This week on Rotary Local Heroes, following news round up with Gavin Bell, Colin's first guest will be Craig Smith, who will reflect upon his career in marketing, publishing and more recently, real estate. Craig will be followed at 10:00, by Sapphire Coast Business Network founder and former photographer, Julie Novotny, and Colin's final guest at 11:00 will be Glenn Cotter, who is known to many through his numerous charity and support connections in the shire. Join us on 97.5 FM from 8:30am until noon every Friday, for great radio.

Visitors to the Bega Valley Regional Gallery during July, August, and September will discover one of the most significant art collections in regional Australia. ‘Treasures of Australian art 1880-1940: the Howard Hinton Collection’ features 50 key works on loan from the New England Art Museum (NERAM) in Armidale.

“Howard Hinton was an extraordinarily generous man who gave away his fabulous collection of artworks during his own lifetime,” said Robert Heather, Director of NERAM.

The collection features some of the big names in Australian Art - Arthur Streeton, Tom Roberts, Margaret Preston, Nora Heysen, Hans Heysen, Norman Lindsay, Elioth Gruner and Herbert Badham. The exhibition will be on display at the Bega Valley Regional Gallery from July 15 until September 30.

At the recent final dinner meeting for 2016-17 the Pambula Rotary Club treasurer, Lou Roper, announced that the club had distributed over $80,000 to local and international organisations over the past year.

Local beneficiaries included: the Community Carers Accommodation Project at the new hospital, Pambula Public School, Pambula Hospital, Pambula Rural Fire Brigade, Suicide Prevention Action Network (SPAN), PCYC, Pambula Mens Shed, Perth2Pambula (Dane Waites) and the Bega Women’s Refuge. Funds are raised through a variety of ways including the monthly markets, raffles at the Lakeview Hotel, the annual golf weekend and catering.

Also at the dinner the new board was inducted Steve Goodchild (vice-president), Daryl Dobson (past president), Colin Dunn (president), Victor Rothwell (international service), David Wriedt (youth service), Jill Goodchild (club service), Lou Roper (treasurer), Jill Hampshire (secretary), Lynne Koerbin (president-elect), Graham Brown (vocational service), and Peter Moore (community service).

To get involved with Pambula Rotary see www.rotaryd9710.org.au/~pambula/Home.html. 

Thank you to everyone who supported the Animal Welfare League NSW Far South Coast Volunteers branch Garage sale at Tathra Hall last Saturday. With your help we raised around $2000 to put towards the care of animals in the Bega Valley Shire.

Noisy Nonna in the Kitchen: Come along and experience the amazing interactive show Noisy Nonna in the Kitchen. Listen to the story of Isabella & Matilda who have a Nonna who cooks a lot. *Warning to Grown Ups...there is noise!* When: Thursday 6th July 10.30am-11.30am Cost: Free Age: 3-8 years. Booking: Limited to 15 people! Book online at begavalleyshirelibrary.eventbrite.com.au

Beyond the Selfie Workshop: Take a selfie, print it out and bring out the real you! Go beyond snap-chat filters and face-swap apps and use your hands and a variety of mixed media to work over the top of a printed digital photo portrait. Run in partnership with the Bega Valley Regional Gallery. When: Wednesday 12th July 10.30am – 12.30pm Cost: Free Age: 12+. Booking: Limited to 10 people! Book online at begavalleyshirelibrary.eventbrite.com.au

“Kimberley Camp Dog” - Book Reading by local author – Suzie Sarah. When: Thursday 13th July 10.30am-11.30am Cost: Free Age: 3 - 8 years. Booking: No need to book, just come along. 

We are looking for anyone who would like to have their garden 'open to the public' on October 28 and 29 for our annual Open Garden event. This event, held on the weekend prior to the Whale Festival, has proved to be extremely popular with gardening enthusiasts.  Funds raised go towards supporting our local community. Please consider sharing your garden.  Please contact Sandra on 02 64961459 (after hours).

The Meals on Wheels Roster for the week starting Monday July 10 is as follows: Monday, Mei and Howard Hill, Tuesday Heather Matthew and Jeanette Corbin, Wednesday Sue Spink and Val Cartledge, Thursday Sharon Nammensma and Eva Horn and Friday, Marge and John Kennelley.  

The next lunch for Meet and Munch will be at the Eden Fishermens Recreation Club Imlay Street Dining Room on Thursday the 27th July at 12 Noon. Telephone Syd on 64961736.

On Wednesday, July 26 a solicitor from Nowra’s Shoalcoast Community Legal Centre will be visiting Eden. Shoalcoast is situated in Nowra and regularly offers free telephone advice to residents of the South Coast. Advice clinics provide a good opportunity to get free professional advice regarding a legal problem. The solicitor will be at the Eden Access Centre on Wednesday, July 26, from 10.30am until 1.30pm.

Appointments can be made for many types of legal problems – including consumer credit and debt, family law involving children, victims compensation for childhood assault, sexual assault or domestic violence, Centrelink problems, employment and tenancy. For an appointment telephone Shoalcoast Community Legal Centre on 1800 229 529 or 4422 9529.

On Saturday, July 1 the Eden Cash mob mobbed the Eden Killer Whale Museum. The museum is self funded, owned by the community run by a committee and supported by volunteers. In saying that they still support other community events and organisations. We started off purchasing goods from the gift shop which stocks everything from books to tshirts and pencils and games to amazing scrimshaws, you are sure to find a gift here to suit all ages. Mobbers were let into the museum for free and to top it off every family received an annual pass, a huge thank you to the museum committee for its generosity!

The mob’s yummy morning tea was catered for by the friends of the museum, what an amazing location and thanks for ordering the beautiful sunshine, the kiddies were kept busy keeping an eye out for a whale . The twist here was the museum is trying to raise money for the Eden Scouts to paint a mural on their hall so the money received for morning tea will also be going towards this. If you were unable to make the mob, call in when you can, say hi and tell them you’re doing a late mob.

The next mob will be on Saturday, August 12.

Becoming a carer is a great way to find out if you are really ready to adopt a pet. It allows you to ease yourself into pet ownership or if you are a traveler and a full time companion is not possible, caring may be a solution for you? If you are ready to adopt, then there are several gorgeous cats and dogs like Zilly (featured) on the adoption list or you can put your name down on the waiting list. Enquiries can be made through Animal Welfare League - Far South Coast NSW enquiries line on 0400 372 609 and many can be viewed on their Facebook page. Cats and kittens available through Sapphire Coast Branch of RSPCA can be seen on their Facebook.

Adoption fees are subsidized and all are de-sexed, vaccinated, microchipped, wormed and vet checked before adoption. Become a member of RSPCA or AWLNSW so you can help us help the animals in our Shire. Contact AWL at awlfsc@bigpond.com or call 0400372609 and RSPCA on 0419267799 to apply.

Do you have a community event coming up or details of your not-for-profit group to share? Email information and high resolution photos to melanie.leach@fairfaxmedia.com.au or call 0477 768 776.