Support for South Christmas, but volunteers needed

Published on 27 October 2023

Christmas in Patton Park is back on after a positive meeting between Council and the South Village Association (SVA).

Mayor Tom Kennedy and Deputy Mayor Jim Hickey met with SVA Chair Ali Couch on Tuesday, and pledged a range of assistance measures to ensure the event can go ahead.

Those measures were passed at last night's Council meeting, with Council unanimously supporting administrative, financial, and in-kind support for the Christmas event.

Mayor Tom Kennedy said the meeting with SVA had been extremely positive, and congratulated the Committee for their dedication.

"The SVA were a bit frustrated around some aspects of the application process, and I think part of that frustration was due to the fact that they need more volunteers to assist them," he said.

"The Committee members do a great job in providing events for the South but they really do need some more helping hands to ensure this event can continue into the future.

"I'd encourage anyone who is passionate about this event or the South community in general to contact the SVA and offer to help out, every bit of support makes a difference."

SVA Chair Ali Couch thanked the Mayor for his support, and said the Committee would now return to event organisation and announce a new date for the event on their Facebook page in the near future.

"We're really excited to have the event back on track, and hopefully we get a few extra people who can volunteer a little time to give us a hand," said Ms Couch.

"It doesn't have to be much, even just a couple of hours' help with preparation and tidying up on the day would make a huge difference.

"It's such special day for South families and for the many people who travel over the hill to see Santa, and we want to see it running for many years to come."

Anyone who is able to assist with the Christmas event or would like to join the South Village Association are encouraged to contact the SVA at [email protected]