Tea lady: Henley Friends Incorporated president Kath Mullins delivering tea and coffee to guests of the fund raising lunch last week.
Eleven years ago a handful of motivated and community minded Kyabram citizens set out with the goal of raising $4 million to build a new 15-bed aged care housing facility in the town.
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The last two years have presented a series of frustrating road blocks for the group, but last week the “green shirts’’ were back in action at the Kyabram Senior Citizens’ hall in Lake Rd.
Since the launch of Henley Friends Incorporated, the group has taken several steps forward before the regularly community based activity of the organisation was put on hold — along with just about every other interactive component of society.
Kath Mullins, president of the group, was in her element alongside her dedicated band of volunteers for the Soup, Sandwiches and Slice event last week.
There were 60 guests taking advantage of the waitered service and holding tight to their raffle tickets as a hoard of prizes were on offer to the assembled mass.
Slice of heaven: Bernie Noonan in waiter mode during the Henley Friends event at Kyabram Senior Citizens last week.
Henley Friends Incorporated hasn’t staged one of these events since early in 2020 and the enthusiasm of both organisers — and guests — was obvious as talk of stepping up the fund raising process continued.
Win Crilly, the face of the Henley Friend Incorporated Charity Raffle, explained the group had staged a variety of fund raising events, including morning coffees, Christmas in July and, of course, its highly successful — and well supported — charity raffle event.
But the $4 million target remains a pie in the sky figure, architectural plans for the development of the facility now awaiting Campaspe Shire Council approval.
“The plans have been with the council for 12 months now. We are hoping that we will have an answer on how we progress from her shortly,” Mrs Mullins said.
While guests tucked into either pumpkin or vegetable soup, every sandwich filling in the known universe and a seemingly endless range of delicious slices, the Henley Friends Incorporated president continued to dream of the project being realised.
The development of the Mackie and Station St bordered site is expected to be completed in three stages, once rubber stamped by the council.
Two large blocks and a small piece of land, which was owned by the shire, have been purchased by the group for establishment of the facility.
“While we wait for council to give us the go ahead, everything is about putting the money together for the project,” Mrs Mullins said.
“But, before we can apply for grant support, we need the permit from council.”
The Henley Friends Incorporated initiative will be a facility for people aged 55 years and over on set income and will have no ingoing costs.
Stage one involved five of the 15 beds, along with the living, dining, kitchen, laundry and administration areas.
Coffee and cake: Amy Nicholson, Kath Guinan, Marie Canning and Wilma Bergin were among 60 guests at the Lake Rd fund raising event.
That will be followed by stage two, a six-bed build and, finally, four beds in the final stage along with surrounding facilities, including a scooter charging area.
Mrs Crilly said the group hadn’t organised anything after the lunch, but it was likely to be a Christmas lunch in late November or early December.
“The charity raffle starts this month,” she said.
Mrs Mullins said the group had gone as far as it could in its planning and really needed the council go ahead before any further action could be taken on the site — the former location of a Kyabram kindergarten.
