Western Rural Connect creates inaugural community harvest celebration

The ball will bring together those who live, work and love Western NSW for a night of celebration.

It will also serve as an opportunity for mates to check in on mates during the harvest season.

Led by a group of young women, the newly formed organisation, Western Rural Connect, aims to encourage and enhance connection within rural communities to strengthen the region's social fabric.

Western Rural Connect founder and 2023 NSW Rural Achiever Keiley Noble, said harvest should be celebrated by the community.

"Cropping underpins a lot of our region's employment, business and income so harvest in Western NSW is a big deal," she said.

"Our header, truck and tractor drivers as well as other grain supply chain and agricultural workers all put in huge hours.

"They go above and beyond to get our area's highest value commodity, cereal grains, from the paddock into storage and later to ports and our plates.

"Working against seasonal conditions during this intensive period is often coupled with feelings of stress, isolation and cabin fever as social interactions and time spent with family and friends is scarified.

"When you add in the strain of a breakdown, unplanned rain or yields that are lower than hoped, these feelings can build up and become overwhelming."

Ms Noble said it was important to create an event post harvest to bring together the agricultural community.

"We are giving our ag workers an opportunity to reconnect, create greater social connections and celebrate the end of another cropping year whether it is good or bad," she said.

"It is also to enhance a mates checking in on mates mentality within our region."

The event will raise much needed funds for the Narromine Hospital auxiliary.

"Currently the 6,500 residents don't have access to the use of a diagnostic imaging machine and other essential equipment at our local hospital," Ms Noble said.

"We would like to contribute funds that could go towards equipment like an ultrasound machine, which is currently at the top of our doctor's wish list."

The summer cocktail themed ball will be held on Sunday December 31 at the Narromine showgrounds.

It will include a sit down dinner, fundraising activities, singer Johnny Wood and band Squeaky Sound Box as well as guest speaker James Cleaver, Nyngan.

To purchase tickets or for more information visit @westernruralconnect on Facebook or Instagram.