This week – as a part of National Volunteer Week – we are celebrating the hard work and dedication of just a few of all the fantastic volunteers within our Victorian netball community, who give up their time simply to help make our sport great.
Kate Campbell – President of Malvern Central Netball Club – is just one of these. And upon reading her story below, it is no wonder that Kate was a finalist in the 2019 Netball Victoria Community Awards for the Volunteer of the Year Award, presented by Origin.
Kate has made a pronounced and profound difference to netball throughout the Stonnington area. A tireless worker and exceptional communicator, Kate was the voice, face, and brains behind Prahran Netball Association’s (PNA) successful campaign to build four indoor courts for its 3,000 registered netballers. She single-handedly mobilised an army of volunteers, achieving thousands of petition signatures to lobby the Council. The struggle to obtain more netball courts in Stonnington has been decades in the making, and Kate’s strategic grassroots campaign went some way in re-addressing the inequity in sports funding for female sports in the area. Now that the redevelopment at Percy Treyvaud Memorial Park is set to become a reality, the benefits to the health and wellbeing of the community is immeasurable. Without Kate, this simply would not have happened.
Kate also united Malvern Central School (MCS) and its community by establishing the Malvern Central Netball Club (MCNC). In just one year, MCNC has registered approximately 120 members across 12 teams. By bringing the players together under one banner, Kate has created a real sense of community and belonging for these (primarily) girls, from those new to the sport, who take part in NetSetGO, through to those who play up to the 17/U level.
Above all, Kate makes the needs of others a priority, while retaining her sense of fun and enjoyment, and these values permeate through the whole of MCNC. As the President of MCNC, Kate liaises between the school, coaches, team managers, players, PNA, Stonnington Council, the MCNC Committee, and the wider community. Her netball knowledge is first-rate, and she has become a great resource for our community. When she comes to watch training, the players light up and perform better when she’s around! Kate is always willing to discuss issues with a smile, and tackles situations diplomatically.
For many, such a role would be a full-time job, but Kate does it voluntarily, skilfully and without fuss, despite her own busy work and home life.
