Parkes Phoenix Editor

Volunteering at St Vincent De Paul Op Shop this week were Anne Redfern and Val Maunder.

This week is National Volunteer Week and a chance for all of us to celebrate and recognise the vital work of volunteers and to say thank you.

Volunteering brings people together; it builds communities and creates a better society for everyone. Together, through volunteering, we are changing communities for the better. We are, Better Together.

There are plenty of volunteers helping the make the Forbes community better for everyone, and we would like to say thank you to all of them.

Volunteers at the Salvation Army in Forbes are (L-R) Joanne Sharrock, Mary Elliot and Ian Hacret.

Yellow ribbons have become synonymous with National Road Safety Week which starts on Sunday with Forbes Town Hall lit in yellow for the week.

Forbes, Parkes and Lachlan Shire Councils will be getting behind this initiative with a range of activities to help raise awareness of road safety as they’ve done since 2017. This includes honouring the memory of the 1,200 lives lost and more than 44,000 seriously injured on Australian roads each year.

During the Week, road users are encouraged to take the pledge to Drive So Others Survive, including not being distracted while driving, not speeding and to never drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

“During National Road Safety Week 2022, yellow ribbons will be displayed all across the country to remember those we have lost on the roads and to remind us to drive safely,” said Parkes, Forbes and Lachlan Shire Councils’ Road Safety and Injury Prevention Officer, Melanie Suitor.

“Our fleet vehicles and staff will proudly display yellow ribbons. Members of the public are encouraged to pick up a vehicle sticker and/or lapel ribbon for free from our administration offices in Parkes, Forbes, Condobolin and Lake Cargelligo.

“Our email signatures will display the National Road Safety Week artwork for the week. In Parkes the monument on Memorial Hill and the Sir Henry Parkes statue will also be lit in yellow.

“We are encouraging our staff and locals to sign the pledge to Drive So Others Survive www.roadsafetyweek.com.au,” Melanie said.

The Forbes Public School will be a hive of activity on Wednesday morning when they host the participants in the 30th Variety NSW Bash for breakfast before 100 cars will depart at 8am on the next leg of the rally to Ardlethan.

The Bash will visit rural and remote communities bringing much needed tourism revenue and equipment for schools. More than $45,000 worth of grants will be given to regional NSW schools, while more than $12,000 is spent at each lunch stop along the route and more than $70,000 at each overnight stop, including Forbes.

Variety Bash cars are renowned for bringing fun and excitement to the communities they visit with themed cars from Paw Patrol, Bob the Builder and Hot Wheels to Lightning McQueen, Scooby Doo and The Flintstones.

This year’s event starts on Sunday, 15th May at Foreshore Park Newcastle and will head to Spring Ridge, Dubbo, Ballimore, Quambone, Cobar, Condobolin, Forbes, Ardlethan, Wagga Wagga, Wyangala, Bathurst, Wattle Flat, Hunter Valley before finishing back for the Family Fun Day in Newcastle on Saturday, 21st May.

The breakfast at Forbes Public School will be open to the community who can come and view the cars.