After the devastation of the December 2019 fires, a group of residents from the small townships of Bell, Clarence, and Dargan NSW came together to explore how to support our community in its recovery. Until then, many of us had been working individually or in small groups, however the massive task of recovery loomed large. There were countless reports of community members feeling frustrated that help was not at hand, and there was a strong sense of being forgotten. An experience for many, here on the plateau was the feeling that we were abandoned, our villages left to burn. 

We needed to bring funding to our local area, which as we know, was one of the worst affected areas in the region. Importantly, we wanted the community to have a voice in how this funding was spent. We also needed to find ways to build our resilience, so we could be ready for potential future disasters.

Since its formation, through ABCD Inc, we have sourced a small grant to launch our website and community newsletter, via the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal, to help facilitate connection and communication within our community.  We have also sourced funding from Rotary and NSW Resources For Regions (Round 9) for the construction of a community hall,  which is detailed on our PROJECTS page.   

Moving forward, we would really appreciate monetary donations towards the fit-out of the Community Hall for our residents.  

There are 3 ways you can donate:

1. Tax deductible donations of  $2 and over can be made through our sponsorship arrangement with the Rotary Club of Upper Blue Mountains Sunrise (District 9685). The Rotary Australia Benevolent Society ( ABN 54 563 288 318) has Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) registration and has been listed as a Charitable Fund so they can accept tax deductible donations from individuals or organisations on our behalf. 

The following link will take you directly to their secure donations page: https://donations.rawcs.com.au/55-2021-22 and will enable you to obtain a tax receipt.

2.  You can be part of our community hall – literally!

To raise further funds for out hall and give everyone a sense of ownership, we are offering community members the opportunity to have your names included on a paving project around the hall. Don’t miss out on your chance to be included as part of the history of our new community hall.

You can have individual or business names or hand drawn pictures professionally engraved on a paver. Further details and orders forms are below:   

Final ABCD Paver Order Forms.pdf 

Final Paver Hand Drawn Form.pdf