The small school has a number of volunteers that help with everything from transport to education, principal Renee Arabin said.

“We’re very lucky,” Mrs Arabin said.

“Not only do our volunteers help to reduce costs for the parents of the school, but also students get exposure to a whole range of people and fields and to see that the community really cares about them.”

Ian Patterson is one of the volunteers making a different, Mrs Arabin explained.

He had driven the Year 3-6 students to a camping excursion in Picton, NSW the week before.

“It’s these people that make our community a beautiful place to be,” she said.

Binalong resident John Regan was at the barbecue.

He runs the bus every week so students can connect with another school.

“It gets me out and about and it’s nice to see what the kids get up to,” Mr Regan said.

Another was ex-services member Garth Chisholm, who helped with the children’s Anzac Day memorial.

He said volunteering at the school brought him closer to the community.

“It’s nice to be involved and represent the ex-services,” Mr Chisholm said.

Leon Arabin’s children and now grandchildren have attended the school and as a result, he’s been volunteering for more than 15 years.

There are also a number of parents who volunteer on the school P&C.

Local mum Fabia has been helping the P&C for two years and also runs the playgroup at the school every Friday.

Before she joined, the school only had a playgroup once a month.

“I love it, it’s really good fun,” she said.

All of these volunteers make the school days “tick along”, teacher Jo Innes said.

“We have many more volunteers that aren’t here today, but they have busy lives and yet they still manage to squeeze us in,” she said.