The Sapphire Coast Volunteer Branch of the RSPCA NSW will hold its first meeting for 2017 on Sunday, February 19 at 2pm at Club Sapphire, Merimbula. New members are needed and visitors are welcome. Fundraising activities for 2017 will be discussed.

The Branch commenced caring for and re-homing unwanted cats and kittens in August 2016 and since that date, 32 adult cats and 31 kittens have been taken in for re-homing with 16 more kittens waiting to come in to care. Veterinary fees for de-sexing, vaccinating and micro-chipping these animals is expensive and funds are urgently needed.

We are most grateful to all the generous people who donate cat and kitten food to the AWL bins in local supermarkets as that is passed on to us by the Animal Welfare League. For more information, please call 0419 267 799.

Pambula-Merimbula branch members of the Country Women's Association will be welcomed back for 2017 with their first meeting on Friday, February 17 February at 24 Toalla Street, Pambula. This will commence at 9am with a hearty breakfast of bacon and egg rolls preceding the meeting at 10am. The guest speaker for the day is Tania Dwyer from the Seeto Dodd and Dwyer Merimbula Amcal Chemist.

Even though the group recessed over the holidays they still baked for a cake stall, on a very hot and windy day at the Merimbula Gift, and Joy Dawson represented the CWA at the opening of the bridge on World Wetlands Day at Panboola. 

To celebrate International Women’s Day the Rotary Clubs of Pambula and Merimbula are jointly hosting a lunch at Club Sapphire Merimbula on Wednesday, March 8 commencing at 11am. Both men and women are warmly invited to attend. Michelle Pettigrove as MC will introduce inspirational guest speakers Dr Jaclyn Brown and Jenny Symons. 

Tickets are $25, with tables of 10 or individual bookings. Phone Club Sapphire for tickets. Proceeds will benefit the Sapphire Coast Arts and Sports Youth Development Fund. For information call Lee Beatty on 0467 511 482.

The Merimbula historical society next monthly meeting will be on Monday, February 27 at the RSL at 2pm when guest speaker will be Melanie Sykes giving a talk on Gemology. The Old School Museum will take part in the “about the book” festival on March 11, with an exhibition of old autograph books if anyone has one hidden away we would appreciate if you could lend your book for our display. Please call Liz 6495 7034. 

Local Heros on Sapphire Fm. Join Col and Gav at 8.30 this Friday on 97.5 to get their take on what is going on in our community. Then stay with Colin as he chats with guests local muso and man about town, Paul Dion, John Moffatt and John Moulton who spent many years working with local kids in the Northern Territory. 

A week after copies of ‘Recollections’, a new free local history magazine issued by the South Coast History Society, became available it was hard to find a copy anywhere.

“The reaction from people has been absolutely amazing,” editor Peter Lacey said. “We printed what we thought would be enough copies to last us a month or two, but they all disappeared within days.”

The Society’s next initiative is a‘South Coast History Day’ seminar at the UOW Bega campus on February 25. For information email southcoasthistory@yahoo.com or phone 0448 160 852.