Van plan

By Lachlan Ellis

A local community group has shared its vision of an asset for local groups and non-profits, and is seeking help from generous backers to get the ball rolling.

The Greendale Social Club is eager to get the ‘Community Caravan’ project on the road, with the van planned to hold a range of facilities, making it a convenient and user-friendly asset.

President of the Greendale Social Club Kristin Sargent said the Community Caravan would suit a range of different groups and uses.

“The idea is that it will be pretty basic inside so it can be used for anything. I was chatting to an artist the other day and said we’ll have rods that extend out from it, so clothing or artworks can hang. Or just a flag for a club, say a cricket club who may want a ‘presence’ at a festival or market, of which the caravan will do,” she told the Moorabool News.

The Greendale Social Club hopes to have the Community Caravan be a cost-effective solution for individuals, community groups, non-profits and local businesses, that avoids the hassle of elaborate setups, especially in the sometimes wild weather of Moorabool Shire.

A “very low fee” would be charged to community and charity groups to book, with booking fees going towards the caravan’s maintenance and its sustainability into the future.

The caravan would feature coffee and tea facilities, storage, and basic cooking amenities, as well as customisable signage.

Ms Sargent said the idea “didn’t sprout overnight”, but had been formulating among local families for years.

“It’s been an idea that I think has been bubbling away between a few other friends with young families in the area for a while. Greendale’s Playgroup Picnic and Play, who now regularly meet at Egan’s Reserve on a Thursday morning for pancakes, have been talking about having a coffee van at the reserve for a long time. We’d all sit there having brought down our pancakes and picnic gear and go on about how good a coffee would be,” she said.

“The idea all came together over the last few years of my running events in the area and noticing food trucks and serious businesses having a lot less trouble with their market stall set ups than say the average joe, or a community group attending the event.”

But as with so many great ideas, to get running the Community Caravan concept needs funding, and support.

“We have asked a lot from the places we have gone for funding the caravan. So, we are wary of whether we’ll actually be approved. If there are any other businesses out there keen on granting us some cash to definitely make sure it gets off the ground, please get in touch.”

Ms Sargent said there’s an opportunity to have a sponsors logo on the caravan as it travels all over Moorabool, on the website, and on posters around town on how to book.

“As it is the community’s van, we would like it on display at Egan’s Reserve, for ease of use there and to be picked up and dropped off there in the future. It’s all up in the air and we just hope it all comes together.”

The Greendale Social Club has applied for a Moorabool Community Grant, but would welcome sponsors to come on board to help make the Community Caravan a reality.

For more information, contact Kristin Sargent via email on [email protected].