Have you thought about what your Christmas season will look like?

With one of the most challenging years in recent history almost over, many of us are now reflecting on life, lessons learned, and the near future.

So why not gather, show our loved ones how much we care while helping others? The Great Outback BBQ is an opportunity to do something fun and fundraise to offer support and make a real difference for farmers during tough times. We can all get the barbie sizzling with sausages and ask friends, family or colleagues for a donation to Frontier Services, a Uniting Church agency and Australia’s oldest bush charity working for rural communities for more than 100 years.

Celeste Ambalong is the Events Coordinator at Frontier Services. She told Insights that even during lockdown and while restrictions were still in place, there were so many people willing to help that many alternative activities came up.

“Some congregations are doing a virtual BBQ, no BBQ BBQ, and other activities such as a trivia night or garage sales,” she said.

As Governments ease restrictions, The Frontier Services team are more confident about people being able to host a Great Outback BBQ, because what really matters is to get together -even virtually- while changing the lives of those doing it tough in remote Australia.

They are still far away from their $260,000 goal. Other fundraising activities scheduled throughout the year for the same purpose had to be postponed until 2021 due to COVID-19. With this money, they will support those farmers and graziers in need as well as help mobilise more people, Bush Chaplains and volunteers to lend a helping hand.  At the moment, Frontier Services work with around 100 Farmers. These numbers vary depending on the time of year and the weather. According to Celeste, “In the last financial year, we had approximately one hundred fifty-four volunteers out helping farmers with a lot of the same volunteers, volunteering multiple times.”

Frontier Services is asking for help, particularly during a year when farmers need it.  They are trying to rebuild after the worst drought on record, devastating bushfires, and now COVID-19. The pandemic has meant some farmers cannot get stock sold because overseas markets are closed.  These recent disasters have had a catastrophic effect on people living on isolated properties around Australia.

Since Frontier Services has extended the time frame for the BBQ, they are hoping to get people signing up around the Christmas- New Year period . Those who register will receive a special Thank You, Welcome Kit. Participants who bank funds before 31 December go into the draw to win a special prize. The highest amount raised and banked before 31 December will win.

Please remember to adhere to current government advice in your local area; physical distancing and hygiene are still necessary.  

To register and find out more, go to the Frontier Services website.