Busy times for branch

Busy, Busy, Busy. 

Lord’s Taverners Northern NSW must have the best set of sub-committees possible. The amount of activities is fantastic, giving the youth of northern NSW a sporting chance in many, many directions. Just look at this list which indicated some of what is happening within our branch.

  1. Secondary Schools Twenty20 cricket competitions. For boys AND GIRLS in Years 7 and 8 there is the Matthew Phelps Shield competition, while for those in Years 9 and 10, there is the Adam Gilchrist Shield competition. The winners of the Matthew Phelps Shield are given a trip to Tenterfield, where our branch is helping to re-invigorate cricket in the town
  2. Table-top cricket and Indoor cricket for youth who are disabled. Already several schools have agreed to participate in the table-top events, while we are finalising arrangements for our version of indoor cricket with local venues.
  3. Lord’s Taverners Northern NSW/Southern Cross University Scholarship for either a disadvantaged student, or for a student who intends working with disadvantaged youth. We have already had enquiries, even though the first scholarship will be awarded in 2013.
  4. Partnership with North Coast Academy of Sport to enable highly specialised individual coaching and development opportunities to disadvantaged young individuals through the "Lone Stars" program. This will commence with a wheelchair boccia player and a female cricketer, both of whom have enjoyed considerable success, but have looming opportunities in the future.
  5. Top Sports Camp for disadvantaged young people. Isolated, financially disadvantaged, indigenous and disabled children have already enjoyed a four-day residential camp, held in the Southern Cross University accommodation, and have experienced a smorgasbord of eleven different sports – many for the first time!
  6. Having fought the good fight with the Australian Taxation office, we have gained accreditation for Deductible Gift Recipient status, and now have an active Corporate Sponsorship program, attracting funds for our University scholarship. Local businesses have embraced the concept, and are providing excellent sponsorship dollars for our program.
  7. Our Grants sub-committee has been kept very busy with the task of filtering requests for funding from disadvantaged young sporting people. We have funded several cricketers, but have also funded an "athlete with disabilities", futsal players, a wheelchair boccia player, several young runners, a rower, and a netballer. 
  8. We are about to enter into a program with the "Our House" organisation which will see us providing meals to the residents on a regular basis. This will involve supplying the ingredients and preparing the meal for whoever is in residence on our allocated night, then serving the meal and providing fellowship for those people who are there. This will hopefully provide some respite for people under tension associated with illnesses and attendance at hospitals in Lismore.
  9. In February next year (2013) we will host the National Conference of Lord’s Taverners Australia at the Byron at Byron Retreat. Delegates from all Australian branches will gather to review the work we have all done, and set priorities for the next twelve months.

Each of these activities is administered by a separate sub-committee, chaired by members of our Management Committee. In addition, there is an Events Sub-Committee charged with the responsibility of organising such events as our recent Top Sports Breakfast with Kerry O’Brien, Kevin Junee, Manmdy Nolan and Adam Gilchrist as guests. 

A separate sub-committee will be responsible for organising the National Lord’s Taverners Australia conference at Byron bay next February.

BUSY, BUSY, BUSY. And all to give the young and disadvantaged a sporting chance!