Many hands make light work

THE Beechworth Golden Horseshoes Festival committee will hold its annual general meeting at 7pm next Thursday, July 20, upstairs at the Hotel Nicholas. Committee president, Heidi Freeman, said that the xommittee would like to start planning for the 2024 festival earlier this year than in previous years and was very keen to keep the exciting momentum from this year’s festival going. “This year, the committee worked tirelessly to make a success of the weekend and we hope that we can attract more people to help organise the 2024 festival by volunteering their time,” she said. The success of the festival relies on the very committed and passionate volunteers who work tirelessly to keep the festival going, therefore, the committee is hoping that new members will put up their hands to help bring in the crowds again in 2024. Volunteers wishing to attend the AGM can nominate how much time they would like to offer, whether it’s just an hour or two a week, or just to volunteer on the day. Every bit helps and makes the load lighter for those who need assistance. Ms Freeman said new members were encouraged to join “a cheerful group who works cohesively, and enjoys having a few good laughs along the way". No specific skills are required, and tasks are delegated according to need and to the volunteers’ abilities. Even on the day of the festival, the committee is always short of street marshalls and information ambassadors. “This year, it has been estimated that a crowd of approximately 17,000 attended,” Ms Freeman reported. “The committee is very proud they put on the event with such great success, and if anything, it was the probably the biggest Easter event to date, with pipe and drum bands, stilt walkers, vintage car displays, merry-go-rounds, historical re-enactments, an Aboriginal welcoming ceremony, and Mitch Tambo - an unforgettable major national act – coming to town." As always, the street parade was a major highlight with many creative and colourful floats delighting the enthusiastic crowds. “Importantly, there are not many festivals that offer a free event with such great acts," Ms Freeman said. "As we know, some festivals charge hundreds of dollars in entry fees, so we are very fortunate that Indigo Shire donates part of the costs. "However, the shire wants the committee to become self-funded in the future and that is a huge undertaking,” said Heidi. The committee is always grateful for donations both big and small, and will start earlier this year to try to muster enthusiasm for both financial assistance and volunteering time from locals wishing for the festival to survive another year. Ms Freeman said local schools, community groups and individuals were invited to participate in a voluntary capacity and to come to the annual general meeting to volunteer. The Golden Horseshoes Festival committee meets usually once a week but has a break over the Christmas period.

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