Two Days Left to Help Promote Your Good Work

This is your final opportunity to help us showcase the good work of clubs. Want to better understand the benefits that come from submitting an entry? 

We find out from Coledale RSL President Melissa Ellery – the Club which took out the Special Judges Award last year.

Q: How important do you believe the Club & Community Awards are, particularly for smaller clubs such as yours?

A: Through our Special Judges Award, we were able to meet many new faces within the industry. We now have a greater network to reach out to. The social media and print coverage also helped us market our little club. With only 3000 members and running on volunteer power, this has been so valuable. There would be no way we could achieve that kind of reach without winning the award

Q: What did the win mean to your local community?

A: It was so great to have ClubsNSW celebrate our story, we are small seaside community an hour south of Sydney. With only around 1200 residents, seeing the heart of the town, our little Coledale RSL Club up in lights and celebrated, provided us with great sense of pride but also the confidence that we had a lot of support in the room, and we were not in this fight alone.

Q: Why is it important for small clubs to get involved, and how do they, like larger clubs, positively impact their communities?

A: Our club is the heart of our town, every Sunday it is like walking into your living room and seeing everyone. It provides a place for connections to be made, for those who have lived in the community for a long time and for those that are new to the area. The challenges every club faces to keep those doors open are no different to the larger clubs, however it can be really tough financially and with little resources for the smaller venues. That is why it is so important to leverage those that are around you, and the Clubs & Community Awards are a great way to do that.

Q: What kind of conversations has this award generated among club members?

A: It is the sense of pride and how commended every one of those volunteers were by those in the industry. We received so many genuine offers of help on the night and in the following weeks. A big shout to CEO Michael Clancy from Bankstown Sports and the team from West Leagues Club. ClubsNSW CEO Rebecca Riant has also personally gone out of her way to visit us and offer her ongoing support. We have been interviewed as part of the ClubLIFE podcast, had a story written in ClubLIFE. The list goes on. We would not have been able to get our story out without nominating ourselves for the Clubs & Community Awards.

Q: How easy was the submission process and do you have any advice for other clubs looking to participate?

A: The submission process was quite simple, there are so many great clubs out there doing amazing things. In metro or regional across NSW, it is important to keep these venues alive by simply telling your story. Even if you don’t win it’s a fantastic night out and a great way to meet people.

A massive thank you to Melissa Ellery, President of Coledale RSL, for providing these answers. 

We hope this inspires you to get involved in a night that celebrates the positive contributions of your club in the local community. 

Visit the 2025 Clubs and Community Awards website to submit your club’s story.