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Directors Report February 2025

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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

Executive Report February 2025

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Dear Members,

We hope you all enjoyed your Christmas and New Year festivities and that you welcomed 2025 with open arms. Welcoming a New Year is always an exciting time, and even more so this year as we farewell 2024.

WELCOME TREVOR HEALSIP AND JOHN CHOUEIFATE

Following the retirement of Daryl Melham AM at the conclusion of the 2024 Annual General Meeting (AGM), the results of the election for Board of Directors were announced, confirming that Trevor Heaslip and John Choueifate would be joining the Board of Directors at Revesby Workers’ Club.

Trevor is a Life Member of Revesby Workers’ Cricket Club, and current President with over 52 years as player, coach and executive.

He graduated with a Diploma in Crime Prevention, Certificate IV in Security Risk Management, Advanced Certificate in Safety & Crowd Management, Advanced Certificate in Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED).

John Choueifate has been a member of the Revesby Workers’ for 45 years. He has been involved in Australian media for more than 40 years and held executive roles at the Seven, Nine and Ten Networks. He has directed and mentored some of Australia’s leading presenters and journalists.

John was appointed by NSW Premier Morris Iemma as Head of Government Strategy and Communication in 2008, and has relationships with State and Federal Government Ministers, along with business leaders.

We have welcomed both Trevor and John to the Board and hope you join us in congratulating them and wishing them all the best for their term.



Trevor Healsip

Director




John Choueifate

Director

NEW CLUB PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT

Following the AGM in October last year, the Board elected myself as president and Christine Benham as Vice President.

Christine Benham was elected to the Board in November 2008.  Her service not only to the Club, but to the community, is immeasurable.

Christine is the Liaison Director for Revesby Workers’ Women’s Hockey, Revesby Workers’ Swim Club, Bankstown Stroke Support Group, Revesby Workers’ Senior Golf and Revesby Workers’ Netball.

Her dedication and support for all things community made it a very easy decision to elect her as the Vice President. Her passion for the Club and its members will ensure a very positive future for the Revesby Workers’ Group.



Christine Benham

Vice President

MEMBER ANNIVERSARY EVENTS

We would also like to take the opportunity to share some photos from our Member Anniversary events that took place on 24 October 2024 in our new Whitlam Theatre.  Our 40 and 50-year members were invited to an afternoon event while our 25-year members joined us for an evening event.

The Board of Directors were honoured to be able to recognise the loyalty of those 25, 40 and 50 year members to our Club.

We would like to recognise the efforts of our Marketing and Food and Beverage teams for managing both events.  The success of these events is a credit to their hard work and dedication.

We look forward to celebrating these events again later in the year with our Members.



FAREWELL BRUCE BREESE

We would like to extend our deepest gratitude and appreciation to Mooney Mooney resident and long-term member of the Advisory Committee Bruce Breese. Bruce has demonstrated an unwavering dedication and service to the Mooney Mooney community. His contributions have made a lasting impact. Through Bruce’s hard work, commitment, and compassion, he has helped foster a sense of unity, strength, and resilience in the Mooney Mooney community.

Bruce retired from the Advisory Committee in December as he plans his future further up the North Coast.

Bruce your efforts do not go unnoticed, and we are truly fortunate to have someone like you who consistently strives to make the world a better place. Thank you for your incredible service.



Christine Butters

President

Scott Bennetts

CEO

Directors Report November 2024

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Directors Report November 2024

Nearing the end of my second year as a Director of Revesby Workers’ Club, it continues to be a privilege to work with the Board to serve our members and staff. It is often challenging, but such a positive experience is made easier by a combination of a great leadership team under our CEO Scott Bennetts, and all the fantastic staff that make up our club.

Like many, with the completion of the Function Centre renovations including the Whitlam Theatre, I greatly anticipate seeing members and visitors enjoying the beautiful new facilities. This was a major project expertly and professionally delivered by our management team. In general, I can see many exciting events planned across the club over the coming months through the upcoming holiday season.

From a Board perspective, I will continue to collaborate with fellow board members to focus on several priorities. These priorities include supporting our CEO and his team, sustaining our club as a leader in the industry, and making the best decisions in the interest of the club’s future. This also extends to the value and priority we place on all club employees in protecting our positive culture. Given my long history as part of Revesby Workers’ before joining the Board, I also have a deep appreciation of the relationships with all our wonderful sub-clubs and the benefits these can have in building life-long associations.

At the time of writing, of course, we face the stepping down of our President Daryl Melham, the heart and soul of the club for such a long time. To say he will be missed is of course a huge understatement. There will be much more to be said as we celebrate his time of service, and I’m sure his involvement and support for the club will continue.

With regard to sub-clubs, I look forward to giving ongoing support when needed. Lawn Bowls enters a new era with the unification of the Men’s and Ladies Clubs. The volunteer committee members work tirelessly to run regular events throughout the year out of Revesby Greens at Spence Street. ‘Twilight Bowls’ is one such social event that commences with Daylight Saving, so if you would like to get involved you would be welcomed with open arms. The Ladies Indoor Bowls are undoubtedly looking forward to resuming play in the new Whitlam Theatre. Billiards and Snooker are looking forward to hosting the Shire Singles event. Darts had a new Club Champion christened in John Savage, and are heading towards the Doubles Championships, and the Spearfishing Club continues to proudly fly the club colours – check them out on social media if you are interested.

Finally, I look forward to being a part of a club that continues to provide significant financial help across our community. I also hope and trust that we all will have a safe and happy Christmas and holiday season.

David Raper, Director

Welcome to the last journal of the year and an update as to what’s on offer at the club this holiday season.

Our new Function Centre and renovated Whitlam Theatre, located on Level 1 of the Club, were formally opened in late October with an event that officially recognised and honoured the long-term service of the club’s immediate past president Daryl Melham AM. We thank him for his service to our club, the industry in general, and to our community.

Daryl’s guidance has been instrumental in developing a club whose major focus is providing for its members and community.

With our community in mind, Revesby Workers’ Club has been committed to investing in education for many years, an incentive I am passionate about from my background in both education and community service. Our Tertiary Scholarship program has been running for 27 years and has provided financial support to over 670 students in achieving their academic goals. As Chair of the Education Committee, I congratulate all HSC students on completing their studies and encourage them to apply for our scholarship program. Applications can be submitted through our website.

Another longstanding initiative is our School Subsidy program, which began in 1986 as an annual contribution of $11,000 to 22 local schools and has since expanded to offer support to 32 local schools. Last year, the Club contributed over $65,000 in crucial funding through this program, enabling schools to enhance their facilities, introduce new programs, and provide additional resources. This ongoing program directly improves the quality of education and opportunities available to students in our community year after year.

As we head into the next few months the club will be offering a great range of festive activities and services from Photos with Santa, Kids Toy Raffles, Ham and Pork Raffles, our annual Worker’s Giving Tree and Health Mates Food Drive supporting Padstow Community Care as well as Christmas Day lunches for family celebrations.

The lineup of 2025 events and activities can also be found in this issue of the Journal, from Australia Day, Valentine’s Day and International Women’s Day, all designed to bring our club community together.

I would like to wish all our members and staff a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Please take care throughout the holiday season.

Linda Downey, Director

The President’s Final Report

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After over four decades on the Board of Directors for Revesby Workers’ Club Group, Daryl officially announced his retirement as Club President at the Annual General Meeting on Sunday 27 October.

Daryl’s dedicated service on the Board of Directors and his significant contributions have been instrumental in shaping Revesby Workers’ Club Group into the progressive community-based organisation it is today.

In recognition of this, the newly renovated function centre was named ‘The Melham Function Centre’ in his honour.

‘I sincerely wish to thank the Revesby Workers’ Club for the naming of “The MELHAM Function Centre”. The family and I are honored and most appreciative.’ said Daryl in his closing speech on Sunday.

Click here to see Daryl’s final report as Club President

Executive Report August 2024

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Dear Members,

With the end of financial year now behind us, we look towards the second half of the calendar year.

We are happy to report that Revesby Workers’ Club recorded a profit of circa $6.5m pending year-end adjustments, details of which is outlined in the Financial report, this enables our Club to continue to provide funding to our subclubs, invest in education through our school subsidy and scholarship programs, consider sponsorships for charities and fundraising events and community projects to really give back to our members and wider community.

FAREWELL TO BADEN KIRGAN

After four years of loyal service to Revesby Workers’ Club as a director, Baden Kirgan has stepped down from the board as of the 25th June 2024.

Baden’s contribution in and outside the boardroom has always been outstanding. His support, guidance, and mentoring of the senior leadership team, has been invaluable.

Baden achieved a significant amount in his time serving as a director and offered support to his Sub Clubs Revesby Workers’ Athletics Junior, Revesby Workers’ Men’s Golf, Revesby Workers’ Netball and Revesby Workers’ Writers Club.

We wish Baden every success and take this opportunity to thank him for his contribution to our Club.

AUDITORIUM AND FUNCTIONS RENOVATIONS

As mentioned in previous Executive Reports, the renovation to our Function Centre is progressing well and we are excited for the opening at the end of this year.

Prior to the May Board Meeting, our Executive Manager – Food and Beverage, Darren Foots and Executive Manager – Facilities, Simon Melham took the Board of Directors for a tour of the renovation site and it was great to see the significant transformation since commencing this project in January.

We look forward to welcoming members back to the space for their future functions towards the end of 2024.

DIRECTOR NOMINATIONS

Nominations for the Board of Directors open: 9:00am on Friday, 13 September 2024. Nominations for the Board of Directors Close and Draw for the positions on the Ballot Paper: 6:00pm on Friday, 27 September 2024.

Ballot for the Board of Directors will be conducted from 10:00am to 8:00pm on Thursday, 24 October 2024 and Friday, 25 October 2024

AGM

Please note our AGM is scheduled for Sunday, 27 October 2024 at 10am and will be held on the Club’s premises.

If you have any questions for the AGM, please ensure they are received in writing 7 business days prior to the meeting.

We look forward to our members’ attendance in support of the Club


Daryl Melham AM

PRESIDENT


Scott Bennetts

CEO

Directors Report May 2024

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Directors Report May 2024

Since I joined the Workers’ Club Board in 2020, one of the things I’ve enjoyed most is being the liaison director for my sub clubs.

The sub clubs are the sporting and social groups who wear our colours and represent us in activities like soccer, netball, cricket and swimming. There are also clubs centred around non-sporting pursuits like gardening.

Some of the sub clubs are older than the Workers’ Club itself – many of the 240 foundation members came from local sporting clubs like soccer, cricket and golf, and brought those clubs into the Workers’ when it was founded in 1962. In many registered clubs, the directors have little to do with their sub clubs. Relations between the club and sub club are managed by staff. The sub clubs rarely, if ever, hear from a member of the board let alone see a director at one of their meetings.

At the Workers’ each director is assigned several sub clubs. I look after the Netball, Men’s Golf, Little Athletics and Revesby
Writers sub clubs. Directors are expected to meet with the sub clubs regularly and provide a conduit between the board and the sub club members. This keeps the concerns of the sub clubs front and centre for the board.

There are so many sub clubs in the Workers’ that you can pretty much pick any sport and we have a sub club for you. But one area where we might be lacking a bit is in the arts.

We have our wonderful Revesby Writers who meet on the first Saturday of every month. Every meeting each member brings a new piece, usually on an assigned theme, to read to the group. It’s a great way for local writers to keep going and get feedback on their writing.

When I was a kid we had a Revesby Workers’ Youth Drama Club. Run by Noelene and her husband, there was a junior kids and senior kids classes on weekends. The students would learn acting and confidence skills and build towards a performance in the school holidays. Once or twice a year they put on a pantomime that was on every day for a week
during the holidays. These were extremely popular with parents struggling for holiday activities (and the kids loved them too).

I’d love to see more arts groups come to the club. Acting, music, reading, painting, film, book clubs – I’m open to any
ideas. Communities can’t live on sports alone – we need more places where members whose interests lay elsewhere can find other like-minded people.

They can start small – many of our sub clubs are just a group of people meeting once a month in a room to talk about their common interest. But if enough people join, the club
has many ways of supporting and helping groups grow. I’d love to see the Club with as many arts based sub clubs as we have wonderful sports sub clubs.

If you have any ideas, please email me at badenk@rwc.org.au.

Baden Kirgan, Director

Hard to believe we are now in May, what a start to 2024.

It’s now been 7 months since being elected as a Director at Revesby Workers’ Club and I still pinch myself and feel extremely honoured to represent such an iconic brand, an Organisation that has members and staff at the forefront of every decision that is made.

One of my first official events was the Seniors Christmas Concert held in the Auditorium on the 12th December 2023. What a great afternoon joined by over 400 members with first-class entertainment in what was one of the last events in the Auditorium as we once knew it.

With all function rooms being closed for most of the year due to major renovation and refurbishment we are looking forward to the new look with works due for completion in October 2024.

2024 has seen many great community initiatives take place either by our Revesby Workers’ staff or some of our Sub Club that are all run by dedicated volunteers.

Congratulations to Christine Butters President of Revesby Workers Little Athletics and the team of volunteers on the opening of their new facility at Kelso North a venue that will serve for many years to come.

As many of our Summer Sports wrap up our Winter sports are in full flight Revesby Workers, Netball, and Football (Soccer) just to name a couple.

Revesby Workers Football Club which I’m the Liaison Director has teamed up with Sydney FC to run a Program dedicated to Girls 12 to 15.  The program (She Can) is not all about Football it also covers many topics that face young women and provides them with guidance and skills in Communication, Leadership and Confidence.

I joined Club Staff recently attending a Club Wide Meeting lead by our Executive Manager, People & Culture Sharyn Buhagiar who provided key updates with the team and some refresher compliance training.

Thank you to everybody that visited the Club and attended our ceremony to pay respects on ANZAC Day it was truly a fantastic turnout and one of my favourite events on the calendar.

This issue of the Journal covers so many great events happening throughout the club. I’m looking forward to continuing to catch up with members around the club over the coming months.

Daniel Kurtz, Director

Executive Report May 2024

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Dear Members,

We hope you all had an enjoyable Easter and for those who were able to enjoy a lovely 4 day weekend.  While the cooler weather has been appreciated, I am sure you will agree that we are not looking forward to those frosty winter months ahead of us.

SCHOOL SUBSIDY PROGRAM

You will recall in our last Executive Report we provided an update on the schools that were fortunate enough to receive funding under our now School Subsidy Program and the projects they were undertaking.

We are happy to report that we held an extremely successful cheque presentation ceremony on Friday, 1 March 2024 that was attended by all recipients where we were able to meet with school representatives and discuss their projects that are currently underway.

In attendance at the morning tea was Vice President Christine Butters, Director Christine Benham and Director/Chair of the Education Committee Linda Downey.  Also in attendance was Revesby Workers’ Club staff member Alysha Green who joined the Club in mid- January as the Assistant Manager, Marketing and Community.  This event was an opportunity for the school representatives to meet with Alysha as she will be running the school subsidy program next year together with all community related work undertaken at the Club.

SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

On Wednesday, 14 February 2024 the Education Committee met to review new applications for the annual Tertiary Scholarship Program.

For 2024 the Club had a huge 37 previous recipients receive their $500 scholarship for ongoing studies providing a total of $18,0=500 to previous recipients.  9 of these recipients are in their final year of studies and we would like to wish them all the very best at the conclusion of 2024 and on the completion of their degree.  We would love to stay in touch to see where they land their first job and how they find the workforce as we are humbled to have been able to provide financial support throughout their studies.

Similar to last year, we received a significant number of applications with 8 achieving ATARs of over 90 and of those 8, 5 achieving over 95 which made 2024 an extremely competitive process.  The 2024 Scholarship Program awarded 1 male and 1 female with a $3,000 scholarship and 12 applicants with a $500 scholarship totalling $12,000 to new applicants in 2024.  These 2024 recipients will receive a further $500 for each subsequent year of their degree upon submission of successful results.

This takes the total of Tertiary Scholarship payments in 2024 to $30,500

An afternoon tea for our scholarship recipients took place on Sunday 7 April 2024, an event has over 60 attendees and was the most widely attended afternoon tea ceremony yet.

A special mention must be given to the recipients of the $3,000 scholarships in 2023:

  • Kristina La who achieved an ATAR of 97 and will be studying a Bachelor of Engineering at the University of NSW.
  • Tony Hu who achieved an ATAR of 98.50 and will be studying a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Sydney.

Congratulations to all of our previous and new recipients.

AUDITORIUM RENOVATIONS

Prior to the February Board meeting, our Executive Manager – Food and Beverage, Darren Foots and Executive Manager-– Facilities, Simon Melham took the Board of Directors for a tour of the auditorium renovation site.  Boden Construction has worked extremely hard and fast to commence demolition of the old auditorium and function space in preparation to commence building of our new Auditorium and function space.  We look forward to welcoming members back to the space for their future functions towards the end of 2024.

While we are aware of the disruptions this may cause throughout the Club in certain areas, we would like to take this opportunity to thank our extremely understanding members.  While the opening of the new area seems far away, we hope to be discussing this in the very next Journal which is only around the corner.

 

HEART OF THE NATION – DEFIBRILLATORS IN THE COMMUNITY

As outlined in our previous Executive Report, Revesby Workers’ Club Ltd provided funding to Heart of the Nation in the 2023 ClubGRANTS scheme to implement several life-saving Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) within the local Community in locations where they can be accessed by community members on a 24/7 basis.

When determining where to place these AEDs, we needed to consider things such as accessibility and a location that is highly populated.  In light of this, we are putting a call out to our members and community to determine if any businesses, schools, local churches, or residents would be interested in acting as guardian of an AED.

What is involved

Should we receive expressions of interest, we will select approximately 4 recipients (to fund further defibrillators in future ClubGRANTS programs) and arrange for Heart of the Nation to install an AED for you.

We would ask that you as a “Guardian” of the AED help maintain the integrity of the device noting that a guardian is not responsible for any damage, simply ensuring the AED is well kept and report any damage that may occur so Heart of the Nation can assist you in the maintenance of the device.

Community Responders

Should anyone express interest in housing an AED and want to be further involved, you may wish to become a “Community Responder”.  By downloading the Heart of the Nation app, you would be set up to receive alerts when an AED is required nearby and can deliver the life-saving machine to a local in the community and potentially save their life.

How do we get involved

If you are interested in finding out more about the Heart of the Nation program and how you can participate, please contact Alysha Green at alyshag@rwc.org.au.

   

Executive Report February 2024

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Dear Members,

We hope our members have enjoyed a lovely start to 2024.  For some we are sure Christmas and New Year feel like a distant memory, however, we hope you all enjoyed a lovely festive season.

SCHOOL SUBSIDY PROGRAM

Having commenced as far back at 1986 with very little change to the structure, this year the Board approved a change in structure to the School Subsidy Program.

The School Subsidy program offered by Revesby Workers’ Club commenced back in 1986 when the Club supplied $11,000 to 22 schools in the local district.  In 1999 the program had grown to fund 24 local schools with a $1,000 subsidy, a subsidy that was later increased to $2,000 in 2001.

By 2011, the subsidy amount was increased to $3,000 and the Club offered this to as many as 28 local schools, totalling $84,000.  The annual subsidies paid to local schools align with the Club’s purpose of being people focused and community proud by contributing to the education of our future.

This year, schools were invited to submit an application to request funding for 2024 with the possibility of applying for as much as $10,000 to fund things such as a school project, a new educational program, a school event, or a sponsorship.

We received 19 applications of which 15 were successful in receiving their full requested amount or a partial grant.  Congratulations to the following schools:

  • Padstow Heights Public School – receiving $3,000 towards mathematics resources;
  • Mount St Joseph, Milperra – receiving $3,000 towards umbrellas for student outdoor space;
  • Menai Public School – receiving $3,000 towards main learning displays;
  • Padstow North Public School – receiving $4,800 towards K-2 Robotics Club;
  • Caroline Chisholm School – receiving $5,000 towards purchasing 3-wheel bikes ‘Join the Joyride’;
  • Broderick Gillawarna School – receiving $5,000 towards music lessons;
  • Tower Street Public School – receiving $6,000 towards a sensory playground project;
  • Revesby Public School – receiving $3,000 towards a student wellbeing program;
  • Picnic Point Public School – receiving $5,000 towards Kindergarten iPad upgrade;
  • Panania Public School – receiving $5,000 towards shelter park seating;
  • Padstow Park Public School – receiving $4,500 towards outdoor stimulus playground;
  • East Hills Public School – receiving $2,000 towards their East Hills eats eatery;
  • East Hills Public School – receiving $1,000 towards Dad’s Group;
  • Brooklyn Public School – receiving $9,780 towards upgraded seating for the playground;
  • De La Salle College Revesby – $3,500 towards the purchase of a panel saw for TAS.

HEART OF THE NATION – DEFIBRILATORS IN THE COMMUNITY

As part of the 2023 ClubGRANTS program, Revesby Workers’ Club Ltd provided funding to Heart of the Nation in order to implement a number of life-saving Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) within the local community in locations where they can be accessed by community members on a 24/7 basis.

When determining where to place these AEDs, we needed to consider things such as accessibility and a location that is highly populated.  In light of this, we are putting a call out to our members and community to determine if any business, schools, local churches or residents would be interested in acting as a guardian of an AED.

What is Involved

Should we receive expressions of interest, we will select approximately 4 recipients (with a view to funding further defibrillators in future ClubGRANTS programs) and arrange for Heart of the Nation to install an AED for you.

We would ask that you as a “Guardian” of the AED help maintain the integrity of the device noting that a guardian is not responsible for any damage, simply ensuring the AED is well kept and report any damage that may occur so Heart of the Nation can assist you in the maintenance of the device.

Community Responders

Should anyone express interest in housing an AED and want to be further involved, you may wish to become a “Community Responder”. By downloading the Heart of the Nation app, you would be set up to receive alerts when an AED is required nearby and can deliver the life-saving machine to a local in the community and potentially save their life.

How to get Involved

If you are interested in finding out more about the Heart of the Nation program and how you can participate, please contact the Club’s Executive Assistant Tenielle Symington at tenielles@rwc.org.au.

ANZAC DAY 2024

We would like to remind VIPs, Members and Guests of our Anzac Day Ceremony scheduled for 10.30am on Thursday, 25 April 2024.  Similar to last year, we are looking forward to the march from Bankstown YMCA through to the Cenotaph at the Tarro Avenue entrance of the Club.

As always, we look forward to seeing our past Directors, Life Members, Patron, Directors, Sub-clubs, schools, community and members in attendance for a National Day of Remembrance.

FUNCTION ROOM RENOVATIONS

As outlined in previous communications our members are well aware of the current renovations taking place in our auditorium and function area.  With these renovations expected to take approximately 9 months, our functions team will have the extremely challenging task of finding limited rooms and function space elsewhere throughout the Club to cater for our regular users.

We once again express our gratitude for your patience and understanding during this time as we endeavour to assist as many members and guests as possible.


Daryl Melham AM

PRESIDENT


Scott Bennetts

CEO

Directors Report February 2024

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DIRECTORS REPORT FEBRUARY 2024

Welcome to 2024. It seems no time since I was writing this report last year.

In general, 2023 was a better year for most with less sickness, improved weather and more work opportunities for many. It was a tough year for our families with mortgages and we empathise with those struggling with rising interest rates, hopefully there will be a reprieve early in 2024.

Later in this journal you will see information about our annual International Women’s Day event scheduled to take place on 8 March. This year our Marketing team have been working very hard to come up with creative ideas to fit a very different setting. The event will take place in Miss Iggy’s and will be different in format to the sit-down luncheons we have held previously, but I have every confidence the event will be one of entertainment, fun and excitement with all proceeds going to Biyani House, our local Women’s’ Shelter, so please save the date, gather some friends and plan to join in the activity.

For the most part of 2024 our Function Rooms and Auditorium will be out of action as they undergo major renovations and refurbishment. It is hoped work will be complete by October and we will all be able to enjoy a state-of-the-art facility. Many months of planning has gone into this and I know the Functions team have been working hard to try and accommodate all our regular users of these facilities who have been displaced because of the refurbishments. Please be patient and understanding if the temporary arrangements aren’t quite what you are used. Unfortunately, because of this work our Seniors Concerts have been put on hold until next Christmas but I am sure they will be worth waiting for when they return.

It is always positive to hear of the activities from our sub clubs, the summer sporting groups are winding up their seasons as the winter ones take registrations and get ready for another busy year. Apart from our larger sporting groups, we have a number of smaller interest groups running under the auspices of Revesby Workers’ Club. If darts, snooker, spearfishing, native orchids, gardening, public speaking, indoor bowls, hockey, writing or just women’s friendship piques your interest, we have a group for you. Check out the list in the back of the Journal and make contact, it could be the start of a new hobby.

While it seems early to talk about ANZAC Day, this journal covers the period encompassing ANZAC Day and I look forward to welcoming our sub clubs and members to participate in the March and Service on Thursday 25 April. Each year this event gets bigger and reaches out to raise awareness to many in our community. It will also be a poignant day for many at the Club being the first anniversary of the passing of long-term employee Wayne “Rabbit” Steele and I extend my thoughts to his friends and colleagues.

Christine Butters, Vice President

Here we are in 2024 already!  2023 was a huge year for the Club and our management and staff across all facets of our business deserve huge accolades for their outstanding work.

The Christmas break provided time for me to reflect on what a wonderful world we are living in right now, in Australia.  The atrocities in Israel and the Gaza Strip and the ongoing war in the Ukraine, with the Russian invasion, surely makes us all think about the individual lives that have been lost and families torn apart.

Within Revesby Workers Club, we have lots of sub-clubs that are run by great volunteers who are committed to enhancing other peoples’ lives.  From Little Athletics, Football, Bowls, Cricket – to name a few of the sporting sub-clubs – to the Garden Club, Ladies Group, Toastmasters and other common interest groups – there are lots of opportunities for our members to get involved.

One particular group, for which I am Liaison Director, is the Bankstown Stroke Recovery 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. The Executive of this group arranges guest speakers to address most meetings and during 2023 we also had several trips – a morning tea at Headway in Bankstown (another group that work with people with acquired brain injury) and the Ingham Institute at Liverpool Hospital, which undertakes medical research. Visitors are always welcome at their meetings and I would encourage members and their families to come along if you have an interest in finding more about what inroads are being made in preventing, assessing and treating strokes.

Revesby Workers’ Club, through ClubGRANTS, has provided support to the local schools who specialise in the development of students who face intellectual and physical challenges over many years.  The teachers and staff at these schools do wonderful work for students with diverse learning needs and are truly dedicated. Prior to Christmas, I was privileged to be invited to attend the Presentation Day at Broderick Gillawarna School and the Year 12 graduation at Caroline Chisholm School.  The performances were truly uplifting, and the self confidence that these children have developed through their education is overwhelming.

The Club’s Charity Committee (which I am privileged to Chair) has continued to raise funds to assist the local community, in recent times by purchasing “wish list” equipment for Bankstown-Lidcombe Hospital.  We are most grateful for the support provided to the Charity by Revesby Workers’ Club through our Friday night meat raffles at the recently renamed Revesby Greens and through ticket sales for Seniors Concerts.  We have grown a very loyal group of supporters at our raffles and welcome newcomers!  Our (belated) Christmas in July function was lots of fun, as well.  During the year the Charity was able to provide $50,000 towards the purchase of a critical ultrasound device to assist during surgery at Bankstown-Lidcombe Hospital.

As I said, we are truly lucky to live in Australia.  We look forward to another great year for Revesby Workers’ Club in 2024.

Christine Benham, Director

Director Reports November 2023

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Director Reports November 2023

A year has flown by since I had the honour to be elected to the Board of our club. Having been involved in Revesby Workers since a young age in Cricket and Snooker, and being a long-term member, I have taken great pleasure in seeing first hand that past values and thinking remain at the forefront of decision making.

I have enjoyed catching up with the various sub-clubs through the year, and am looking forward to building these relationships and providing support wherever possible. These clubs provide a special means for community connection and friendship amongst our members and often represent a significant part of people’s lives, sometimes from generation to generation within families.

As a Director I am also thankful to see in detail the significant level of past and ongoing commitment of the Board to providing substantial funds to the wider community. Every member who has been involved in Charity related activities deserve congratulations.

In the words of the modern philosopher Taylor Swift “This is a new year. A new beginning. And things will change.” We are all of course subject to the impacts of change, and there is certainly a fair bit of it in the air; Whether an increasingly digital world, changes in regulation affecting the industry, or evolving social expectations and demands. The Board will be alert in preparing to meet the challenges ahead, and I find it hard to imagine a better equipped team with respect to our excellent Staff and Management under the leadership of CEO Scott.

I, along with hopefully all members, am looking forward to exciting developments ahead, including the renovated auditorium. A new caterer has come on board at the newly named Sports Club at Spence Street from mid-October; members might check it out and even combine a meal with a dabble of twilight lawn bowls on Friday afternoons.

As the year comes towards an end, special thoughts go out to the families, friends and co-workers who have lost a loved one during the year.

I wish everyone a happy and healthy Christmas and New Year.

David Raper, Director

I would like to take the opportunity to congratulate all the HSC students (and their parents) who have completed their studies and are waiting expectantly for their exam and ATAR results and are taking the first steps to enter exciting new career paths, training and study options.

The Revesby Workers’ Club has for many years supported local students to achieve their goals through its Tertiary Scholarship Program and I urge all current HSC students whose parents are RWC members to take advantage of the opportunity to apply for one of our scholarships.  Applications open 1 December 2023 and close on 31 January 2023. Application packs can be requested from the Club’s Executive Assistant via email at tenielles@rwc.org.au.

To all other students I wish them a great holiday and rest over the holidays (Wednesday 20 December to Monday 29 January 2024) so that they can be ready for the new school year. The Club has a range of activities available for younger people during their holidays such as Zone Bowling and Flip Out located upstairs from the Brett Street entrance.

Revesby Workers’ Club continues to offer the Christmas activities as it did last year, including:

  • Christmas Day Lunches, including a ‘At Home’ option
  • Santa, Pet and Sensitive Photos sessions
  • Workers’ Giving Tree and Health Mates Food Drive, support Padstow Community Care
  • Christmas Toy and Ham & Pork Raffles

I would like to wish everyone a safe Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Linda Downey, Director

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