A new lease of life for the Bays Progress Association
The threat that The Bays Progress Association hall could be lost has galvanised residents into action.
The association, covering Horsfield Bay, Phegans Bay and Woy Woy Bay, now has a new lease on life, and boasts an "almost embarrassing" list of projects waiting for funds and volunteers to put them into action, according to spokesman John Collins.
"Like so many local organisations, the Bays' Progress Association had suffered many years of general apathy within the community and consequently the work of keeping the association alive and its main asset the community hall viable, fell on the shoulders of a few long-term community workers," he said.
Eventually, it was decided to call a meeting to which the proposed sale of the hall would be put.
"The committee expected just the usual few to turn up and had become resigned to the fact that the hall would soon be sold and any money raised would be spend on a few soon to be forgotten local projects," he said.
"How wrong they were.
"Locals turned up in their droves, spurred into action by the thought of losing their hall.
"The meeting not only resolved to raise money to keep the organisation solvent, but formed a committee to look into the possibility of building a bigger and better facility on a new, more accessible site.
"If that were not enough, the special committee has other projects on its agenda, such as reinvesting the three Bays with their netted swimming enclosures (removed by council some years ago) and the building of an ecologically friendly walkway to tie the three Bays together."
The Association now even has its own web site at: http://thebays@hypermart.net.
John Collins February 1