Billy cart fun

September 15th, 2016

Imagine Uraidla will run a billy cart building event on September 25 as part of a day of celebrations surrounding the official opening of Uraidla's main street upgrades.

Mark Hazell, who has helped contribute to previous billy cart days in Uraidla said the events were a great way for people in the community to be involved in a day of fun.

"It's a great day for people to come out to, and in the past everyone has always had a lot of fun," Mark said.

"The kids really love it and last time we did it my own children got very involved and did all the painting for the cart.

"The parents have a fantastic day as well, last time the trouble was getting the parents off the carts so the kids could have a go.

Mark's company Adelaide Recycled Timbers will provide timber and old school seats for the day, while he'll also provide help to kids and parents building a billy cart for the first time.

"We guide them through the whole process on the day," he said.

"It's a way to help out with the community and it's good for everyone, we're happy to help."

Donated wood was used in 12 new planter boxes to be installed along Uraidla's main street as part of the upgrade, which celebrates the reinvigoration of the town.

The re-opening of Uraidla's main street pub and launch of pizza restaurant Lost in a Forest has helped bring life back to the town.

Two other cafes have also opened on the main street, providing gathering places for the community and boosting the town's social scene.

For event organiser Jamie Parkin, the official opening of the main street upgrades were a way for the community to celebrate the positive changes in the town over the last two years.

"The new openings have changed the vibe completely, and it feels like things are buzzing again," Jamie said.

"The view is to make the main street a hub for the local district, so not just Uraidla but some of the nearby towns."

Much of the positive change has come about through Imagine Uraidla, a community run organisation first set up two years ago to bring the town together and support local initiatives.

Committee member Richard Wallace has seen the organisation provide momentum for the town with assistance from the Adelaide Hills council.

"It's really helped to get the ball rolling and gotten everyone together to support not just the community, but also the look of the town.

"The main street used to be pretty dead, there were lots of empty offices and it was pretty ugly."

It's with this in mind that Imagine Uraidla is setting up the official opening for new upgrades, including the 12 planter boxes which have been paid for by donations from the community.

New banners designed by a local graphics professional will also be installed along the main street.

Richard said the upgrades were an instance of the community coming together to help.

"It's been a community initiative to help beautify the town, and many new people and organisations have come out to help."

But the upgrades along main street are not the end of Imagine Uraidla's work.

"We intend to keep on going and helping out the local community," Richard said.

"Hopefully it will encourage others to get involved - we invite anyone to come in and try and help out a bit."

The opening of Uraidla's main street upgrade will start at 11.30am on Sunday, September 25.

The billy cart building event will start at the same time at Adelaide Recycled Timbers, and run throughout the day.

Entry for the billy cart event will cost $10, with the money going towards the local school.

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