Camp Hill Goes West

Right Image: (NHW) Meeting of minds … Camp Hill and Dalby NHW members join together with DCPC Nadine Webster.

Members of Camp Hill 4 NHW travelled to Dalby on Saturday 11 October to help a community still suffering from the crippling affects of the drought.

Six months ago the NHW decided that instead of just being concerned about the affects of the drought in our regional and rural areas they actually wanted to do something. From this point an "Adopt a Rural Watch" project was developed. Camp Hill 4 NHW contacted a number of rural Neighbourhood Watch's to ask them how best they could help. The resounding response was to come and spend money in their local communities.

With much planning and coordination Saturday 11 October saw several members of Camp Hill 4 NHW travel to Dalby to meet with Dalby NHW members and enjoy the town's annual Cotton Week Food and Wine Festival. Members of the watch enjoyed meeting their rural equivalents and hearing about how the drought had impacted on the township and surrounding areas. Many ideas were traded about how to make participation in the NHW program more attractive to local community members, both in city and in country areas. It was reassuring for all involved that many of the issues surrounding participation in the NHW program faced in the city were also faced by the rural watch as well.

Following this, all enjoyed the traditional Cotton Week Parade and a leisurely stroll around numerous stalls offering the best food, wine and craft the Dalby region has to offer. There was also a fantastic display of farm machinery. A good day was had by all with many members of Camp Hill 4 NHW trying to work out how exactly they were going to find room for all their food, wine and other purchases on the journey home.

The trip has fostered an ongoing commitment to continue communication and support between Dalby and Camp Hill 4, with the possibility of a similar trip being organised next year.

Members of Camp Hill NHW pursued the 'Adopt a Rural Watch' project out of the belief that the NHW program is not just about effective local crime prevention. It's also about a more fundamental belief in the importance of being neighbourly and helping others in need.

For more information contact: Shayne Sutton 0417 646 178