to support the many deserving groups in Ballarat who work with volunteers, just like Rotary.

“Over the past 28 years SpringFest has distributed in excess of $820,000 for the benefit of the community.”

Miners Rest Primary School, where 350 students and 100 kindergarteners are enrolled, has been a SpringFest beneficiary for four years.

“We are thankful to the Rotary Club of Ballarat for the opportunity to provide back to the Ballarat community through volunteering at Ballarat events and generate some important funds for our local school and kindergarten communities,” staff member Alyson McPhan said.

“With any possible donation, funds will be put towards the upkeep and expansion of our new Mini Miners Veggie Patch through planting fruit trees to compliment the veggie patch.

“The Mini Miners Veggie Patch was officially opened and named on the last day of term three. The aim of the veggie patch is to teach students how to grow vegetables and herbs and learn how these in turn can be used for cooking, giving students valuable lifelong learning.”

The other beneficiary school, Phoenix College, will not only receive funds to boost student experiences, but will provide many young volunteers on the weekend of SpringFest market Sunday to support the set-up, and operations.

“This year, the SpringFest funds will be used to support our Academy of Sport students attending the Gold Coast training camp,” Phoenix College learning specialist – resilient communities Josh Boon said.

“It will contribute to the overall cost of the camp, aiming to lower the cost to our families.”

Cafs’ manager of brand development Serena Eldridge said proceeds directed to them will benefit the Thread Together clothing hub program.

This initiative aims to provide clothes and shoes to people in need across the community.

“A new outfit can do wonders,” she said. “It can boost confidence for a job interview, provide warmth for children during the cold winter months, or restore dignity to someone who has had to leave everything behind due to family violence.

“Cafs’ Thread Together clothing hub offers this sense of security, distributing brand-new clothing donated by generous Australian retailers to people in need.”

The Support People’s aim is to give people with disabilities freedom, empowerment, and opportunities to thrive, and marketing and administration officer Crystal Bennetts said the organisation will be giving, rather than receiving, as SpringFest partners.

“The Support People are giving back to the community by not accepting any funds,” she said.

“We wanted to get involved as a community partner as we wanted to give our clients and staff the chance to be more deeply engaged with a key Ballarat community event.

“Among our clients and staff, there was a lot of excitement about Springfest returning after it was halted due to COVID lockdowns.

“We provide community access support across the Ballarat and Bendigo areas, with a focus on clients dealing with mental health and psychosocial disabilities. Our aim is to help our clients live the lives they want by assisting them in developing individual skills.

“This event will allow our staff and clients to be part of one of Ballarat’s best events and contribute to something bigger for the community.”

All funds that would have been distributed to The Support People will flow back into local and international Rotary projects.

SpringFest will be held on Sunday 26 November along the roadway of the gardens precinct at Lake Wendouree, between St Aidans Drive and Carlton Street. Visit springfestballarat.com.au.