Celebrating Excellence at the 2025 Clubs & Community Awards Night

The night belonged to the winners of the nine categories – Arts, Culture & Entertainment; Education; Emergency Services; Environmental Sustainability; Fostering Grassroots Sport; Health Care; Heart of the Community; Mental Wellbeing and Social Inclusion.

During his acceptance speech for the Emergency Services category, Broken Hill Musicians Club CEO, Michael Boland, shouted out the entire club industry for being the backbone of their community. 

One of the more emotive elements of the night came with the screening of the video package which highlighted the recent flood disaster on the Mid North Coast. Club Taree CEO Paul Allan and Taree Aquatic Club CEO Peter Hemingway were invited on stage to share their experiences, both expressing their sincere gratitude for the unwavering support they have received from the wider industry. 

ClubsNSW CEO Rebecca Riant told the audience: “At the height of the flood emergency, there were 15 official evacuation centres — 12 of which were located in clubs. These clubs shut down their operations to focus solely on looking after those who had fled their homes. We heard stories of club employees searching for vital medication for evacuees, and helping local nursing homes and hospitals to transport vulnerable patients. As always, clubs went above and beyond.”

A special fundraiser was launched on the night to help the Taree Aquatic Club, which was devastatingly impacted by the floods, adding to the hundreds of thousands of dollars raised since the town was inundated. 

Congratulations again to the finalists, highly commended and winners, who are truly making a difference in their communities. 

Submissions for the 2026 Clubs & Community Awards will open on 8 October 2025 – we can’t wait to hear your stories. 

Check out the Awards Night photo gallery here.

See the video packages here.