Rural Aid program the Gift of Music is asking for donations of old instruments

Posted on 29 January 201931 October 2023

“You need more than passion to play a musical instrument, you also need a musical instrument.”

Rural Aid’s latest project The Gift of Music is breaking down that barrier for hundreds of rural and regional kids all over Australia, although they do need the public’s help according to musician and event coordinator Victoria Edwards.

“Giving a child a musical instrument is not just giving them a skill for life, it also gives them joy, gives them something to do, improves their hand eye coordination, teaches patience and discipline and helps with school studies,” she said.

“Music is just great – it is one of those rounded things that we need in society but unfortunately music and arts programs are generally the first to go from schools.”

The Gift of Music is calling on everyone to have a look around their house and donate any unused, old, and even broken instruments to the program.

Rural Aid then tries to match the instruments with either individuals or schools that have applied through their website, recently delivering 37 eukalales to the remote region of Bedourie in south west Queensland.

“How many people have old instruments that they have bought for their kids or themselves that no longer get used,” Mrs Edwards said.

“We even fix up instruments that aren’t in good shape.

“Sharing an instrument is giving it new life, and bringing music into the life of a child or a family is an amazing thing.” 

People can register instruments, or apply for an instrument, through the Rural Aid website.

Source: The Northern Daily Leader

Keith Urban and Toyota chipping in for Rural Aid at Tamworth

Posted on 24 January 201931 October 2023

Everyone from Keith Urban and Toyota right through to the music fan on the street have been pitching in for Rural Aid at festival this year, and the charity are making the most of the golden opportunity.

The charity kicked off in 2015 with the life-saving Buy a Bale campaign, and has since grown into a fully fledged support program for regional Australians, and haven’t they let them know this week.

Events coordinator Victoria Edwards has been blown away by the amount of people that have dropped into their stands to thank them.

“We never really expected it but we have had lots of farmers just drop in to thank us – it has been amazing,” she said.

“Obviously country music fans have an affinity with people in the bush, and the festival attracts people from all walks of life so it is really helping us raise that awareness.” 

While the Keith Urban concert helped fill the charities coffers, they have also been named as the charity of choice by major sponsors Toyota this year.

While that means that the organisation gets two stands on the street, they also receive the profits from an icon of the Tamworth festival, the 18,000 Toyota Hats on the street this year.

“It has been so good to have our profile raised like that,” Ms Edwards said.

“Because people are coming from everywhere that awareness will go Australia wide, niot just in Tamworth, and I really think we are starting to get that message through that large parts of Australia are in the grips of a severe drought.

“City people are starting to understand that meat, bread and milk doesn’t just come from the supermarket.” 

Council country music manager Barry Harley has more than pleased to see Rural AId named charity of choice by Toyota, and believes the very nature of the festival is also serving a greater purpose for rural communities.

“There was a little concern that the drought might impact on numbers, but what we have seen is that in some cases the festival is having a positive impact,” he said.

“Over 75 per cent of all 2800 performances are free which creates a great opportunity for a little respite or a break from the farm – that is something very unique to Tamworth.”  Ms Edwards agreed.

“A lot of those farmers we have spoken to are using the festival for a bit of relaxation,” she said.

“If they have got a bit of hay from us, or a bit of feed, and can get away for a few days that can make a lot of difference.” 

Rural Aid are also accepting unused or spare instruments for their Gift of Music program.

Source: The Northern Daily Leader

Toyota donates to Rural Aid

Posted on 23 January 201931 October 2023

The Toyota Country Music Festival will donate funds to Rural Aid in support of remote communities.

Mental health services inside Rural Aid will benefit from Australia’s largest music festival’s Raffle for Resilience, with first prize on offer being a 200 Series Toyota LandCruiser.

It’s not just any 200 series up for grabs; a custom-built top-spec LandCruiser Sahara has been designed to pay homage to the legendary FJ40 LandCruiser which started life 60 years ago.

Original FJ40 inspires.

by Toyota’s Port Melbourne product planning and development team, the 200 Series gets a vintage gold paint scheme, with customer black grille inserts and rear cowling, and black alloys, to replace the vehicle’s original chrome highlights.

Genuine roof racks, nudge bar and a 3.5t braked towing kit are also blackened on the Sahara which also retains its powerhouse 200kW and 650Nm 4.5-litre twin-turbo, diesel V8. It’s a far cry from the original petrol 3.6-litre in-line six, four-speed LandCruiser which was brought to Australia in 1958.

In addition to the LandCruiser first prize, Toyota says it is contributing over $171,000 in prizes for the raffle, including a meet-and-greet with Glenn McGrath, two tickets to the 2019 AFL Grand Final, a 2018-team signed cricket bat and an All-Australian AFL team signed Sherrin football.

Toyota Australia marketing chief Wayne Gabriel says Rural Aid plays an important part in country people’s lives.

Wayne Gabriel, Toyota Australia chief marketing officer

“With the recent severe drought affecting millions across Australia, support for charities like Rural Aid is more crucial than ever and we are proud to have been able to provide support through the Toyota Country Music Festival,” he says.

“As the vehicle that’s played a part in the lives of so many rural Australians for 60 years, creating a bespoke LandCruiser to support them made perfect sense,” Gabriel adds.

“The organisation does a fantastic job in providing a variety of support services for rural Australians across the country and we hope that the chance to own this one-off vehicle will encourage people to support this raffle,” he says.

Rural Aid chief executive Charles Alder says farmers and regional communities have relied on Toyota for generations.

“People in the bush have had it particularly hard over the past few years, and demand for our services continues to increase so it’s great that Toyota is such a committed supporter of our cause,” he says.
“Toyota has always been there for rural and regional Australians, and given the popularity of its LandCruiser models among country folk, this makes for a great prize that we are sure will encourage the broader community to buy tickets,” Alder says.
“All proceeds will be used to help grow the essential mental health services we provide for those in need,” he adds.

Source: autotalk.com.au

Rural Aid will deliver hay to drought affected NSW regions

Posted on 21 January 201931 October 2023

With 99.7 per cent of New South Wales impacted by the drought and no immediate relief to the weather in sight, an influx of hay deliveries to drought affected areas of the state is forecast for 2019.

Rural Aid has announced hay deliveries will be made to drought-affected NSW areas this year as blistering conditions are forecast to continue throughout 2019.

The NSW Department of Primary Industries’ (DPI) recently confirmed that help is desperately needed as large parts of western and central NSW remained in drought or intense drought categories of the NSW monitoring framework, despite some isolated storms providing some relief throughout December.

CEO of Rural Aid Charles Alder said the NSW DPI report reinforced the feedback that Rural Aid has been receiving from farmers across NSW over the past few months.

“Over 1700 farmers in NSW registered for assistance in the last quarter of 2018 and our charity has received almost 70 applications for assistance in the first week of 2019,” Mr Alder said.

“Rural Aid has commenced hay and water deliveries to many of the areas impacted, particularly in Western NSW.”

Mr Alder said in the last fourth months Rural Aid delivered over 21,045 tonnes of hay to drought affected areas of NSW and QLD. With 915 trailers transporting over 30,000 bales.

“We cannot be complacent in thinking this drought will go away anytime soon, so we ask all Australians to continue to support our rural communities,” he said.

“Regions such as Condobolin, West Wyalong and Nyngan are on the absolute top of our list and we aim to deliver to the worst affected regions like Walgett and Coonamble as soon as possible.”

The Bureau of Meteorology confirmed that 2018 was Australia’s third-hottest year on record, with rainfall down 11 per cent on average consequently culminating in ‘severe drought’ in the second half of 2018 in large parts of Australia.

As the long-term weather forecasts predict a torturous summer, Rural Aid’s primary focus is to support rural communities by delivering as much assistance as possible each week across New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia.

For more information on Rural Aid’s upcoming projects and how you can support farmers and rural communities visit www.ruralaid.org.au

Source: Western Magazine

Gabba Test to Support Drought Relief

Posted on 15 January 201931 October 2023

Cricket Australia Media Release

The Domain Brisbane Test against Sri Lanka will support Drought Relief, with the Australian cricket community encouraged to rally around this important cause.

Fans attending the Brisbane Test, as well as those watching at home, will be encouraged to support Australian communities currently experiencing drought by donating to Rural Aid throughout the Test.

Funds raised during the Brisbane Test will be used by drought relief charity Rural Aid to distribute hay bales and water to drought-stricken communities in Western Queensland and New South Wales.
 
The Gabba will come to life with activations dedicated to raising funds for Rural Aid during the match.

Woolloongabba Place will be taken over in support of the Drought Relief cause, with food vendors offering a ‘Parma for a Farmer’, with $1 from each parma sold going to Rural Aid, as well as a big screen for the cricket, and a mechanical bull.
 
With support of Alinta Energy, all water from the Pool Deck at the Gabba will be repurposed at the end of the KFC Big Bash League season and transported to the Darling Downs region for dairy cattle.
 
Cricket Australia Chief Executive Officer Kevin Roberts said:
 
“Sport plays an integral part in the community, particularly when it is going through hardship.
 
“We’re very aware of the challenges for farmers and those living in rural Australia, so we want to do all we can to make a difference and have a positive impact on their lives through the Brisbane Test.”
 
Speaking on the announcement, Australian fast bowler Josh Hazelwood commented:
 
“I think it’s really important to raise as much awareness and funds as we can for drought relief.
 
“I’ve seen the effects it can have on a community through experiences form my hometown of Bendemeer and it can be very challenging, so I’m grateful that we’re in a position where we can help make a difference.”
 
Rural Aid is the leading drought relief charity focused on supporting the viability of rural communities across the country.
 
Over the past four months of 2018, Rural Aid has delivered more than 20,000 tonnes of hay to drought affected farmers.
 
In the event of the Brisbane Test extending to Day Five, fans will be able to gain entry to the ground with a gold coin donation to Rural Aid.

Source: Queensland Cricket