Friends of Old Bega Hospital Newsletter 7 October 2022

The 2022 Raise the Roof Spring Fair is on!

Big news for this newsletter is that the Raise the Roof Spring Fair is back on, after two years of Covid interruptions. We hope the weather will be kind to us.

The date is Sunday 30 October, at the Old Bega Hospital, from 10am to 2pm.

Come to the Old Bega Hospital precinct for food and refreshments, business house chocolate wheel, $2 raffle, a cake stall, a Vegemite cooking competition, music, open studios, kids activities including face painting and Zamboni the magician, the Kalaru Dancing Dogs and the famous Dog Jump Challenge, and to catch the latest news on restoration of the main building as the heart of our OBH Regional Community Cultural Centre. We're giving it the subtitle A Gathering on the Common because back in the 1800s the Old Bega Hospital site was part of the Bega Common, there for everyone. Money raised will go to purchase furnishings and equipment for community areas in the soon to be restored OBH.

Poster attached.

Bendigo Bank is our major sponsor for the day and we thank them very much for their generosity and community support.

Halloween is the theme and families can let their imagination run wild and dress appropriately. There will be prizes for the best Halloween dressed individual and family (family dog must be on a leash).

VEGEMITE® Cooking Competition

The VEGEMITE® cooking competition is on for 2022, with judging at the 2022 Raise the Roof Spring Fair. Entry form (pdf, 0.8 MB); poster (pdf, 0.8 MB). Time to get your thinking caps on for original recipes and to scour the web for other ideas!

Music

Garry Carson Jones, Candy/Lil McVeity, David Stocker (poetry reading), Bega Brass Band, The Sugarants.

Chocolate Wheel donations are coming in from the ever supportive business houses in our local area. Friends would like to take this opportunity to thank the early birds and let the community know some of the great prizes which can be won for a $5.00 investment, 2 spins over the time of the Fair, and only 100 tickets sold for each spin. 10 draws each spin- each draw made up of a number of vouchers. Pretty good odds in anyone’s language.

Some donations we've had already (more welcome!):

Tathra Newsagency, 2 books, Careflight Bear, Girls Dream Build a Castle set - total value $100.

Volunteers needed

The Friends Committee do need extra volunteers to help on Fair Day. If you are able to offer a couple of hours help it would be greatly appreciated.

  1. on the BBQ/drinks, and cake and Devonshire tea and sandwich stalls (sandwiches already made up)
  2. on $2.00 raffle (drawn at Fair) and merchandise stall
  3. with parking and traffic control
  4. in the information, site and people management gazebo
  5. as a general gopher
  6. at the chocolate wheel sales table
  7. with set up from 8.00am, and clean up after 2.30pm

Friends look forward to hearing from you, if you can help, so we can lock you into our roster. Please phone Val Little on 0428 991 683, or email her at froglittle@bigpond.com, with your area of interest from the list above, and times you could be available.

Other things you can do

  1. Email promotional material for the Fair to all of your contacts.
  2. Ask friends with businesses (not just shops fronts, but builders, doctors, lawyers etc,) for prizes for Chocolate Wheel. Cash prizes are good- or vouchers purchased from local businesses (the purchaser will be the one acknowledged). All donors get listed at ticket sales tent and thanked by MC. Val will need to know if you have collected any Vouchers 2 weeks before the Fair, as the Chocolate Wheel draws take time to work out and promote. But don’t hold back if some late mail comes in!
  3. Ask friends and family to cook for the Cake, Devonshire and Morning Tea Stall- cakes, scones, slices, biscuits, bread  etc. And don’t forget to mention the OBH Bega centric Vegemite Cooking Competition (details soon on OBH web page.)  Any baking can be delivered to the cottage from 9.00am on the day of the Fair. Don’t forget ingredient list, (forms listing ingredients will be available, at the cottage, on Fair Day.)
  4. Encourage family and friends to dress up in Halloween themed gear.
  5. If visiting any of our local markets between now and 30 October mention our day to stall holders and food van people. Market stall (profit & not for profit) and food van application forms are at http://www.obh.org.au/Friends/documents/RtRStallBooking20220930.pdf.
  6. Renew your Friends membership if you haven't already! http://www.obh.org.au/Friends/membership.htm.
  7. Keep the date free so you can come along and enjoy all that the OBH Raise the Roof Spring Fair has to offer.

Far South Coast Landcare Association

Looking forward to catching up with our community at the 2022 Raise the Roof Spring Fair. We will have an interesting Landcare display to illustrate how we support any group or individual wishing to improve the way our land and water resources are managed. We are a volunteer group and address issues such as weed control, soil health, water quality, re-establishing native vegetation and so much more. Come along with your questions and your children to find out how you can help our environment. Jean Bentley (Programs Manager: office hours – Tues, Wed & Thur 9.00am to 3.00pm at the OBH. https://www.fscl.org.au/about-fscla/).

Far South Coast Beekeepers Association.

You will find us hanging out at our apiary (follow the precinct signs), with our open bee frame on display throughout the whole Raise the Roof Fair. We will be delighted to introduce and mentor newcomers to the joys and benefits of bee keeping (not just your own honey!) and answer any questions more experienced apiarists might have to throw at us. For more information on our association- meetings, workshops, mentoring etc. go to https://begavalley.beekeepers.asn.au/.

Like our most important friends, the bees, we are always busy doing something relating to our passion – beekeeping. Secretary, Tasia Livaditis.

93.7FM Bega Valley Community Radio

There’s always something interesting happening on the Edge - and our studio will be open to the community to enable it to check out exactly what’s happening on the day of the OBH Raise the Roof Fair. So please pop in and chat with one of our keen amateur announcers and watch how a community radio station works. We will also be selling off records and CDs - bargain prices!

Any questions –  John Reynolds, 0417 260 454, EdgeFM.

Bega Valley Textiles.

Bega Valley Textiles will have its Old Operating Theatre studio and workspace open at the Raise the Roof Fair. The community will be able to take a wander around, checking out the display of beautiful creatives made from varying fibres by varying means, all handcrafted.

Our band of merry fibre artists will be demonstrating various fibre skills in the sunshine on the lawn in front of their studio. There will be beautiful handcrafted items for sale (don’t forget Christmas is not far away) and plenty of opportunity for questions about the group to be answered. The group meets every week, alternating Friday and Saturday, from 10.00am at OBH, and has a group meeting once a month in CWA rooms, Cobargo. Secretary, Chris Rogers, is happy to answer any questions you might have - rogers@netspeed.com.au.

Bega Men's Shed

Bega Men are looking forward to opening up their Shed at the OBH Raise the Roof Fair to show off the Shed’s workspace, with its new large outdoor shelter addition, as well as to chat to the community about what goes on in that workspace - all things related to woodworking, creating and repairing. Also the members are holding a huge second hand sale of tools, crafted woodwork items, household items, bric-a-brac and possibly even a kitchen sink. Make sure you wander over to the Bega Men’s Shed - plenty of treasure will be available to make your own. The early bird gets the worm! Any questions, ring Dave (Secretary) on 0408 630 973.

Restoration Update

Tenders for the restoration of the main building were called in June. Unfortunately they came in over our budget. We are working with Public Works and our funding bodies on a plan B, but can't say much at the moment because it is commercially sensitive.

All the best

Richard Bomford

President
Friends of the Old Bega Hospital Inc