CUDMIRRAH BERRARA PROGRESS ASSOCIATION

The origins of this group of dedicated ladies started back on the 20^th November 1980 when Grace Lloyd Joyce Allen, Lorna Armstrong and June Whatmough started the Fundraisers. In the second year, Nancy Cairns, Helen Taylor and Joan Hill joined. Joyce Allen was President for a time, the Grace Lloyd took over and was President for 15 years.

The aim of the group was to supply food and drinks to the Firies whilst out fighting fires and on their return. They also knew what limited equipment this Brigade had and set about raising money to buy the necessary equipment to assist in fighting fires.

They were then known as the Cudmirrah Berrara Fire Brigade Womens Auxiliary. In 1984 they added the words “Community Fundraisers” to their title to express their changing role as they wished to support other local community fund raising needs. The main focus of all monies raised from the early days, right through to the present has been the Cudmirrah Berrara Rural Fire Brigade.

Times change and in 1993 they became incorporated. The new name of the Association was The Cudmirrah and Berrara Fundraising Inc. In 2002 insurance costs became exorbitant and most of the funds raised would have been eaten up by the cost of insurance. Still wanting to raise funds for the CBRFS, they re-joined the RFS and became members of the Cudmirrah Berrara Rural Fire Service. The new name now is, the Cudmirrah Berrara Rural Fire Service Fundraisers. They are now back to where started from and still doing what they have done all along, raising funds for our local RFS.

Four Life Memberships have been given to Grace Lloyd, Nancy Cairns, Helen Taylor and Edna Timms who have been with the group from inception. Unfortunately, Edna passed away in June 2006.

Talk given by Grace Lloyd at the 50th birthday of the CBRF Brigade on the 2nd August 2008, with her memories from 1980 on how the CBRFB Fundraiser ladies came into operation to support our Firies:

My memories of the Fundraisers only goes back to 1980. Other ladies would know much more of the earlier happenings of the Fundraisers.

The Fundraisers was formed after the bad fires in October of 1980, when the wives and other members of our community decided that our firemen needed more than vegemite sandwiches and pikelets to eat when fighting fires, so we formed a committee headed by Joyce Allan to raise money for necessary items for our men. We bought large pressure thermos flasks and had an understanding with Cudmirrah shop that in an emergency we could get bread, milk etc and pay later.

Later we paid Lee Bowman $200 to clear a strip for a fire break from Berrara Road to Cudmirrah, which we did yearly until the water and sewer came on. We bought tarps for unroofed houses and a small 4 wheel drive and a water trailer to fight fires. These are a few of the things we bought in the early days of the Fundraisers. Since then we have supplied the brigade with what was needed in the way of equipment and necessities, as best we can. They know what we have done. To raise funds for brigade members, we started having Mothers Day and Christmas lunches, held Christmas in July, Fundays, Spring Fairs and other money-making activities. We had housie in the school holidays until council insurance costs meant it would cost more than we would make.

In the mid-nineties, after the terrible fires behind Badgee, Rod Rose wanted to disband our fire brigade, but Lorna Armstrong, Helen Clarke and I called a meeting and faced them with the fact that we need our Brigade here.

In the early days a lot our money went on upgrading the Cudmirrah Berrara Community Hall (the kitchen, toilets, tennis court). We helped pay off a loan of $7000, our share of the toilets.

Over time we have become incorporated and have donated to many sporting bodies and to some children who have represented Australia. We have donated to the Lions Club for the dialysis machine for the local hospital, to the Salvation Army, St Vincent De Paul, Sussex Inlet Day Care Bus and a one off donation to the Mens Shed in Sussex. We always support the RSL books for schools on Anzac Day. We support the Coastal Patrol when needed.

We are all officially Cudmirrah Berrara Rural Fire Brigade members and so most of our endeavours are to keep our Fire Brigade as the best in our area. Nancy Cairns, Helen Taylor and I are three of the original members and are entering our 29th year as Fundraiser volunteers.

The Fundraisers also run a craft group that meet on the second and fourth Thursday of the month (except December and January) at 10am in the Cudmirrah Berrara Community Hall. All are welcome to attend. The cost is $5.00, which includes morning tea. Bring your own lunch.

If you would like to join and have a particular craft you would like to learn, please let them know and they will do their best to help you.

They also have a patchwork-quilting group who meet at 1.30pm after the craft group.

Come along and bring a friend. It is a great way to get to know people and make new friends whilst learning something new in a relaxed and happy atmosphere.

According to these excerpts from the "Story of Sussex" written in 1988: "The Volunteer Fire Brigade commenced in1963 with Eric Brennan as the first official Captain. In 1981 they were given a 500 gallon capacity truck plus extras and with the assistance of the Ladies Auxiliary (now called the CBRFS Fundraisers) in raising money and supplying emergency meals, they do a splendid job. The members cover a vast area east of the highway from Thompson Street, Sussex Inlet to Bendalong Road, They are available for bushfires, search and rescue, car accidents and fires in the home."
No doubt boundaries may have changed but the Cudmirrah Berrara Rural Fire Brigade and the Fundraisers are still there.
The present Captain is Michael Newans.
Secretary is Debbie Moberget
Click here to contact the brigade.

Note: For more information on the Cudmirrah Berrara Rural Fire Brigade click on the FIRE BRIGADE button.

Meetings are held at Berrara Beach (weather permitting) once a month with no meeting usually held in the winter month of July. They have a great participation rate from local kids. Parents and helpers conduct the competitions and run the meetings under the guidance of Madeline Rayner, whose idea it was to start this much needed club and whose hard work saw this club come to fruition.

Competitions are held for beginners through to under 18’s. Surfing lessons are also organised.

Meet three times a month in the Function Room 2, Sussex Inlet RSL Club. The Club is now in its eleventh year and caters for all members of the community interested in computers. The Club uses a laptop computer, projector and screen so that all may see the computer screen clearly.

Each meeting commences with a 1 1/2 hour Q and A session where members problems are discussed and a solution is demonstrated giving time for the person to write down the step by step the method of "how to do it". Members and guests are told there are no silly questions, as each one of the members have had to learn to use their computer and have probably needed to ask the same question. After the Q & A session, we have the raffle draw, then its cup of tea or coffee, cake and biscuit break for all to socialise and discuss problems, then we have a demonstration of a program

Once off Joining fee $10.00; Membership fees per year: single $15.00; double $20.00.

The motto of the Sussex Inlet PC Users Group is "USERS HELPING USERS" and that is what happens at every meeting.For meeting dates go to the homepage link below.

Check out sussexinlet.info the web site created by this club not only for the computer club but for the community and tourism in our area.

THE CTC@ SUSSEX INLET- OUR COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY CENTRE

This centre has only one person on the payroll. The rest of the staff are volunteers who give their time and expertise to keep this centre running.

The CTC provide an "internet cafe" type access to computers for those who need it at very reasonable rates. Photocopying, fax service and office services are also provided. Computer lessons are available as are most computer consumables.

The Souvenir CD "Sussex and Surrounds" which is a CD of photos of Sussex, Badgee, Cudmirrah, Berrara and Swanhaven collected from local photographers, backed by the music of our local composer, Emma Woszatka. This CD was produced by Heather Dunnett of the Sussex Inlet PC Users Group as a way of promoting our area's tourism and a method of raising revenue to help keep the CTC centre running.

This CD has been sent all over Australiaand the world as a gift to family and friends. It is also available in the Tourist Information Centre in Nowra and clubs in Sussex. The CTC burns the copies of the CD which they sell for a very reasonable price of $15.00 each.

The CTC also produce "The Inletter" a local newsletter each week which is very popular and available throughout our area in shops and clubs. This is also a voluntary project, with funds raised from advertising in the Inletter helping to run the CTC.

The CTC is located at shop 6/168 Jacobs Drive Sussex Inlet. Phone: 4441 0921

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