NEXT year’s Blades of Glencoe fundraising event could be cancelled after a funding row prompting a boycott by participating shearers and organisers.
The shearing demonstration day was scheduled for March 19 and organised to raise funds and awareness for mental health and suicide prevention.
However, the future of the event is now in jeopardy after shearers claim they were informed the National Trust Glencoe branch committee had planned to retain 75pc of funds raised.
National Trust Glencoe committee member Laurie Dacy said the initial agreement was to share the proceeds evenly between mental health organisations and the woolshed committee.
“Shearers are angry they instigated the event to raise money towards mental health and suicide prevention, sharing the proceeds 50/50 with the woolshed committee,” he said.
“On discovering the committee plans to retain 75pc, the shearers now intend to find another venue.”
Two groups of shearers had partnered to raise the funds – The Blade Shearing Revival Group led by Richie Foster of Victoria and Ducks on the Pond female shearers led by Janine Midgley of Western Australia.
The women have runs on the board and raised $30,000 in 2013 for breast cancer research, while Mr Foster coordinated the national gathering of blade shearers at the Glencoe Woolshed in 2015.
Mr Dacy was approached by the shearers to help co-ordinate the campaign.
“Mental health in rural areas is such a hot topic that a network was quickly formed around South Australia Health, Wattle Range Council, the Wattle Range Suicide Prevention Network (WRSPN), Lifeline SE, mental health services and the shearers,” he said.
“SA Health granted $10,000 to support the campaign and unless the dispute is resolved, this grant may now have to be returned.
“The Glencoe committee made this decision to breach the arrangement in my absence.
“I support the shearers and sincerely hope this can be settled before we lose all goodwill.”
Meanwhile, Ms Midgley also expressed her disappointment on behalf of the female shearers.
“First of all, it is the shearers that are running this show, we simply need a venue to hold this prestigious event,” she said.
“Normally we would form our own committee as most of the hard work is involved in gathering an unforgettable and highly renowned bunch of shearers and shed staff from all over Australia and other countries.
“The shearing team that myself and Richie Foster have been gathering are some of the best machine and blade shearers around, most of whom are or have been affected by some kind of mental illness, such as depression, post traumatic stress disorder and even bullying and anxiety.
“The life of a shearer can be very hard and debilitating in many ways.”
Ms Midgley added many people who accepted an invitation to the event had been personally affected by suicide, whether from losing a loved one or fighting their own mental health battle.
“Imagine the disappointment to be faced if they were to find out they are coming all this way to support a cause with only 25pc money going towards it,” she said.
“No shearers or shed staff will give their day’s wages to the event.
“There are other venues we are seriously considering.
“I myself have many reasons for wanting to do this – I have had a very tough journey and found myself on my own with nowhere to turn.”
She has spent decades as one of the longest serving female shearers in Australia.
“I have seen a lot of very unfortunate things and have always wanted to be a part of something great and make a difference in people’s lives,” Ms Midgley said.
“I still would not be happy with 50/50 … more like 30pc for the woolshed and 70pc to be allocated to mental health institutions.”
Mr Foster was also outraged by the claims and said shearers would fly from interstate to participate in the event.
“When they heard of this they were outraged,” he said.
“It is vital that we get awareness that this illness can be beaten.”
Glencoe National Trust branch chairperson Stephen Maxwell released a statement when contacted by The Border Watch.
“National Trust of SA Glencoe Branch is aware a media release has been created by a serving member of their committee claiming there is a dispute between the branch committee and shearers wishing to participate in a planned event at the Glencoe Woolshed,” the document states.
“This report was generated without the knowledge or endorsement of the committee and without any knowledge or communication from any person that any dispute has occurred.
“This media release contains information that is not accurate and it is deemed not appropriate to discuss or comment on this at present.
“This response is endorsed by National Trust of South Australia.
“The committee has set an imminent meeting to work through and resolve the issues and comments raised in the media release.”
