Probus members Betty Robinson, Margaret McLeod, Helen Burkett and Myra Cowell attempting to wrap Christmas gift with one hand.
An impressive number of vehicles, affectionately known as ‘Hay Runners’, from semi-trailers to utilities, rolled into Finley last Friday evening with more than 25 loads of hay.
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It was part of the Lions’ Need for Feed convoy to Jamestown in South Australia. Trucks from many areas including Wagga, Albury, Hillston and Melbourne came to Finley before heading for the final destination.
This is just one of the events carried out by the group of volunteers each year to assist farmers who are experiencing difficulties feeding their stock due to drought, floods, and fires.
Need for Feed came about back in 2006/7 thanks to the actions of Lions Club member Graham Cockerell who, after delivering a load of his own hay to farmers burnt out in East Gippsland and speaking to those affected, decided to do something about it.
At that time, Australia was going through the driest period on record which became known as the Millennium Drought. Conditions were so bad, reportedly three farmers around Australia were committing suicide each week.
Sadly, Graham had lost his own father due to farm related suicide years before so can relate personally to those suffering heartbreak.
“My father wasn’t a bad farmer, in fact, quite the opposite. He found himself in circumstances beyond his control where he could see no other way out,” Graham said.
Many of the drivers in the convoy are farmers themselves. Colin Gilby from Kotupna explained he has experienced difficult times, especially following the floods in 2022, and has now had to make the difficult decision of placing his family property on the market, after being the home of five generations.
President of the Lions Need for Feed, Kelly Laffan, explained that the group not only delivered hay to farmers but also household hampers, Lions’ teddies and toys for the children, and pet food is also provided as most farms have at least one dog to feed. “This can only be carried out thanks to the hard work of Lions Club members, volunteers and donations contributed by communities,” Kelly said.
Donations can be made, and more information obtained by going online to the organisation’s website needforfeed.org.
During their overnight stay, those taking part in the drive were looked after very well by members of the Finley Lions Club who provided them with a barbecue dinner on Friday evening and breakfast Saturday morning. As a way of showing appreciation, they were presented with a Need for Feed anniversary flag.
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Finley Probus Club members are reminded that the first meeting of the year will be held at the Finley Uniting Church Hall on Tuesday, February 4 from 10am.
New members are always welcome.
The group reportedly enjoyed a Christmas Party in December before breaking for the holiday period. Rumour has it that Betty Robinson, Margaret McLeod, Helen Burkett and Myra Cowell kept the members entertained after being given the task of wrapping presents with one hand behind their back!
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Finley RSL Sub-branch will be holding its annual general meeting at the Finley RS Club on Thursday, February 13 at 7pm. An invitation is extended to all members of the community to attend. New members are always welcome.
There are 320 RSL sub-branches in New South Wales which are registered charities set up to support veterans and their families.
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Fire & Rescue NSW Finley Station 293 will be recruiting On-Call Firefighters between January 28 and February 16, as well as hosting an information session and barbecue on Thursday, February 6 at 6pm.
This is a paid position with leave entitlements, offering strong camaraderie and sense of community. An invitation is extended to both male and female members of the community to attend the session. There will also be a drone demonstration.
Zone Commander Frank Finlay will be in attendance and will speak on incidents responded to which include fire, rescue, HAZMAT, to name a few. More information can be obtained by going online tohttps://careers.fire.nsw.gov.au/jobs/search
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Activities at Finley Uniting Church will resume the first week in February with the Beehive group meeting at the hall on Tuesday, February 4 at 1.30pm. Bring your own craft activity and join in the fun with this amazing group.
Then on Saturday, February 8, Crazy Whist will start at 1.30pm. All are welcome to attend.
Both activities are an opportunity to meet up with old friends as well as making new ones.
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Items for ‘From Finley’ may be submitted by phoning 0428 293 922, emailing anne.freestone@bigpond.com or left at the Southern Riverina News office.
Please include a contact name and phone number.
Lions Need for Feed Australia Day 2025 convoy arrives in Finley.
Instigator of Lions Need for Feed Graham Cockerell accompanied by his dogs arrived at Finley showground.
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