The Zonta Club of Melton will celebrate it’s 25th anniversary on May 7. Bianca Heaney was the first president of the club and she is about to step into the role again. She spoke with reporter Olivia Condous about the work of Zonta Clubs.
What’s your connection to Melton and Moorabool?
My family and I moved to Melton in 1990 when my husband started working with the Australian Wool Corporation. At that time it was our best option to travel to either Benalla or Horsham where our families were. Everyone made us feel very welcome. We didn’t want to move into Melbourne and Melton had a good country feel about it. It was close enough to the city to go to the Theatre, events, the zoo and everything we needed as young family. In 2005, we moved to Bacchus Marsh as our daughters had horses and we needed a bigger property. We have now been here seventeen years and it was perfect for what we wanted to do. We are still very connected with Melton and have our family business there.
How did you get involved with the Zonta Club of Melton?
It was late 1996 when I was approached to be part of a new club in Melton. It was for women and it was a community service club. As I already had an association with Rotary I knew it was meant to be. In May 1997, the Zonta Club of Melton was chartered and I was the first president. Here we are now, 25 years on, and I am still involved and going to take on the presidents role again for the next two years.
What is your favourite part of being involved in the club?
Being involved in a local but also international organisation that helps women on so many different levels through education, health, legal and advocacy brings me lots of joy and knowing that we can help women and their families is so rewarding. I have made many friends and have travelled to many places to help women, attending conferences and workshops. Since we started, so many things have changed for women of all ages and helping where we can is important to all our members.
Why is the work of empowering women important to you?
To share knowledge, skills and help women who can then take these skills and knowledge on to help others. As an example some years ago, I took part in helping out a village in Tonga. On one trip we donated fabric and sewing machines. I taught the local women how to sew and they continued on in making school uniforms for the village children. Zonta has been celebrating International Women’s Day every year since we started. Our aim is to bring well known speakers to Melton so that women could enjoy a night out and be inspired by amazing women. Zonta introduced an award called “Woman of Note”, this has been awarded to a local woman each year in recognition of the work they have done in helping other women and children and their community.
We are always looking for new members, three new members will be inducted at the 25th year celebrations on the May 7. Our guest speaker Val Sarah AM (Zonta Club of Ballarat) was our first guest speaker and will join us again at this celebration. She has also been a Zonta International president.
Empowering women is so important to all our members. Anyone interested in what we do is most welcome to come along to our dinner meetings which are held on the first Monday of each month (except for November).
Details: www.zontaclubofmelton.org.au/ or email: info@zontaclubofmelton.org.au
