Clubs in the community
Community influence and support
There are 31 clubs and club groups operating out of 53 venues across Canberra.
In aggregate membership of clubs in the ACT is now over 500,000 - with the larger clubs having memberships in the range of 30,000 to 70,000 – this is a stunning figure and suggests that each adult in Canberra is a member of about 2 clubs.
Clearly clubs do accept their broader community obligation - not as a result of Government pressure, but motivated by a sense of social responsibility and community spirit and invariably addressing needs not met by others – be that Government or other community minded organisations.
Most of the revenue earned by clubs goesback to the Canberra community in one formor another
- the fact is that it is not pocketedby individuals or private companies, and
- theonly part of club revenue that leaks from theCanberra community is what is paid toexternal suppliers of goods and services.
Many individual clubs can be proud of the good work and support that they provide to a range of charities, organisations and individuals.
Collectively, Canberra's clubs contributed $12.8 million in 2006/07 to a large number of charitable, sporting and community organisations
- this is $5.7 million more than the amount required under the legislation (which is 7% of their Net Gaming machine Revenue),
- bringing the total contribution to eligible community recipients over the last ten years to $124 million.
A major initiative that ClubsACT introduced some years ago has been the pooling of contributions from a group of clubs, to provide significant financial support to a number of very worthy local organisations which service the Canberra community.
Current examples of this include:
- 26 Canberra clubs have combined to support Lifeline Canberra’s Clubcare gambling counselling program – at a cost of over $300,000 per year for the next 3 years; we are into our 7th year of funding of this program;
- the Community Partnership with The Spastic Centre of the ACT – which was renewed in October 2007 – and now involves 15 clubs – which has succeeded in having the services located in the ACT at Spence – at a cost of $120,000 per year for the next 3 years.
- a partnership with Camp Quality to support their efforts to bring some laughter to children suffering from cancer at a cost of $57,000 a year for two years – this initiative involves 22 clubs;
- as well there are a number of fund raising and charity events throughout the year – including the ClubsACT Charity Golf Classic which raises funds for a nominated charity – recent recipients have included Galilee, Ted Knoffs Foundation, Koomarri, AFFIRM (mental health research) and most recently the ACT Branch of the National Breast Cancer Foundation.
These pooled commitments total over $500,000 a year.
But it would be very easy for the casual observer to underestimate the level and breadth of support that clubs provide to the Canberra community.
These significant headline numbers really understate the extent of the contribution that individual clubs make which, as well as cash contributions, includes in-kind support and, in many cases, involvement with the recipient.
At any function, charity or call for support, you will invariably find a community based club in the midst of things and a generous participant and contributor.
The use of meeting rooms to a diverse range of social groups, the provision of office space and the supply of equipment are commonly offered by the clubs at no cost.
In many cases groups such as charities, schools, aged care, art and craft groups and regional and ethnic community services groups would not be funded if it was not for a club.
Last year alone clubs provided opportunities for over two and half thousand volunteers to donate almost 200,000 hours of voluntary work.