Charlotte Varcoe
A NEW wishing well may be the solution to preventing thieves from helping themselves at the Mount Gambier Rotary Club well.
Located in the Cave Gardens, the wishing well has been subjected to thieves who have been seen taking coins for themselves.
Club president Pat McEwen said each month the club would receive up to $200 from the well.
“All of the money made from the well goes straight back into the community,” Mr McEwen said.
“It has been there for decades and we believe it has contributed around $100,000 in funds throughout the time.”
He said the club was tired of people helping themselves to the money and due to the ongoing issue, members had asked Mount Gambier City Council to grant permission for a new well in a new location.
“We have asked the council to move the well closer to the main corner,” Mr McEwen said.
“There are three other Rotary Clubs which also have wishing wells and they say the only security that works is visibility.
“As well as better security we are hoping that by moving the new well more into the public eye it will also increase donations because we have an amazingly generous community here.”
Measures such as welding and security cameras had been put in place to deter people from stealing the coins, however both had been ineffective.
“It is not a good thing that it keeps getting broken into and we are very disappointed that it keeps happening which is why we would like to have a new well in a new location,” he said.
“We want to keep the well going but can’t do so if it keeps getting broken into.”
Believing it was only a small percentage of the community doing the wrong thing, Mr McEwen said there were those who were appreciative of the well.
“There are good people out there, one day I was taking the coins out of the well and there were some teenagers who asked what I was doing and were very concerned,” he said.
“Once I told them I was part of the Rotary Club and collecting the coins for the club, they completely changed.
“I was very proud of that.”
The club will create a timber-based well for installation at a new site.
