Funds remaining from the former Grenfell Rural Youth Club, and a $900 profit from the 2016 reunion of former members of the NSW Junior Farmer/Rural Youth organisation will go towards assisting local people. A finalisation meeting of the reunion committee, comprising former members of the disbanded Grenfell Rural Youth Club, voted to donate more than $2100 to two local organisations. Reunion convenor Jim Griffiths, said $1700 would go to the local branch of the Country Education Foundation (CEF), with the balance of nearly $500 going to local Scouts and Guides. “These funds will be handed over in May when short-term investments at the Bendigo Bank mature,” he said. The CEF, founded in 1993 at Boorowa, assist’s school leavers in rural  Australia with tertiary study and industry training. 

Grenfell branch chairman Peter Spedding said this donation would be a terrific boost in assisting our Shires’ students with their endeavours. “The donation comes as we are about to start local fund raising programs, it fits perfectly with our guest speaker Graham Blight’s plea for more agricultural graduates. The world and Australian agriculturalist said this is necessary for us to remain at the forefront of world agriculture,” he added. The reunion attracted 147 people to Grenfell, and has been described as one of the most successful events during Grenfells 150th celebrations.

“Our committee put on a great event and deserve recognition as a principal contributor to Grenfell’s celebrations,” he added. 

Treasurer Bruce Simpson, said they had been looking for years at ways of finalising the old clubs’ finances. “The reunion provided that pathway and added over $900 to the balance,” he said.