Gannawarra ACE Club

The ACE Club began operation in February 2016, with 25 members as an initiative of CNH. The first event was a bus trip to see The Dressmaker at the Quambatook Silo Cinema.

The ACE Club now has more than 300 members and costs only $10 a year to join. Members pay $10 for a seat on the bus plus the cost of the show. The ACE Club advises members of up-coming events (by phone for those less tech savvy), organises and reserves seating, and provides transport when required. A volunteer is assigned the job of coordinating and welcoming members as they board the community bus. Single people and those whose partners do not wish to attend have company for the event. Some choose to go in their own car, but will have reserved seating with the ACE Club.

CNH auspices the project and provides administrative support. As well as supporting the arts programs facilitated by the Gannawarra Shire and those developed in other towns, ACE Club members are encouraged to express their own interests.

The COVID lockdown has affected our ACE club outings, but since the Club’s inception, it has assisted community members to access events they might not otherwise have been able to attend. For example, a bus trip to Lake Charm to see Hello Beautiful with Hanny Rayson and a bus trip to Murrabit to see the play All My Love, by Anne Brooksbank. We have plans to travel to Melbourne, Bendigo, and other regions to attend arts events. Most importantly, the ACE Club aims to personalise its activities and to foster social cohesion and inclusion within the community. We don’t want arts activities to be poorly attended, nor do we want people sitting at home saying “I didn’t know it was on” or “I have no one to go with”.