Valla Beach Community Association
The Valla Beach Community Association is responsible for the management of the Valla Beach Community Hall, and the promotion and delivery of activities that will be of benefit to all age groups.
IRCF FUNDED Projects
Round 2
Supported with $43,292 to bring together the local community newsletters of the Nambucca Valley to build capability, share content and amplify the voice of young people across the Valley.
Image (L-R): Elizabeth Bond (Project Coordinator), Robynne McGinley (Bowraville Community News), Rachel Burns (Nambucca Community News) and Nancy Sposato (FRRR/IRCF Program Manager)
Community newsletters in the Nambucca Valley (Nambucca Community News, Valla Views and Bowraville Community News) are collaborating to create a support network to ensure their ongoing sustainability.
The Local News Shared project, a funded initiative of the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal (FRRR), Investing in Rural Community Futures Program (IRCF), has brought the newsletters together to share information, support community collaborations, identify needs and access training.
“So far, we’ve done a deep dive into each newsletter’s processes and found common issues. There’s a clear need for more volunteer engagement, succession planning and skills development,” says Project Coordinator Elizabeth Bond.
The group has already completed desktop publishing training, and more training sessions in MailChimp are planned.
“What’s also exciting is the youth engagement. The funding includes youth stories from Shoretrack and the Nambucca Youthie, and we’re hoping to engage the local high schools,”
The community newsletters are published in hard copy and available online and rely on the support of local business advertising and countless volunteers.
“I’ve enjoyed the catch-ups with other newsletter editors and seeing what systems they have in place to get their editions out,” says Carole Andersen from Valla Views.
“We’re just a bunch of volunteers doing what we can to publicise the benefits of living in the Nambucca Valley and showcasing what the Valley provides.”
“There’s more to come, but the goal is to grow the newsletters and keep them relevant for the whole community moving forward,” says Elizabeth Bond.
To view the newsletters, advertise or find out how to get involved, visit:
