Latest news with #fundraising
ABC News
an hour ago
- Business
- ABC News
Drought-affected Victorian town of Penshurst has 'one shot' to save its last pub
Surely there could be no worse fate than a country town losing its last pub in the middle of a drought. That's why a south-west Victorian community is banding together in the hope of raising $1 million to buy the town's last remaining watering hole. So far, the 670 residents of Penshurst, a rural town about 300 kilometres west of Melbourne, have raised $250,000 to bring the Penshurst Hotel into community hands. But the group still has hundreds of thousands of dollars left to raise, with little time left. At the turn of the century, there were six pubs in Penshurst, but now only the Penshurst Hotel remains. The pub went on the market in April 2025, and the community has tried to buy it out of fear it will be shut down or turned into something else by new owners. The group's offer for the property has been accepted by the owners, but sales contracts are yet to be signed. The ABC understands there have been four other offers on the property from potential buyers across the state, including from Melbourne and Ballarat. Ray Allan moved to Penshurst eight months ago and is spearheading the campaign to buy the historic bluestone pub. "Pubs are critical things in small towns," he said. The pub is open a few nights a week, but only for drinks after the bistro closed in January 2024. The closest pubs are a half-hour drive away. Mr Allan, who is also a member of the Penshurst Progress Association, said the pub was vital for locals' mental health. "This is not about saving the pub," he said. Across the state, a growing number of pubs have been taken over by community groups. Just this month, 83 community members pitched in to buy the Maroona Hotel near Ararat after the owner put it up for sale. Mr Allan said about 40 Penshurst residents met in April to discuss collective ownership of the Penshurst Hotel, with people invited to buy a unit share worth $5,000 each. In six weeks, Mr Allan said about 30 shareholders committed a total of $250,000. Once the sales contract is signed, the group has about six weeks to raise a further $200,000 to close the deal. Mr Allan said he was feeling confident the necessary funds would be raised, but there was "also a bit of a niggle" of doubt. If successful, the group hopes to raise yet another $650,000 for repairs to the 1850s-era building, including refurbishing the kitchen and dining areas to reopen the pub for meals. The Penshurst Hotel would initially be operated by the community, with the option of leasing it to a third-party operator down the line. Penshurst resident Kate Orchard said many of the people who had contributed were farmers who were battling the drought. "They are doing it so tough with feed costing what it does, but they realise how important this was and [found] that little bit of money," Ms Orchard said. "The front street looks like a smile with the front teeth gone. "This is a one-shot go … if this fails, we probably won't ever get it off the ground again." Eileen Copeland operates the local post office and is among those who contributed to the fund. She said she hoped a successful pub would bring more people to town. "The more people who stop in the town, the more likely they're going to wander in here and buy something from me," she said. Australian Hotels Association chief executive Paddy O'Sullivan said community-owned pubs that pitched themselves as a tourist destination, as well as being a local hotspot, were best placed to succeed. Mr O'Sullivan said communities needed to be prepared for the challenges involved in running a pub, such as staffing and the long hours, and ensuring it was financially viable. But he said he believed the trend of more establishments entering public ownership would continue. "It's great to see," he said.
CTV News
3 hours ago
- Health
- CTV News
Stevenson Memorial Hospital Foundation relaunches historic campaign
Barrie Watch Frank Cerisano, CEO of the Stevenson Memorial Hospital Foundation sat down to discuss the relaunch of the historic campaign 'Because of You.'
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump secures record-shattering $1.4B for political war chest, will be 'dominant force' for GOP in midterms
EXCLUSIVE: President Donald Trump has secured commitments for a record-shattering $1.4 billion since Election Day 2024, Fox News Digital has learned. And advisors say he will be "an even more dominant force" for Republicans in the 2026 midterms. The president's political operation, including the cash on hand at the Republican National Committee, has raised a historic $900 million since November, and other commitments will bring the total to more than $1.4 billion. Scoop: Republican National Committee Showcases Record Fundraising As Party Builds 2026 War Chest Fox News Digital has learned the funds will be used to help Republicans keep their House and Senate majorities. Republicans control the House with a 220-215 majority and control the Senate with a 53-47 majority. Read On The Fox News App Sources say the funds will also be used for whatever the president deems "necessary and appropriate." "After securing a historic victory in his re-election campaign in 2024, President Trump has continued to break records, including fundraising numbers that have positioned him to be an even more dominant force going into the midterms and beyond," President Trump's senior advisor and National Finance Director Meredith O'Rourke told Fox News Digital. Rnc Brings On New Senior Leadership To 'Work Around The Clock' To Support Trump Agenda, Elect Republicans The president headlined a major donor event in Washington, D.C., in April for the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), which is the House GOP's campaign arm. That fundraiser hauled in at least $10 million for the NRCC, a source familiar with the event told Fox News. Click To Get The Fox News App In March, Vice President JD Vance was tapped to serve as the RNC finance chair, the first time in the history of the GOP a sitting vice president is serving in the role. Vance pledged to work to "fully enact the MAGA mandate" and expand the Republican majority in Congress in article source: Trump secures record-shattering $1.4B for political war chest, will be 'dominant force' for GOP in midterms
Fox News
6 hours ago
- Business
- Fox News
Trump secures record-shattering $1.4B for political war chest; will be 'dominant force' for GOP in midterms
EXCLUSIVE: President Trump has secured commitments for a record-shattering $1.4 billion since Election Day 2024, Fox News Digital has learned, with advisors saying he will be "an even more dominant force" for Republicans in the 2026 midterms. The president's political operation, including the cash-on-hand at the Republican National Committee, has raised a historic $900 million since November, and commitments that will bring the total to more than $1.4 billion. Fox News Digital has learned that the funds will be used to help Republicans to keep the House and Senate majorities. Republicans currently control the House with a 220-215 majority, and control the Senate with a 53-47. Sources say the funds will also be used for whatever the president deems "necessary and appropriate." "After securing a historic victory in his re-election campaign in 2024, President Trump has continued to break records, including fundraising numbers that have positioned him to be an even more dominant force going into the midterms and beyond," President Trump's senior advisor and National Finance Director Meredith O'Rourke told Fox News Digital. The president headlined a major donor event in Washington D.C. in April for the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), which is the House GOP's campaign arm. That fundraiser hauled in at least $10 million for the NRCC, a source familiar with the event told Fox News. In March, Vice President JD Vance was tapped to serve as the RNC Finance Chair—the first time in the history of the GOP that a sitting vice president served in the role. Vance pledged to work to "fully enact the MAGA mandate" and grow the Republican majority in Congress in 2026.
The Independent
6 hours ago
- Health
- The Independent
Kamala Harris plots her next political move after US election loss
Kamala Harris is exploring a gubernatorial bid in California, with a self-imposed decision deadline set for late summer. Many Democratic donors are hesitant about her potential candidacy, still affected by her 2024 presidential election defeat by Donald Trump. Concerns among some donors include reopening traumatizing memories of the 2024 election and questions regarding President Joe Biden 's health. Despite donor ambivalence, Harris's allies believe her strong fundraising network and name recognition would secure support for a gubernatorial run. Republicans are eager for Harris to enter the race, viewing it as an opportunity to highlight perceived issues with the Biden administration and President Joe Biden's health.
