DIRECTOR REPORT FEBRUARY 2025

Here we are in 2025 already!  2024 was another major year for the Club, and our Management and staff, across all facets of our business, deserve huge accolades for their outstanding work.

After the Annual General Meeting in October, we farewelled our President, Daryl Melham AM, at a wonderful lunch that followed the official opening of The Melham Function Centre.  I am proud to have stood on the Board for sixteen years with Daryl, whose decision not to stand in the election could not have been an easy one.  We welcome two new Directors, John Choueifate and Trevor Heaslip, whose skills greatly complement the talent pool of the Directors.

Within Revesby Workers’ Club, we have numerous sub-clubs that are run by many great volunteers who are committed to enhancing other people’s lives.  From Little Athletics, Football, Bowls, Netball, Cricket – to name a few of the sporting sub-clubs – to the Garden Club, Ladies Group, Toastmasters and other common interest groups. There are plenty of opportunities for our members to get involved with the many clubs, contact details are available on the club’s website or at reception.

One particular group, for which I am the Liaison Director, is the Bankstown Stroke Support Group, which meets monthly in the Club.  This is an excellent group whose membership is fluid and comprises people who have experienced stroke, others who are carers, and anyone else who shares an interest in new developments in assessing the risks, identifying stroke and ongoing updates in treatments.

In November we had a very successful pre-Christmas meeting of the various sub-clubs at Revesby Greens.  It was wonderful to see so many volunteers on the day and to be able to share experiences.  We look forward to hearing tales from our Hockey Club next November, after their trip in May 2025 to the World Masters Games in Taipei, a trip they have been fundraising for over many months!

Revesby Workers’ Club, through its Club Grants, has been proud to support local special schools over the years. The dedicated teachers and staff at these schools do incredible work with children who are both intellectually and often physically disabled. This year, we were thrilled to fund the MiniFit program at Caroline Chisholm School and Broderick Gillawarna School. Founded by former Rugby League player Anthony Minichiello, this program focuses on health and exercise, specially adapted for these amazing children by Anthony and his team.

Additionally, through our Club Grants, we have been supporting Mercy Works, a fantastic charity that aids refugees and asylum seekers in settling within our community. One of their programs involves teaching English as a second language to students, usually between the ages of 18 and 25, at Bankstown Senior College.

As Chair of the Club’s Charity Committee, I am honoured to share that we have continued our efforts to raise funds for the local community, most recently by purchasing much-needed equipment for Bankstown-Lidcombe Hospital from their ‘wish list.’ We are incredibly grateful for the generous support Revesby Workers’ Club provides through our Friday night meat raffles at Revesby Greens. Over time, we’ve built a dedicated group of supporters, and we’re always happy to welcome new faces! In the near future, our charity will be further funding the purchase of up to five different types of devices for Bankstown-Lidcombe Hospital and I look forward to sharing the details in a future issue of the Journal.

We are truly lucky to live in Australia.  Let’s continue to support the wonderful volunteers we have in this country when we can.  I look forward to another great year for Revesby Workers’ Club in 2025.

Christine Benham, Vice President

My election to the board of the Revesby Workers’ Club in late October 2024 has been quite surreal. I joined the club as an 18-year-old, some 46 years ago, and I’ll be frank, the only reason I joined at the time was to gain entry to the club and enjoy a schooner or two of lemon squash with fellow players from the cricket club.

I recall the world class entertainment and watching Tom Jones performing to packed audiences night after night, and for those who remember, the yearly Christmas Party for families was an event not to be missed.  My fondest memory was handing out ice creams from a white caravan with former President Daryl Melham, and late director Keith Heaslip and his wife, in the early 80s.

Since those heady days, my connection with the Club has never waned and when I was asked to join the board, I saw an opportunity to play a more active role and to continue the great work and community focus.  Over the years, there have been many structural and architectural changes but what hasn’t changed are the regulars and loyal patrons who have supported the board and management.

Testimony of the stability of the board was the recent retirement of President Daryl Melham AM who called it quits after serving 44 years as a director and more recently as Club President. I am sure that milestone will never be eclipsed.

For those members who don’t know me, I have lived in the area most of my life and recall the days of the market gardens, the horse drawn milk carts, no sewerage and the “dunny man” picking up the toilet can and the chicken farm around the club premises. The club was a place for the wharfies, fishos, union organisers and political types to meet and strategise, but most of the time it was to swap yarns and tell tall tales.

My involvement with the club was regular but limited due to my work commitments, as I held senior roles in the media over a period of 40 years. I also had a brief dalliance in Government and even started my own communications consultancy and strategy business.

During this time, the club has grown, now boasting around 70,000 members and a demographic embracing a mix of young and old from diverse backgrounds. Over the years the wants and needs of Club members has changed, and this is clearly reflected by the investment in the retail village and medical precinct, the refurbishment of the gym and providing a better family dining experience.

The first few months have been quite hectic and only reinforced my decision to be a part of the board. Some of the events included Remembrance Day, a special luncheon ceremony for those members celebrating 25, 40 and 50 years of membership, the seniors Christmas concert, and the annual staff awards.

The generosity of the club is something that isn’t rarely spoken of and deserves a mention. Whether it is providing grants to local schools, education grants to high-achieving students, bereavement support, subsidising our sporting teams or waiving fees to charitable and other organisations to use the club facilities, these are just some of the decisions made on members’ behalf.

On other matters, I have some big shoes to fill and will be taking over from Club President Christine Butters as the Liaison Director for the Mooney Mooney Club which includes the Volunteer Rural Fire Service and the Marine Rescue. I had the pleasure of meeting some of the locals and they were very warm and welcoming. I have also asked to be on the Building, Education and Light on the Hill Committees, as well as the Disciplinary Committee.

The year has kicked off in fine style and I am looking forward to being a part of some exciting events and changes during 2025.

As Chair of the Club’s Charity Committee, I am honoured to share that we have continued our efforts to raise funds for the local community, most recently by purchasing much-needed equipment for Bankstown-Lidcombe Hospital from their ‘wish list.’ We are incredibly grateful for the generous support Revesby Workers’ Club provides through our Friday night meat raffles at Revesby Greens. Over time, we’ve built a dedicated group of supporters, and we’re always happy to welcome new faces! In the near future, our charity will be further funding the purchase of up to five different types of devices for Bankstown-Lidcombe Hospital and I look forward to sharing the details in a future issue of the Journal.

We are truly lucky to live in Australia.  Let’s continue to support the wonderful volunteers we have in this country when we can.  I look forward to another great year for Revesby Workers’ Club in 2025.

John Choueifate, Director