THE Manangatang Community Flower and Craft Show committee has planted its last seed, announcing that the show will not continue as planned this October.
Committee member and treasurer Leonie Carroll said the closure was due to lack of interest of people to join the committee.
“For 19 years we have been running our Manangatang community and flower craft show and this year at a meeting our two main workers stood down,” Ms Carroll said.
“Like anything it was such a big job for them, no one was able to take on their position and their hard work that we came to a conclusion that we just could not continue.”
Louisa Gibson and secretary Yvon Smythe bowed out from the committee, Ms Carroll saying the show was “Louisa’s baby.”
“Louisa has been part of it since day one and it is ran through our church group,” Ms Carroll said.
“The only reason she stepped down is because she is 92, it is too much for her now.
“Because they stepped down no one else really had the time to be able to step into their positions and take on the workload,” she said.
The committee were open to welcoming new volunteers to take up the vacant positions, however no one came forward.
“They left it open to anyone else in the community to run it, but know one else took up the offer,” she said.
“I think they realised how much work it was and I think that is a credit to how much work they did.”
Ms Carroll believes the closure highlights the continued difficulty of attracting volunteers in the community.
“We just haven’t got the volunteers anymore, you read everyday of other committees closing because of lack of volunteers, its hard,” she said.
“The kids, I can remember seeing their faces when they would come up and get their prize.
It was only a card, but they were so proud of having their thing on show, we are going to loose that now.”
The Manangatang Community Flower and Craft Show was already in the midst of planning when the unexpected folding of the committee happened.
The show has been running for 19 years, with people from as far as Ouyen and Robinvale travelling to Manangatang to enter into the show, displaying their flowers, produce and craft.
The committee will be holding a closure luncheon that is open to anyone that has been involved in past shows on August 6 from 11am until 2pm at the Manangatang Public Hall.
