Help needed for new Buninyong newsletter

VOLUNTEERS are being sought to join the new Village Voice: Buninyong and District Community News production team.

After a hiatus of more than two years, the newsletter for the township and surrounding areas is returning mid-2023, led by members of the Buninyong and District Community Association.

“The key areas we are recruiting for are the editorial team, dedicated to creating, curating, and managing content, and managing email account, and the advertising team, responsible for sourcing and organising advertising and sponsorship income,” said project officer Shell Corcoran.

“We also need an accounts team to preparee invoices, pay bills, process payments both outgoing and incoming according to budget, and write reports monthly to the treasurer.

“Our production and design team will work on delivering the finished product and take the creative element and designs and makes them a reality while eeting print deadlines, and our distribution team wil ensure production flow from point A to point B and maintain both electronic and hard copy subscriptions and dispatch.”

Ms Corcoran said Buninyong residents’ excitement around the return of the newsletter is “palpable.”

“The Buninyong community love to share information and people are keen to provide stories, articles, and photos,” she said.

“But we do see significant challenges around volunteer support, and this is something other services and clubs are experiencing.

“In saying that, we must have this news production team before we reach out to community to collect contributions.

“All the content will need to land with this new production team of volunteers to be a production.”

Support and training about news publishing and production will be provided to volunteers.

“We’ve got great wrap-around support, including from some retired media professionals who are going to be coming in regularly to do some ongoing training with volunteers,” Ms Corcoran said.

Last year, BDCA surveying found many village residents wished the newsletter was still being produced, and that they needed it to stay in touch with their neighbours.

The new Buninyong Community News will aim to share reports on recent events, the stories of

residents, and the issues affecting them, while giving village locals notice about what’s coming up in town.

The BDCA has received funding from Community Bank Buninyong to re-establish the paper, which was first published in 1977.

It went digital in 2012 and ceased operation in 2022 when committee members dwindled.

Contact [email protected] by Thursday 9 May to get involved. An information session will be held on Friday 3 May, 4pm to 5pm at Buninyong Community House.

A production team will be assembled no later than mid-May.