GLENRAC celebrates at Glen Innes Australia Day 2021!
GLENRAC were very excited to take home two awards at this year's Australia Day Awards. Project Manager Jennie Coldham was awarded the Environmental Citizen of the Year, and the 2019 Christmas Smoko drought relief event held in partnership with Ray White Glen Innes took out the Community Event of the Year.
Environmental Citizen of the Year, Jennie Coldham, has had a long history working in the Landcare space, working at Granite Borders Landcare for many years, followed by time as the Northern Tablelands Regional Landcare Facilitator and Member Services for Landcare NSW.
These days, Jennie leads many of GLENRAC's projects and is dubbed GLENRAC’s grants writer extraordinaire - in the past 24 months alone Jennie has written grants in excess of $4,000,000 on behalf of GLENRAC. Of these applications, $1,500,000 has been secured for projects that have been or are currently being delivered in the Glen Innes community.
Jennie’s skills have contributed greatly to GLENRAC’s capacity to support the Glen Innes community in times of adversity, including the support services offered by the organisation during the 2018-2020 drought and bushfire period, the Time Out from the Dry and Fire Break meal vouchers, weed and pest control, tree planting opportunities, training, events and GLENRAC’s ability to employ 6 local staff part time.
The 2021 Community Event of the Year was awarded to the Christmas Smoko, a drought and bushfire support event hosted by GLENRAC with Vickie Williamson and her team at Ray White Glen Innes at the Glen Innes Showground.
More than 160 people from across our region attended the free community event, taking a break from the extreme drought and bushfire conditions that were severely impacting the area at the time to catch up with friends and family for an afternoon instead.
As well as providing an opportunity for much needed social connection and support during this difficult time, the Smoko created a forum for groups across the district to join together in support of the community.
The day featured food catered by the Glen Innes Lionesses Club, Lions Club and The Super Strawberry, children’s Christmas gifts donated by members of the community through the Ray White Little Ray of Giving promotion, 1188 2NZ /GEM FM radio station and GLENRAC, and wrapped by the Glen Innes CWA day branch ladies, ladies pamper packs from the Rotary Club of Glen Innes Evening & Satellite, pet food donated by Glen Innes RSPCA Glen Innes branch, hampers from the CWA Glen Innes evening branch and Guyra branches, lucky door prizes, over $7000 worth of gift vouchers to local businesses, donations of 10L drinking water, dog biscuits, men’s clothing, cereal and hampers.