Blayney District VIEW Club is now in a winter recess until September, following a successful first six months of 2026.
We have enjoyed a guest speaker or other activity every month, thanks to the hard work of our 2 Programme Officers.
In January, following a very interesting talk by Mary-Liz Andrews last year, we visited the Orange Museum for a guided tour of the exhibition celebrating 100 years of Bloomfield Hospital, in lieu of our usual monthly dinner.
February saw the election of the committee to carry us through to 2027, and we have every position successfully filled.
The wonderful Renee Sinclair spoke to us in March about her business, Burton’s Lane Curry Paste and relayed the incredibly interesting story of her Indian heritage and her family’s movements across India, Burma and to Australia. We were also treated to some samples of Renee’s products.
In April, Trish Arden from Arden Law in Blayney came along, telling us about her life’s journey which has taken her far and wide, including to QLD and a couple of stints in Moree, then finally to Millthorpe. She covered many areas including Wills, Power of Attorney, Enduring Guardianship and the effects AI is having on the law business.
Danica Bunch was the speaker at the May dinner. Danica talked about her journey with breast cancer and the book she has written about it. She is a strong advocate for women with breast cancer.
At the June dinner, we heard Mitchell and Matthew speak about the Smith Family’s Learning for Life programme. They are part of the Family Partnership team and their work involves supporting the financial, personal and practical needs of students in the Orange, Lithgow and Bathurst areas.
Blayney VIEW club currently supports 4 students, and Australia-wide, over 1,840 students receive sponsorship. Also noting that in 2025, VIEW donated $1.6 million to young people in need.
As well as being part of the VIEW and supporting students, many members volunteer in other areas of their lives. A survey conducted during Volunteer Week in May this year revealed that at least 26 organisations benefit from Blayney VIEW Club members volunteering.
When dinners resume in September, we celebrate our 29th birthday and have activities & guest speakers lined up for the rest of the year. This includes our accessory ‘swap’ where members bring along jewellery, scarves, handbags, etc which are surplus to their wardrobes. For a very small price, other members can purchase them. This is a popular evening held every second year which raises funds for Learning for Life.
We will also have a talk on mental health, and the popular Spring Terrace baker, commonly known as ‘the camel lady ’, will talk about her life & work.
Guests are always welcome to our dinner evenings which are held on the third Tuesday of the month at Millthorpe Museum. For the cost of $25, you can enjoy a delicious 2-course dinner prepared by our caterer extraordinaire, Kathryn Cumberland, a guest speaker and an evening of friendship.
If you’d like to attend, just contact Virginia on 0457672748 or any VIEW member.
