The current core committee has been steering the Voice for nearly five years now, taking over when previous volunteers were ready to pass the baton. We’ve weathered challenges that might have silenced other community publications, but we’re now facing some hard realities.
Many will remember when Carl Leddy started the Voice from his gallery. He created it to connect our community through local stories and news. That mission still guides us today, though the landscape has changed dramatically.
These days, information flows through Facebook groups, community noticeboards, and email updates. Many of you still tell us you love having a physical paper to browse through, but the economics are becoming increasingly difficult.
When it first began, it was a commercial venture yet now, it is posted or collected free eleven months a year. It is put together largely by volunteer hours and token monthly wages for the editor and production designer. It is funded solely by advertising and a small number of out of towners who pick up and pay for the paper from the General or service station.
The maths is simple but concerning: it costs us about $6.50 (plus postage) to produce each hard copy and we’re currently losing around $2,000 every month, which means our reserves will be depleted within a year.
Beyond just sharing news, the Voice has supported numerous community initiatives – funding school books, sponsoring the Boyley Cup, sponsoring the Show, providing free Santa photos, and offering free advertising for community events. These connections to valley life matter to us.
We’ve worked to streamline operations wherever possible. Our team handles everything from editing to distribution, driven by dedication to this community.
As we consider options – from digital-only formats to quarterly publications or community donations – we need your input. The QR code below leads to a brief survey about your relationship with the Voice and how you might support its future.
Kangaroo Valley boasts one of the highest concentrations of community groups per capita anywhere and the Voice has been connecting these groups and sharing their stories for decades. We believe there’s still a place for us in this vibrant community, but we need your help to find the right path forward.
Please take a moment to share your thoughts. Together, we can shape a sustainable future for the Valley Voice.
Complete the survey below.
