HARRISTON – The Town of Minto’s Cultural Roundtable is hosting a volunteer and cultural symposium to provide participants with tools and connections to assist their organizations and make their volunteer work more fulfilling.
The half-day symposium, titled Connect, Create, Collaborate: Building Minto’s Volunteer and Cultural Future, takes place on Feb. 7 from 9:30am to 2:30pm at the Harriston-Minto Community Complex Auditorium.
The event “gives community groups the opportunity to share, collaborate and know what is going on in the community,” roundtable chair Peggy Raftis told the Community News. She said by understanding upcoming events, community groups can “cross-promote and cross-utilize” for additional success.
Workshops will highlight findings from a Volunteer Recruitment and Retention Project and provide insights into engaging and supporting volunteers.
There will be interactive sessions focused on creating a shared annual calendar, identifying opportunities for joint initiatives and developing new “try-it” program ideas across arts, culture, heritage, tourism, agriculture, sport and community services.
Asked if the symposium is one of many, Raftis said, “We’re playing that by ear to see how successful this one is.”
The symposium will also provide information about municipal supports, resources and incentives for volunteer-led and cultural initiatives.
“Volunteers and cultural organizations are the backbone of community life in the Town of Minto,” stated marketing and community development coordinator Erin Raftis in a press release.
“This symposium is designed to support the people behind the programs and events by creating a space to share ideas, build partnerships, and access resources.”
The event is open to artists, cultural and heritage groups, museums, service clubs, festival and event volunteers, tourism contributors, agriculture and horticulture groups, sport and recreation organizations, and volunteer organizations.
“We’re looking to get more success for our cultural groups within the Town of Minto by sharing resources, information and ideas,” Raftis said.
It costs $10 to attend, which includes lunch, refreshments and access to toolkits and resource materials.
Advance registration is required, and participants are encouraged to register via Eventbrite by Jan. 19.
“It’s good to get like-minded people in a room working toward the same goal of having successful cultural events in Minto,” Raftis said.
More information and registration details are available at town.minto.on.ca/calendar.
