Avenel Cemetery Trust

Avenel Cemetery Trust members became the proud owners of a new ride on mower thanks to a grant from Bendigo Bank Nagambie under their 2022 Nagambie Community Investment Program.  The new addition of the new mower to the equipment owned by the Trust has made the job of keeping Avenel Cemetery neat and tidy easier for its volunteer members.

The new ride on mower, which features a rear discharge, means that members of the Trust are no longer cleaning grass clippings from graves and headstones after mowing.  Avenel Cemetery Trust Secretary, Yvonne Sloper, said that it made the job of maintaining the Cemetery easier as their volunteer members could turn their attention to other tasks, rather than cleaning up after the mower. By keeping the grass short, volunteers aim to identify potential risks in an effort to keep the community safe.

Bendigo Bank Nagambie Branch Manager, Teri Johnson, said it is a pleasure to support a wholly volunteer group such as the Avenel Cemetery Trust. It is through the support of customers at Bendigo Bank Nagambie and Community Bank Heathcote & District that profits are able to be invested back into the community that supports them. 

The Avenel community appreciates the efforts of the volunteers of Avenel Cemetery Trust who are maintaining the Cemetery for mourners and tourists, with the Cemetery playing host to the memorial of Red Kelly - Ned Kelly’s father. People wanting to join the Trust are invited to meet with members on the second Tuesday or the month at 7.30pm at the Avenel CFA Station.  

Heathcote SES

In 2021, Heathcote SES received funding for two projects:

- Their ‘Emergency Response Computer Upgrade’ project received $14,822.
This project enabled the Heathcote SES Unit to purchase up-to-date computer technology for use by their volunteers when responding to requests for assistance from the community, providing real-time safety and technical information and improved communication between crews and control roles. It will also be used at their Local Head Quarters in the event of a major emergency when an Incident Control Point is established as well as for facilitating online individual and group training opportunities for all volunteers.

The response area that the Heathcote Unit covers is approximately 1,545 square kilometres, and shares neighbouring boundaries with Rushworth, Seymour, Kilmore, Castlemaine, Bendigo and Rochester Units.

- Their second project, ‘Project Illumination’,  received $9,437.
With SES call-outs happening at night, head lamps and hand held torches are critical pieces of personal protective equipment for each volunteer. This project will ensure that each current member (plus spares for new members in 2022) will be equipped with a quality head lamp for their helmet, allowing night time illumination of their personal work space and visibility of them (safety).
The project also includes a quantity of hand held torches which are stored in each vehicle - critical for searches, road crash rescues, etc.

Heathcote SES Unit Controller Darren O'Connor said the Unit were thrilled to hear of their success. “The group messaging we use lit up with excitement, it was truly a feel good day!” Darren said “I have been a SES volunteer for just on 20 years. When I first joined I was amazed at all the different ways we helped out people in our community, and also a bit shocked at the amount of fundraising we had to do to provide that service. This is where awesome organisations like the Community Bank step in to help.

On behalf of Heathcote SES, and the people that we help, thank you so much to the Community Bank for recognising the role SES plays. Your generosity will greatly improve the training capabilities, response and safety for us volunteers.”