Bushfire Recovery Fund for Nev & Lesley - Adelong

Juju Rose is organizing this fundraiser on behalf of Lesley Clarke.

Donation protected

This is Nev and Lesley Clarke.

And what you see behind them was their home until the Dunn’s Road Fire ripped through a large part of Adelong and the beautiful Snowy Mountains on January 4th 2020.

We met this generous and community minded couple when we purchased a neighbouring property at Sharps Creek, Adelong 18 months ago, which they had been occupying for 20 years.
Unfortunately when the fires hit the Adelong region their home and majority of their belongings were burnt. I want to be very clear, this initiative is purely for the purpose of raising funds to get Nev and Lesley back on their feet, and not for the purpose of rebuilding.

While our family starts the clean up at Sharps Creek I wanted to give Nev and Lesley some security for the coming months. TOTAL donations from this Go Fund Me initiative and my Bushfire Art Auction will go directly into Lesley and Nev’s local bank account for them to put towards household goods, rent, clothes, their health or whatever they decide.

Nev and Lesley, together with their horses have called Adelong home for the majority of their married life. They are renowned in the Adelong community for their giving nature and ability to engage with and teach the younger generations. A stunning example of how valued they are, just last November over 300 people gathered at the Adelong showground for Nev’s 80th birthday!

Nev holds a strong reputation as a successful stockman, drover and horse breaker as well as horse riding mentor to many. It would be an understatement to say he’s endured some hair raising experiences in his time, but when recounting the fires before leaving their home he said

‘…I HAVE BEEN IN THE MOUNTAINS COMING OUT ON A PACKHORSE ON MY OWN, [WITH] A MOB OF CATTLE, DINGOS HOWLING ALL AROUND ME…BUT NOTHING AS TERRIFYING AS WHAT COME OVER THE BIG HILL OVER THERE. I NEVER SEEN FLAMES AS HIGH…IT WAS SOMETHING ELSE.’

For Lesley, this experience has made her feel even more connected and grateful for the tight-knit community of Sharps Creek and the broader Adelong district. Since losing their home, Lesley has been assisting with the donations and the organisation of food, and delivering of pantry packs and meals to the firefighters and other families doing it tough in the community. Lesley’s ability to look beyond what she has lost and move forward with love and kindness is what makes their story so touching.

BUSHFIRE ART AUCTION
This week I will auction off an artwork I painted in early November in response to the fires surrounding Sydney. TOTAL proceeds of this artwork will go directly from the purchaser into Lesley and Nev’s local bank account.

To learn more about the Bushfire Art Auction head to www.jujuroche.com.au