By Tanya Faulkner
A local initiative is all about spreading the love, and the dollars, across Upper Ferntree Gully.
The Gully Market, which has recently shifted gear and is now under the management of president Ian Rice, is on a mission to spread its newfound profits across the community.
The market, which runs out of the Upper Ferntree Gully train station car park every Saturday and Sunday, has recently gone under proper community management, with the new committee discovering large amounts of funds in the bank.
Upon this discovery, Mr Rice has taken it upon himself to ensure these funds are correctly distributed back into the community.
“Our market is a community market, and the money we take after expenses should go back into the community.
“I’ve only just taken over as president, and I’m in the process of lining up recipients for the funds around Ferntree Gully and its surrounds,” he said.
The first lucky recipients of funding is the Upper Ferntree Gully (UFTG) CFA, who are set to receive $2,000 from The Gully Market.
UFTG CFA captain Peter Smith said the funds will go towards the extension of their station on the hill, providing more space for crews heading on jobs.
“At the moment, there’s hardly enough room for our volunteers to get changed and ready to go out on calls.
“We’ve had to rearrange the station and move our office, so we’re looking to expand the building to allow for more space.
“We were lucky enough to receive a grant towards the expansion, but the extra donation from the market really helps us a lot,” he said.
The CFA crews will be at The Gully market on Saturday 2 September, right before Father’s Day, to show their support for the market and the wider Ferntree Gully community.
“We’ll have one of the big trucks down there and some of our volunteers to chat to locals and enjoy the day with the community,” he said.
Mr Rice will be officially presenting the CFA with their cheque at the market.
