Bealiba gets a lift.
We had a very exciting day in Bealiba Tuesday two weeks ago, when a busload of 35 University Students from University Technology Sydney (UTS) pulled up at Bealiba's Town Hall for 'The Big Lift'. This is a student led initiative that has been going for 15 years! Notably Bealiba was the 100th town that the students have assisted since its inception.
After arrival, students carted bedding into the hall and then went exploring before being served a yummy dinner organised by Jenny Lovel.
Wednesday was an early start, with students split up into multiple groups to tackle several town-wide projects such as planting of 130 seedlings at the Reservoir, Cemetery Road clean up, Cemetery fence painting, Bealiba Hall historic room clean up, Post & Rail fence clean up and paint, tennis court clean up, The Evans Hotel Bed and Breakfast clean up and more.
My two days were spent helping in the kitchen, preparing and dishing up meals and ferrying students to the Reservoir and back. It was so rewarding speaking with the students one-on-one about their studies and their motivations to assist small rural towns.
People often lament that young ones today 'do nothing'. Well, here's proof that this is simply not true. These hardworking students took time out of their mid-semester break to help a small town that most of them had never heard of, let alone visited!
Such great community spirit shown by a fantastic group of young adults who selflessly donated their time to Bealiba.
Cr Liesbeth Long
Flynn Ward
