━ COMMUNITY
Major Community Projects
Funded by HSCC
At the 34th Annual General Meeting, Horsham Sports and Community Club President, Gloria Muldoon and Manager, Daniel Hounsell announced that the successful recipients of the Major Community Project Sponsorship for 2025 are Nhill Lake Reserve Committee as well as Rainbow and District Landcare Group.
The joint winners will each have $10,000 to complete their projects, with visions of finalising by Christmas.
Dale Stanford, Committee Chairman accepted the funding on behalf of Nhill Lake Reserve Committee. Their project “Nhill Lake Table Shelters” is to fabricate and erect five all steel shelters over existing table and bench seat sets around the perimeter of the lake.
Bernard Young, Secretary/Treasurer accepted the funding on behalf of Rainbow and District Landcare Group. Their project “Completing the Rainbow Walking Track” The Rainbow Walking Track was first opened in 2016, but owing to a fund shortfall, the track was not a complete loop, nor the width needed for two people to walk together. It also had interpretive signs that have now faded. The vision is now to complete the loop with a full width track so families and people with a disability can use the track safely.
Horsham’s Christian Emergency Food Centre
Horsham’s Christian Emergency Food Centre volunteers have purchased and customised a van, funded by a Horsham Sports and Community Club community-voted grant, for food pick-ups and deliveries.
Previously relying on volunteers’ own vehicles, manager John Spehr said the van was much better suited to the food centre’s requirements.
“Some of our volunteers’ vehicles weren’t suited to the tasks – they were trying to fit large trays in the backs of sedans, things were being picked up in utes – this is so much better,” he said.
Client assessment manager Bev Miatke said the volunteers were enjoying the van’s ease of use.
“It’s straightforward to drive, and we’ve found we can now just make one trip to pick items up, rather than half a dozen,” she said.
“It’s been really, really great, it’s made a huge difference to us.”
Horsham Sports and Community Club regularly assist the food centre, donating frozen meals each month as well as reverse advent boxes in the lead-up to Christmas.
Christian Emergency Food Centre was announced the winner of the grant after almost 650 Horsham Sports and Community Club members voted it their preferred recipient.
Driving community support, 19 February 2025, Bronwyn Hastings, The Weekly Advertiser
Horsham Cemetery Trust
The $50,000 allocation will lead to upgrades to the cemetery’s water storage capacity with additional water tanks, more water pressure pumps, a reconfiguration of the sprinkler system and upgraded electronic control systems.
Mr Walter said the project would allow the cemetery to capitalise on the SmartWater project, which initially focused on sporting reserves and parks before it was extended to include Dudley Cornell Park and Horsham Cemetery.
“To make the best use of that water, we need to upgrade our sprinkler systems, and because the water is intermittent, we need tanks because there are restrictions on when you can spray the water around.
“To upgrade our system, we need more tanks, pumps and sprinkler systems.
“With the latest technology, the whole thing will be able to be controlled from a mobile phone – it will be fantastic for the two full-time employees at the cemetery to be able to be do that, wherever they are.”
Mr Walter said the project would allow the trust to continue improving the appearance of Horsham Cemetery.
“It would be lovely if we could turn some of it into parkland – a place you can go, sit down and reflect,” he said.
Trust taps into SmartWater project, Sean O’Connell, 07 February 2024, The Weekly Advertiser.
WHCG Lung Function Testing Unit
The lung function lab, valued at $55,000, became a reality thanks to the generosity of Horsham Sports and Community Club, which had awarded a grant of $30,000 to Grampians Health Horsham to help with setting up the lab. The remaining amount of $25,000 was funded by the health service.
Located at Alan Wolff Medical Centre in Read Street, the lab and will be instrumental in treating lung ailments such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
The new facility is part of Grampians Health’s efforts to enhance the range of clinical services that are delivered in Horsham and bring care closer to people across regional Victoria.
Grampians Health’s clinical services plan estimates that the growth in demand for respiratory services has risen by 5.46 percent per annum between 2015 and 2020 in the areas serviced by Grampians Health.
“Establishing a lung function lab, which is a first in Horsham, will help diagnose respiratory problems faster in the region while reducing travel times for patients who would have otherwise been required to travel to Ballarat to access this service,” said Dr Andre Nel, Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Grampians Health.
Grampians Health has also trained a specialist nurse to help run the clinic, and tests done at the lab in Horsham will be sent to a specialist respiratory physician at the Ballarat campus.
“We are extremely grateful to Horsham Sports and Community Club for their contribution, which has helped make the lung function lab – which is a vital piece of diagnostics equipment – a reality for the hospital,” said Dr Nel.
$30,000
WHCG Lung Function Testing Unit
$7,500
May Millar Wagon Cover
$118,229
May Park Safety Fence
$40,000
Green Lake BBQ/Pergola
$5,000
Natimuk Group of Fire Brigades
$15,000
Lake Marma Project
$12,000
Brim Silos Shade & Seating
$5,000
Horsham Cemetry Entrance
$15,000
Horsham Skate
Park Shade
$24,000
WSMLLEN
Let's Read Program
$132,126
Wimmera Fire Brigades
$139,030
Wimmera Kindergartens
$20,000
Taylors Lake Football Netball Club
$7,100
Horsham City
Rowing Club
$3,850