Share in festive cheer across Wingecarribee Shire
What’s happening in your village this Christmas? We’ve partnered with Community Associations across our Shire on place-based fun and festivities, from fairy-lighting and decoration-making to Christmas lunches, Santa visits and kids’ playground parties! Village Associations told us how they wanted to invest a grant of up to $3,000 for larger villages and up to $2,000 for smaller villages, to bring festive cheer to their community.
We loved what they came up with.
- Wingello are putting on a free Christmas lunch for locals celebrating the day alone.
- Berrima put on a big bash for the whole community at the Courtyard Café and storytime for kids at Marketplace playground.
- Penrose invested their grant in fun festive stickers, decorations and good old fashioned games for their Christmas catch-up.
- Kangaloon appreciated the contribution to their big carols and Christmas dinner’.
- Hill Top wanted a couple of Christmas elves to ofer free face painting, along with jumping castles, to bring families together at their annual GLOW event.
- Canyonleigh sent personalised Christmas cards with a local event calendar inside.
- Robertson booked local muso’s for a big night of festive celebrations.
- Yerrinbool ofered Christmas at the Oval and Santa as part of their fun Christmas party
- Balmoral told us the more lights the better! And will host a village Christmas party.
- Medway bought a gazebo they can re-use for their community get-together, along with some solar lights.
- Colo Vale put dollars toward entertainment like a magician, activities and games for their community function
and the list goes on!
In total, $31,000 was made available to village communities for their festivities.
“We’ve had very positive feedback from the village communities on this approach which puts decisions about how Christmas is celebrated in the place where they live, into the hands of community members,” says Corinne Buxton, Wingecarribee Shire Council’s Coordinator Community Development.
Council runs many such community grants schemes throughout each year to partner with communities on the projects that matter to them, aligned with our commitment to working collaboratively to shape an even better future for our Shire.
We encourage community members to get involved with their local Community Association. Council regularly reconnects with these community groups to discuss the priorities of each community and ways we can work together to achieve great outcomes. Participating is a great way to participate in decision-making and feel more connected to your local community.
Check with your local Community Association about what’s happening where you live this Christmas. In the bigger picture, Council has a jam-packed program of great things happening across our Shire. You can download a pdf of Council’s Christmas Unwrapped program from our website.
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