New faces set to save New Year’s Eve

After a hiatus in 2023, hopes are high a newly formed Mount Gambier Community Events Management Inc will be able to resurrect Mount Gambier’s New Year’s Eve celebrations.

The previous committee had worked overtime with limited manpower and financial resources to continue to host the popular community event but as resources further dwindled last year, putting together the New Year’s Eve festivities proved a bridge too far.

But the one remaining committee member Scott Turner, was not prepared to totally give up and kickstarted a recruiting campaign for more committee members through social and mainstream media and at a January meeting this year, new faces joined him in his quest to reinvigorate the Mount Gambier Community Events Management Inc committee.

“It was great to see a number of new people step up to allow this fantastic event to continue,” Mr Turner said. “After running it for two years with just two members, it was very close to ceasing, but now it has a future again.”

Mr Turner is staying on to assist the new committee find their feet before eventuall stepping away some time this year.

Ross Moir has been elected as the new chair and he was keen to build on the work of the previous committee to again see Mount Gambier celebrated the dawning of a new year at a community event.

“We’re working to pick up the legacy created by the previous committee,” Mr Moir said.

“We’ve already started the process to ensure we will have a community New Year’s event this coming year. With a larger committee boosted by the foundation of previous committees, we’re optimistic about Mount Gambier New Year’s Eve 2024.

“We’ve lost a lot of experience as members fell away over the years, but the committee records and Mr Turner have helped us get a leg up on the process.”

The committee is already reaching out to old contacts and discussing new ideas but are cautious about taking on too much for their first year.

“The event takes a lot of groundwork to make happen, but we now have a treasurer and secretary, each with assistants, and we’re all being guided by Mr Turner,” Mr Moir said. “At this stage, it’s largely administrative work, ensuring there will be insurance, sufficient grants and sponsors, and learning which participants are still available.

“Events like this benefit a lot from inertia and preparing this year for next. The committee may have stumbled, but we’re working to help it recover.”

Mr Moir stressed the importance of preventing a similar situation occurring again.

“We need to look at building resilience into the committee,” he said. “It’s so easy to lose the knowledge built up with years of experience when support drops.

“If Mr Turner had been overwhelmed too, a Mount Gambier New Year’s event may never have returned. It’s why each position has assistants and we’re still looking for more members.”

Interested sponsors, volunteers or prospective committee members can contact the committee on the New Year’s Eve Festival Mount Gambier Facebook page, email [email protected] or mail to PO Box 2032, Mt Gambier, SA, 5290.