|
The WeCannDo “Create Our Future” Competition
WeCannDo are announcing the ”Create Our Future Competition”!
Since publishing the survey, we have been heartened by the many responses, both written and verbal. Everyone can see where things are headed if we do nothing, and everybody has had ideas worthy of further investigation. Many have spoken about our tourism potential, which we as a community and individuals could improve upon, but there have been other ideas as well, which have as least as much potential.
For anybody who has an interest in our community's future, we are offering an opportunity and forum to put forward their ideas.
The people of this valley are its greatest resource, and deep inside one of us lies a gem of an idea, whose time has come. This competition is designed to flush out the best ideas for our community’s future. Out of our individual minds, and into the community for debate and action.
So all those half-arsed ideas dreamed up in dubious circumstances, it’s time to drag them out into the cold light of day and have a closer look. We are asking you to do some research, check out the possibilities, and present your idea.
No idea too silly, no idea too grand or too tiny. We want all ideas on the table!
Everybody’s ideas are important!
Read the next page to see the awards on offer!
Best Sustainable New Industry
We are looking for a sustainable industry utilising our existing people, resources and skills, with growth potential. Ideally this industry would require a variety of skills as it grew so as to provide a range of career options. It would be an advantage if it also improved the viability of existing businesses within the community.
Prize: $100 courtesy of Michael O’Brien
Best Community Building Idea
This could be anything that improves our quality of life as residents - a regional event or an ongoing community project.
Prize: A $70 voucher for Clancy's Restaurant at Lakes Entrance courtesy of the Community Centre
Most Likely to Succeed Sustainable Small Business Idea
We are hoping to find efficiencies of scale by working together, we want to identify ways we can work together and help each other, such as sharing the costs of marketers, distributors, and business advisors, etc. There is also the possibility of creating a business incubator, and sharing of shop space should there be sufficient interest, so all ideas please.
Prize: A load of firewood courtesy of DSE
Most unique and original idea
This award is designed to flush out the craziest, kookiest, scariest, weirdest, oddest and downright strangest ideas, out of the back of all our minds, and into our collective consciousness. So if Giraffe farming is your thing, and you reckon there’s a market, this is probably your category.
Prize: A $50 voucher courtesy of McKinnon’s.
WeCannDo logo competition
This one is for all you budding artists out there. Design a logo for “WeCannDo”.
Prize: Seeing your logo displayed wherever WeCannDo is active!
In all categories the real prize is seeing your idea come to fruition! So many of us have excellent ideas, and just need a little bit of encouragement, guidance and assistance. Who wouldn’t want to see their idea helping their community to flourish into the future?
Tips for winning:
The concept must be sustainable (environmentally, socially and economically), or able to be made so.
The more fully a concept is thought out the better its chance of winning.
Quality of presentation will reflect the response. Your presentation could be a written plan, a poster, a video , audio tape, PowerPoint slides, or any other format that helps you too get your idea across.
Promotion of your idea on the day, is not only permitted, it is encouraged.
A small start up cost is always preferable, but don’t worry too much about funding at this stage. Good ideas have a way of finding funding, especially when there is a lot of support.
Ideas should be assessed for the triple bottom line of economic, (will it make money), environmental, (how will it affect the environment), and social aspects, (will it be good for us).
You can edit your ideas online at www.cannvalley.org.au. In other words, you can start by just putting down an initial outline, then as more information comes to hand, you can add and subtract information as you fine tune your idea.
Terms and conditions:
All the awards will be decided by popular vote at the Cann Valley Creating Our Future Day (Sunday the 23rd of November at the Community Centre), by all who attend on the day.
Group entries allowed, and encouraged.
You can nominate your idea for a particular category, or you can let the voters nominate you for whatever category they deem appropriate.
Your name does not need to be published with your idea (although WeCannDo does eventually need to know who you are!).
Entries can be placed online at cannvalley.org.au either from home or the community centre, placed in the WeCannDo box at the shop and community centre or mailed to
WeCannDo Create Our Future Competition
Cann River 3890
Copies will be placed on display at the community centre.
What Will Happen After the Competition?
Once we have formed as a group after the awards, we intend to group people around the best and most popular ideas, regardless of whether the idea won a prize or not, to start discussing and investigating their viability. If there are people interested in pursuing them, then we plan to assist in turning all supported ideas into reality in any way we can.
Coming Events
Movie Nights: These evenings will be an opportunity for people to meet with the WeCannDo organisers to discuss ideas, answer any questions you may have about WeCannDo and the issues at hand, and provide help in developing your ideas further. Both nights start at 7pm at the Community Centre. Bring a plate to share if you wish. Short trailers from both movies can be found at www.cannvalley.org.au.
Thursday 23rd October: Australia Pumping Empty
This Australian documentary looks at peak oil and its impact on society. A “superb but utterly sobering insight into where we are headed”.
Thursday 6th November: The Power of Community
Tells of the struggles, community and the creativity of Cubans during the 1990s when imports of oil were cut by half and the economy went into a tailspin. Cubans share how they transitioned from a highly mechanized, industrial agricultural system to one using organic methods of farming and local, urban gardens. It is an example of options and hope.
Cann Valley Creating Our Future Day: WeCannDo Create Our Future Contest displays, voting and awards, guest speakers, BBQ supplied, bring a salad. We also recommend a sense of humour, a sense of adventure, and an open mind.
Sunday, 23rd November 10am – 3pm Community Centre
Wednesday 26TH November & Wednesday 10th December: follow-up meetings to organize and start pullling together the ideas generated by the competition. 7pm start at Community Centre
WeCanndo wish to thank Simon and Kate from the Community Centre, Gus and Judy McKinnon from McKinnons Earth Moving, Lance, Christine and Christy at the shop, Grant Tucker from DSE, Tom McShane from the East Gippsland Shire, and Landcare for their generosity, assistance and support.
For futher details and updates see www.cannvalley.org.au
|
