Hats-off to Turbans for Tins

Support local, independent journalism

The SE Voice is the Limestone Coast’s only fully digital publication. Locally owned & operated, we deliver all the latest news & sport direct to your fingertips. We're run by a creative team of local journalists all based in the region. News as we know has changed - we're delivering it first and free. Thank you for your support in keeping local news alive.

Lechelle Earl, owner/editor




Hats-off to Turbans for Tins

WHAT started out as an idea with a carton of UHT milk and a household garbage bin, has turned into a full-time passion and occupation for Coleraine’s Anthony Bolden and his Tins in Bins crew and this week they were bolstered by a massive donation out of left field.
“When the truck rolled up I was expecting about four pallets of stuff and when the driver pulled the curtain back … it was a whole truckload of donations … my first thought was ‘where the heck are we going to put it all?’,” Mr Bolden said.


The more than a dozen pallets containing boxes of non-perishable foods, drinks, toys, clothing and even household decorations, are courtesy of the Turbans for Australia, a Sikh-led charity organisation that provides help for Australians in need, but particularly during disaster relief.


“Amar Singh, who is the founder, he’s a ripper … when I spoke to him I had to be careful not to mention the cricket! … he said he’d rung (Southern Grampians Shire) about bushfire victims and they said they were very lucky, they did not have any from the last fire,” Mr Bolden said.


“They mayor said he knew a guy who ‘does a thing’ and he rang and gave me Amar’s number, I rang him, explained what we do, working with all the organisations throughout the district and Amar said well, we need to give this to you, get a truck up to you.”


Arriving in Coleraine last week, Geoff Vickery and his family at Vickery Bros put their hand up to store the huge haul of booty at their local depot and on Saturday, local organisations including the Uniting Church Food Distribution Program and Vinnies Casterton, got busy preparing to deliver the goods to those in need.


“I have also bee in touch with Blaze Aid, I have got a load there to take to them, they have been busy with the fires up around Cavendish so we’re taking a load up there to help them with their volunteers,” Mr Bolden said.


Looking for a public and simple way to provide help to local aide organisations and help local families who were doing it tough, Mr Bolden approached local supermarkets in 2023, including Casterton’s Foodworks and Coleraine’s IGA, asking them to host bins where shoppers could add non-perishable items for distribution through local support networks.


That evolved into a fundraising family day in Coleraine, last year, the event jointly awarded Community Event of the Year at Coleraine’s Australia Day celebrations.


“It’s just incredible the amount of support we get from everyone … Vickerys just giving us this space here and the bins at the supermarkets are regularly filled,” Mr Bolden said.


“But we know the need is even greater than what we can keep up with.


“I asked one of the fellas who helps distribute the things we collect, how long this sort of quantity would last and he said two weeks … there’s just never enough, but if we can put a small dent in it … well that’s worth it.”

Why wait? Get more stories like this delivered straight to your inbox
Join our digital edition mailing list and stay up to date on the latest news, events and special announcements from across the Limestone Coast.

Your local real estate guide - every Thursday

spot_img

You might also like