After participating in messy or muddy rescues, members of the Rylstone Kandos VRA Rescue Squad will soon be able to soak their soiled PPE at the team shed.
Thanks to a $4000 grant from the former Coalition Government, the group will purchase a team washing machine so members won’t have to bring any grubby gear home with them.
The funding, awarded through the Volunteer Grants program, will also see the group set up several new computers at the Rescue Station, helping volunteers to easily access information and connect to video conferences in an emergency.
Federal Member for Calare, Andrew Gee, said the grant acknowledged a great deal of hard work the Rylstone Kandos VRA Rescue Squad give to their local community.
“Volunteers are the backbone of communities in the bush, lending their time, skills and energy to make our villages, towns and cities the best they can be,” said Mr Gee.
“With resilience, selflessness, and a fair bit of sweat, the amazing volunteers at the Rylstone Kandos VRA Rescue Squad go the extra mile, answering calls for help – no matter the hour – from the local community.
“At a moment’s notice the local VRA team drop everything to lend a hand, volunteering as primary responders for many different rescue situations, from incidents on our regional highways and roads, to accidents in local forests and bushland.
“That’s why it’s fantastic that the Rylstone Kandos VRA Rescue Squad has received a $4000 grant to make life a little easier for the volunteers who give so much to their local, and surrounding, communities.
“It’s been a rough few years for the region, with the drought, the Black Summer Bushfires, the COVID-19 pandemic, and flooding events taking it in turns to devastate our country communities.
“While the recovery from these disasters is going to take years, its groups like the Rylstone Kandos VRA Rescue Squad which forego sleep and sustenance to help keep us safe when things turn sour,” Mr Gee said.
The Volunteer Grants program was established by the former Coalition Government in recognition of the invaluable work of Australia’s volunteers. Funding of $1,000 to $5,000 is for available for eligible not-for-profit community organisations to assist their volunteers and encourage volunteering.
