Farmers Unite for a Night of Resilience and Celebration
The BMRG IRRO team with special guests from Real Life Resilience. Pictured L to R: Leesa Kelly, Mike Rolls, Virginia Kelleher, Ben Pettingill, Rachel Cavallo.
The Industry Recovery and Resilience Officer Program has come to an end. Over the last 18 months, Burnett Mary Regional Group (BMRG) project officers have been supporting primary producers across the Burnett Mary Region to develop flood management plans, as a result of being impacted by the 2021-2022 high rainfall flooding events. These plans and other support services assisted our farming community to develop strategies around preparedness with flood warnings, to minimise the impact and achieve a faster recovery with future extreme events.
BMRG invited all producers involved in the program to a final event, "Reconnect Unwind and Let Loose, with Legless and Blind”, hosted at The Dusty Hill Vineyard, Moffatdale. Over 100 guests enjoyed a delicious dinner and live entertainment. The highlight of the evening were special guests Mike Rolls and Ben Pettingill (Legless and Blind) from Real Life Resilience, inspiring everyone in the room with their message on "Talking Tough." These young gentlemen travel around Australia delivering a profound understanding of facing adversity.
Kim McDonnell, a social impact innovator, entrepreneur, author, and Founder of Thankful, also delivered heartfelt messages of gratitude to the farmers. She emphasised the incredible job they do in providing food for our tables every day. Kim also highlighted the valuable resource from the Royal Flying Doctor Service, "Mental Health and Wellbeing on the Land," funded by Thankful4Farmers, which aims to support individuals and families struggling with mental health issues in regional and rural Queensland.
Later in the evening, the dance floor came alive with entertainment, giving our farming community the opportunity to dust off their boots and put on their dancing shoes. This fabulous night was made possible through the Industry Recovery and Resilience Officer program which is jointly funded by the Australian and Queensland governments under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements.
