While it was a bittersweet end to one organisation, a generous donation marked significant growth in another.
On Friday, October 25, while Year 12 students celebrated their final day of school, youth group Kyabram Bluelight received a helping hand from their friends in Epping in the form of a new trailer.
Despite valiant efforts to revive post-COVID activities, Epping Bluelight made the difficult decision last year to conclude their operations, but not without ensuring their legacy lived on.
While sorting out their assets, they decided to donate their trailer to their Kyabram constituents who have been thriving in recent years.
President of the now defunct Epping Bluelight, Senior Sergeant Kristy Barker has a tie to Kyabram that made it easy to consider Kyabram as new owners of the trailer.
Growing up in Kyabram herself, Sen Sergeant Barker had been keeping track of the success of the group’s activities including Kyfit, the various discos and camps and excursions.
“I knew all of the stuff that they did was amazing for the kids here so that’s why we ultimately chose Kyabram… I mean, look at all the stuff they do, it’s incredible,” she said.
“We know that it will be going to a home that will treat it and use it right and for good reasons, so we feel okay saying goodbye to it.”
Sen Sergeant Barker and Epping Bluelight’s secretary Leading Senior Constable Wendy Shields were impressed with how Kyabram Bluelight had done up the trailer and were happy that it was in the right hands.
Kyabram Bluelight’s president Michell Bull said he was grateful to their friends in Bluelight Epping for considering them to receive the trailer and said it will be a great addition to their assets.
The new trailer allows Bluelight Kyabram to transport and store items safer and more efficiently.
It will serve as a mobile storage unit for Bluelight disco equipment, eliminating the need for multiple trips and significantly streamlining the setup and pack-up process.
“We were using the school trailer, the trailer from the police station, or really anything we could get our hands on is what we were using (previously),” Sen Constable Bull said.
“Now, we can basically fit a whole disco into the trailer, whereas previously the same thing we were doing three or four trips in seven different vehicles,” he said.
He also explained that it would allow transportation for camping and other excursions to be a lot more accessible than in years past where the trailer can hold all the bags and equipment they need for an escape to the out.
He hopes that one day they can attach a solar panel to generate electricity for excursions as well.
Thanks to the generosity of local businesses and the enthusiastic help of KyFit kids, revamping the trailer cost a mere $87 for registration, with all other supplies and services kindly donated.
“As soon as we explained what we were up to, people were willing to help out and chip in,” Sen Constable Bull said.
“It really shows what kind of community we live in that businesses are able to get behind and support this organisation,” he said.