by Janine Hill

Live in Palmwoods and love it? The Palmwoods Community and Business Association is keen to meet you.

The association, which is responsible for the community gardens and a number of events in town, has organised a night of free music and conversation for locals as a “get to know you”.

The Jazz Under the Stars with Cello Dreaming event, featuring cellist Louise King and her jazz trio, will be held on Friday, 24 November, from 5pm in The Lane between Homegrown Café and The Little Book Nook.

Locally sourced food will be available and tickets for alcoholic refreshments will be on sale.

The PCBA has previously organised events such as Spring Harvest, the Time Warp Festival, Jazz on the Green, has facilitated projects such as the Piccabeen Green transformation, supported the local school and runs the community garden.

PCBA members plan to use the social occasion to reach out to the growing community to discuss what people would like to see in Palmwoods and how they can get involved with the association and its projects

Long-time PCBCA member Kay Nixon, coordinator of the community garden, said existing members wanted to help newcomers get a feel for the association and what it was about.

“We want to help people feel a part of the community and make sure we’re giving them a voice to the council and authorities,” she said.

“The association is a good place for that. If we come together, we can have more influence as a collective group when we talk to the council or others.”

Kay said although Palmwoods was a growing community, the PCBA faced challenges filling positions.

“We lost some momentum during covid. We were doing a lot of events and things in the community,” she said.

“I haven’t taken on the most draining positions of secretary and treasurer but the people that do take them on, and do them for some time, need a break, but to do that, we need more people to join up to and to take some of the pressure.”

Kay said a business owner had donated the time of a staff member and another person was handling the necessary accounts for the time being to help the association until some new blood came on board. 

“We thought we might have to put the association on hold for a little bit,” she said.

Residents, business owners and operators, and representatives of clubs, sport and service organisations are invited to the event.