There has been a lot going on behind the scenes to get everything ready so Charles can head off to Proston with our tradies and volunteers, and we are almost there.
For this trip we have 12 volunteers signed up, with jobs spanning four different farms. Our volunteers are going to have their work cut out for them this week because the jobs are huge! There is a fencing job which will be enough to keep a few workers occupied for a few weeks. There is also whole house which needs sanding and repainting.
It’s going to be a marathon effort to get as much done as we can as there are other jobs too! There are also things like fixing cars and sheds, painting, gardening, and guttering to complete. These Farm Rescue trips can be vital for rural communities where there is a serious skill shortage. Tradies either can not be found, or are more expensive than our farmers can afford.
The trips also provide a unique opportunity to our volunteers to experience something entirely new. There is nothing quite like putting in a week of hard work on a farm. Our volunteers this time range from highly skilled, to not having any particular skills but being very passionate about getting in and helping out.
Proston is located 280km North-West of Brisbane, so it’s a fair hike for a lot of our generous volunteers. One person is driving all the way up from NSW. It’s a 10 – 15 hour drive for him, but he is ready to help our farmers.
“Hopefully all our volunteers have a great time, and want to come back again,” said Nibedita Roy, Rural Aid’s Volunteer Coordinator. It seems that with 23 people signed up for the Miles trip in July, and nearly the same number for Mitchell in August that the word is getting around. A Farm Rescue trip is a wonderful experience for a volunteer, and very necessary for our farmers.
If you want to get involved, you can sign up here.