2022 volunteer shout out …straight from the heart

A big shout out first to our 2022 Committee many of whom were also the backbone of our six work teams – John, Des, Steve, Bob, Sandy and Bronwen – who have been tireless in making so many things happen and with a smile. Here’s a short list of the work they did or led:

1. wooing donors and fundraising
2. assembling winning grant bids
3. selecting top-notch consultants for the feasibility study
4. organising a pose of council staff and CMRT peeps onto the study’s steering group and expert reference group
5. establishing a small legion of community ambassadors up-and-down the trail
6. representing CMRT at community organisations through presentations and advocacy
7. being seen and heard in the community via exhibition stands, letters and media releases
8. working with MPs, councillors and government bureaucrats to promote the cause
9. executing projects such as our short-film and our “Better on a Bike” workshop
10. keeping our website fresh and our e-newsletters regular for our members and supporters
11. entertaining our members and guests at events like “Out for a Spin” for Words in Winter Festival
12. attending to governance regulation, sound finances, and healthy membership
13. helping our volunteers find a volunteering role that suits them
14. …and staying focused on outcomes, determined to make an impact and on-message.

On behalf of all of us: well done!

An even bigger thanks to our project volunteers without whom we couldn’t get all that work done.

• Robin Murdoch who has proofed documents galore as well as taken our minutes at committee meetings. A clear eye and a steady hand indeed
• Garis Alexander, our data wrangler who produces any list of members, volunteers or donors we could wish for at the drop of a hat
• Peter Watts who used his videographer skills to capture lots of useful footage for promoting the trail, his images contributing to our 1-minute video
• Briele Hansen (who with Sandy Harman) has produced our long-awaited short-film that we will also use to win hearts and and minds
• Scott Rossiter who has managed to fit in emergency design and illustration with vim and vigour
• James Mack for his technical work on our website functionality
• Frank Kinnersley who provides expert rail trails advice and a wise sounding board
• Steve Harrisson who has taken on a project to define and research a Moolort Lookout near to the trail and write about local history for the website
• Mick Evans, who along with Bob Forde and others, organised a successful walk from Guildford to our marker at Strangways, in conjunction with the Great Dividing Trail Association
• David Tuck not only produced an entertaining segment for “Out For a Spin” but his research and subsequent essay for the website is extremely valuable
• Geoff Hooke, who along with Steve Foskey and Des Boucher, are key to organising a walk between Maryborough and Carisbrook in March
• Paul van der Wal who is organising an event in Castlemaine celebrating the epicurean delights future trail users will encounter
• Deb Macer for her professional services to community ambassadors and to Maryborough as one of our team who spread the word in the various hamlets and towns where we need to grow support.
• Tim Cocking, Mick Evans, Greg James, Owen Macer, Jill Pattinson and Ken Stewart for their work in communities as trail ambassadors.

Thanks too the 20-odd casual volunteers who help out or have put their hands up for our public events.

CMRT is much more than our Committee. We aspire to be a social movement that unites many of us in common cause to connect our communities through by advocating for a trail on the disused rail line from Maryborough to Castlemaine.

Volunteers, we salute you!