By JESSE GRAHAM
COMMUNITY 3777 is no more.
The group officially wound up in a meeting on Monday 17 August, ending 15 years of work on projects in Healesville and its surrounds.
Chair of the now-closed group, Kath Holton, told the Mail after the meeting that C3777 “no longer exists.”
The group had announced in late July that it planned to finish up at the meeting, unless new people were to come on board and take up the reins.
Ms Holton said she and board members Anne Jenkins and Jeanette McRae had been in contact with the Yarra Ranges Council and people from the area to talk about setting up a new group.
However, C3777, for all intents and purposes, had done its dash.
“They (the council) are keen to see some kind of group continue,” Ms Holton said.
“But we’re just really looking forward to a new generation of people coming together to do positive things for the township.
“I hope that the shire will keep involved and possibly facilitate some workshop … to support a new group coming into being that is more suited to the current needs of today.”
Ms Jenkins said there were “mixed feelings” about the end of the group, which had organised the 150th celebrations of Healseville last year, among many other projects, but that “the timing was right.”
“I think there’s opportunity now for something else to be set up to support the Healesville community,” she said.
“Moving forward, I think we’ve worked really well for a time, and, with a lot of things, some things have to change so new things can happen.
“There was a bit of sadness, a bit of relief and some hope for the future.”
Sadly, Ms Jenkins said, only about eight people showed up to the final meeting, but attributed the poor attendance to the cold weather.
As for the group’s legacy, she said people could remember C3777 whenever they drove past Healesville’s “welcome” sign, or talked about the town’s gigantic Healesville 150th event last November.
