For the last 28 years the Mirboo North Times has kept the community informed and up to date with local news in this volunteer produced, weekly community newspaper. This milestone was celebrated by many of the past and present volunteers on Wednesday last, thanks to organisational efforts of Joy Koh, Treasurer of the MN Times.
At the event it became clear that whilst the paper’s main focus is to inform and connect the local community, it is also based on a very sound business model. Through its steady income from its weekly readership and local sponsorship and its low cost base from its volunteer team, this paper has always earned enough money to give financial support back into the community.
“Although there are not detailed figures for all of the 28 years, it looks like the amount of financial support given to the community by the volunteers at the Mirboo North Times would have been well in excess of $100,000 over that time,” explains Joy Koh.
“In the last five or six years the Mirboo North Times has supported various community organisations and projects with donations: the Mirboo North Swimming Pool, the Mirboo North Op Shop, the Chaplaincy committee, Revitalising Ridgway and the Friends of the Aged Care, to name just a few.”
Mirboo North Times Invests $179,000 for Lasting Community Impact
At the end of 2023 the committee of volunteers at the Mirboo North Times realised that they could make a more significant donation to the community, and still have funds to continue operations. The decision was made to donate $179,000 to a new sub-fund within the Mirboo North & District Community Foundation.
The team also decided that the Mirboo North Times Community Fund would be perpetual, honouring the hard work of the volunteers over the 28 years of service who created this value.
“This donation to this Community Fund will ringfence the value created by the volunteers and direct it bank into projects and organisations strengthening our community,” says Ruth Rogan, Executive Officer of the Community Foundation.
“What does that mean in practice? If we roll forward another 28 years, the Mirboo North Times Community Fund will have grown from the original donation of $179,000 in 2024 to a value in 2052 of $410,000 and over those years it will have given grants to organisations and projects in our town to the value of more than $307,000.”
The donation, which was made at the beginning of 2024, has already been invested by the Community Foundation and in the six months to 30 June has already earned almost $5,000. Early in 2025 the team at the Mirboo North Times will give guidance to the Community Foundation on how the earnings of this investment should flow back to support the community through grants.
Decades of Local News Support the Future with New Community Fund
Congratulations must go to the many volunteers who have been involved over the years. Each week for 27 years and fortnightly in 2024, volunteers have written, edited, composited, proof read, printed and distributed this newspaper. It is their hard work, foresight and commitment which is honoured in the Mirboo North Times Community Fund, which will in turn support this community for decades to come.
The provision of accessible local news has played a large part in making this community the connected and resilient community it is today. The donation of $179,000 for durable community benefit will ensure that this continues into the future.
