COHUNA and District Progress Association has flagged the possibility that events like the Big Cohuna Festival won’t run in the future if a lack of community input continues.
The Progress Association called off this year’s Big Cohuna Festival and New Year’s Eve party back in July due to the difficulty and uncertainty created by COVID-19.
However, a lack of volunteer power has been a long-running problem for the group, which has been without a secretary for several months, and is also seeking a president and treasurer.
“It’s getting harder and harder to find volunteers to step up and do it, and in this particular climate it’s even more difficult,” Progress Association president Jason Hensley said.
“There’s COVID-safe, fun things that we could do if we wanted to do.
“But it’s a matter of the community standing up and saying, ‘We want this, we’ll do this, or we’ll let it go’.”
At the September Progress meeting, members agreed that the number of events now run by the association has made the role of a single volunteer events coordinator overwhelming.
The group proposed at its AGM this month to seek different individuals or groups to run each of its events, which include the touring St Kilda Film Festival and Melbourne Comedy Festival, as well as the Big Cohuna Festival.
“At the end of the day it’s the community that has to decide,” Mr Hensley said.
“These events are run by volunteers and if people don’t put their hands up and contribute they won’t happen.”
“That would be a shame, but things don’t last forever.”
