Volunteer Hero of the week – Craig Hundle

Craig Hundle with Rod Macpherson.

In this weekly off-season feature we profile a club recipient of the Volunteer of the Year award to highlight the incredible work our volunteers do so that others can enjoy their footy.

This week’s Volunteer Hero is Craig Hundle from the Northern Beaches Blues Seniors where he is the club Secretary, Sponsorship Co-ordinator, and canteen/bar operator.

What do you love about volunteering?

Being able to assist other people in achieving what they may not have been able to do if I did not volunteer. For example, if there weren’t volunteers to help set up and run the new Northern Beaches Blues, then there would have been approximately 30 new players that wouldn’t have played AFL in 2019. And the community wouldn’t have had the option to come and support such a wonderful sport being played in the centre of town that they can come and watch for free.

What’s your favourite volunteering moment?

Seeing the faces of the players new to AFL, or who have not played since the junior ranks. When they step out to train or play the game, the enjoyment they get from participating in something new and in a team environment makes it all worthwhile.

What skills has volunteering helped you to develop?

Understanding and learning how other people operate.

How does your club support new volunteers?

We include them as a part of the team/community environment. We provide them with a specific role(s) in the club and teach them how to fulfill the role as this makes the volunteer feel welcomed and have ownership over their niche as the part of the running of the club.

What would you say to someone who’s thinking about volunteering?

Jump in and do it. See how it goes, as providing assistance can help relieve the pressures off other people in the club. Helping out gives you a sense of pride that you’ve been able to lend a hand to assist more than one person in playing the sport that we all love. As they say, many hands make light work.

In what areas will your club be looking for help in 2020?

All ways possible. If anyone is willing to assist the Blues, or any club in fact, they should approach the committee to ask what they could help with. Many larger or smaller roles come to mind, such as committee member, finance manager, secretary, club registrar, sponsorship member, team physio, canteen/bar operator, coach, assistant coach, team manager, fundraising member, selling raffle tickets, runners, game day set up and pack down, ground manager, timer and score keepers, goal umpire, and any other skills that you may have in assisting a footy club to strive for success.

What do you love most about your footy club?

The mix of how the history from past Woolgoolga Blues players, spectators, and volunteers have joined together with the new age Northern Beaches Blues to help drive the passion of this club forward. Seeing the old and new faces of the community come out and support the Blues endeavour to become a successful club, like it once was, shows us that we’re on the right track.

The Northern Beaches Blues can be contacted at chundl10@hotmail.com if you would like to volunteer or need info on any other aspect of the club.