Membership appeal

One of Horsham’s busiest community-events organisations has appealed for membership support to help build momentum for a surge out of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Horsham Agricultural Society, needing a strong financial base to present large-scale community attractions, has put uptake of individual membership forward as a potential ‘insurance policy’ in moving forward.

Society executive officer Andrea Cross said the organisation was acutely aware of the stress the pandemic was having on businesses and other traditional sponsors that usually provided financial support for events and was loath to add to that anxiety. “It is quite distressing. We have five major events coming up in the next eight months and we need financial backing to make them work. But to be honest, I don’t have the intestinal fortitude to ask sponsors for too much help considering circumstances,” she said.

“Government support grants have been welcome to make improvements to our grounds, but it’s the community backing we need. You can’t help but feel awkward when asking for people to chip in, but the truth is if we could get 1000 people to buy a $55 membership that would get us through.”

Horsham Agricultural Society, in acknowledging the strong connection agriculture has on the broader district community, has dramatically expanded a traditional farm focus to reflect contemporary rural and regional life.

It has used its primary asset and headquarters Maydale Reserve, on the banks of the Wi mm era River at Horsham Show ground, to pursue the direction with a variety of community inspired events, many with an ag- ricultural theme, which fulfill st he purpose of the organisation’s mission statement. The transformation has led to the society developing events-promotion as a key part of its operations.

Mrs Cross said a primary motivation for the direction was a need for Horsham district people to have opportunities to embrace a variety of events and activities and to appreciate and exploit what the Wimmera had to offer.

“We developed our strategic plan in November 2019 and started to meet our targets. For many months since we’ve been living in a pandemic. I think that’s worth celebrating and community buy-in is essential to maintain our presence in the future,” she said.

“Right now, when it’s been so hard to have events, we’ve still been able to reorientate ourselves to provide an events centre rather than just a place that has the Horsham Show.

“Maydale Reserve lends itself to a suite of activities across a wide range of interests. We cater to the things our community wants. In all the events we host or support, we provide something for everyone.

“We can only do so much with a 300-person limit at the moment and when we are able, we want to be in a position to bring everyone together.

“I’m wearing my heart on my sleeve a bit here. Nobody likes asking for or getting asked for money, but we feel we’re in a position of sitting on a wonderful asset and when we get the all-clear to provide the setting and environment for events, we can kick our community back into life,” she said.

“And yes, I suppose what I’m talking about is financing a communityevent insurance policy for Horsham. But we have projects in the top drawer and have people calling from across Australia who want to run events here. We are identified for our potential in having both indoor and outdoor event centres right in the heart of Horsham.”

“I know we’re asking for trust in our ability and assets. But we’re sure, based on what we’ve already been able to achieve and deliver, that we’re ideally placed physically in the heart of Horsham and ideally placed in the events market place to produce everything from yard-dog trials to a dinner on the river and of course our annual show,” Mrs Cross said.

She said the dilemma of preparing for this year’s Horsham Show, scheduled for September 25 and 26 and amid news of other groups abandoning regional shows, had prompted her to consider alternative ways forward.

“At this stage we’re hanging onto our show by the fingernails and all the uncertainty has meant we’ve been tentative in approaching businesses for much-needed sponsorship and support. Some are doing it pretty tough,” she said.

“So perhaps a dramatic increase in memberships?

“It pains me to call for financial support in such tight circumstances, but if we had a large response we would basically cover what we need – at least for the relative short term.”

The number of traditional annual crowd-based community events across the region is again rising on a COVID-19 pandemic casualty list.

Agricultural and pastoral societies have already cancelled Stawell, Dimboola, Warracknabeal and Nhill shows this year.