With shovels in their hands and smiles on their faces, 38 students from the University of Technology (UTS) in Sydney journeyed to the Clarence Valley last week where they spent a day undertaking a variety of local projects throughout the riverside village of Ulmarra.

From weeding overgrown gardens, mowing lawns, preparing veggie patches, and rock armouring the levee bank along the Clarence River in Lynhaven Crescent, no challenge was too big for the more-than-willing assistants who promptly immersed themselves in their respective tasks.

All of them are hard-working and community minded members of The Big Lift, a student- run volunteering organisation founded on the philosophy of paying it forward through UTS which enables them to travel to regional areas, engage with locals, and make meaningful contributions through environmental conservation, general refurbishing, and maintenance.

Speaking with the Clarence Valley Independent on July 10, Neha Bhatt and Raiyan Ahmed said they were incredibly excited to be in Ulmarra and to have the opportunity to help make a difference within the rural community through their work as volunteers.

Ms Bhatt and Mr Ahmed spent the morning at the Ulmarra Food Co where they assisted in the soil preparation of numerous garden beds behind the popular local eatery.

“Everyone here is so lovely and kind, and we immediately felt the sense of community within Ulmarra as soon as we arrived,” Ms Bhatt said.

“The hospitality we’ve received has been amazing,” Mr Ahmed added.

“Everyone here is very appreciative of the work we are doing, and we love the impact our visit is having on the whole community.

“We both love volunteering, and it was definitely what motivated me to join The Big Lift earlier this year.”

President of the Ulmarra Village Inc and local business owner Steve Pickering said it was absolutely fantastic to welcome the students into the community last week and described watching their interactions with residents as heartwarming.

Mr Pickering also revealed it was the first time many of the students had travelled outside of Sydney, with several of them expressing their desire to return to the Clarence Valley in the near future.

“When The Big Lift reached out to the Ulmarra Village Inc and asked if this was something we would be interested in participating in, we were very happy to say yes,” he said.

“To have students come all the way from Sydney to help out in a small regional community, it really is something special.

“There are about seven local projects they have been working within from garden maintenance at the Ulmarra Public School to cleaning up the Ulmarra tennis courts which were severely flood affected in 2022.

“They’ve made so many contributions to our community.

“We would love to welcome them back, any time.

“Volunteering is what brings a community together, and I urge anyone who is not currently a volunteer, or volunteering, to put their hand up and give it a go.”  

This article appeared in the  Clarence Valley Independent, 17 July 2024.