General News
6 October, 2025
$11000 raised for local widows
Wimmera Branch of Melbourne Legacy has raised about $11,000 for local widows during this year’s Legacy Badge Week, held from August 31 to September 6 across the region.
Branch secretary Lorraine Bald said the funds will be used directly to support widows connected with Legacy.
“The money will be used for the widows for purchasing birthday gifts and Christmas gifts, and also, if there are any widows who are struggling to pay for heating bills, like for electricity or gas,” she said.
“Occasionally, it comes up where someone needs repairs done to their home.
“ Although most of the widows are in nursing homes, there are still quite a few in their own homes, so we need to be aware they may have issues where they need assistance for repairs, for fences or replacing stoves, that sort of thing.”
Ms Bald said the Wimmera total was more than the branch raised last year and praised the community and volunteers.
“It’s a combined effort from our Badge Week coordinator Neville Smith, who arranged the roster, and a couple of others who packed the bags with the bears and the badges and the pens weeks prior to Badge Week,” she said.
“It’s an amazing result for the effort that’s been put in by members who have stepped up to deliver the bags locally to the plaza and collect them at the end of the day. It’s quite a commitment.”
She said she personally helped at the Bunnings event for Father’s Day and at the Horsham Plaza during the week.
“A friend and I did the stint for Father’s Day at Bunnings on Thursday and then Dawn and I worked again on the Friday and Saturday,” she said.
“The plaza was right through from Monday to Saturday.”
Ms Bald thanked the community for its generosity.
“We’re just so grateful for the support that we got, and the use of the EFTPOS this year helped to some extent, particularly in Horsham where people don’t carry cash like they used to,” she said.
“It’s just amazing support.”
All money raised locally will remain in the Wimmera to assist widows in the region.
