The heroes of NSW clubs have been celebrated for the admirable social support they have provided in the past year, at the 2025 Clubs & Community Awards night.
On Thursday, 19 June more than 900 guests assembled in ICC Sydney for the black-tie event, including John Graham – Minister for the Night-Time Economy, Steve Kamper – Minister for Jobs and Tourism, and Kevin Anderson – shadow Minister for Gaming & Racing.
The Awards champion the assortment of ways in which local clubs make their communities better places to live, from helping to feed vulnerable families, to mitigating post-traumatic stress disorder amongst veterans and funding vital medical equipment in hospitals.
In the wake of the recent devastating floods on the NSW mid-north coast, the event was also used to raise much-needed funds for clean-up and recovery efforts, seeing the industry “digging deep to help” the stricken Taree Aquatic Club.
The greatest ever number of finalists were detailed across the nine categories, being: Arts, Culture & Entertainment; Education; Emergency Services; Environmental Sustainability; Fostering Grassroots Sport; Health Care; Heart of the Community; Mental Wellbeing; and Social Inclusion.
Pipping 40 finalists from across the state, Club Taree again secured the highly coveted gong for Heart of the Community, for its “year of celebrating our community” in 2024. While Taree shared the acknowledgment with Revesby Workers, this marked the first time any club has taken home this award three times.
Also honoured was Broken Hill Musicians Club, for its efforts during the October 2024 power outage.
Posting to social media, the club congratulated its GM, Michael Boland, who accepted the award, the Board of Directors, “and every single staff member, volunteer, and supporter who played a role in making sure our community had a safe and welcoming place to gather during the crisis”.
“This award belongs to all of us — a true reflection of what can be achieved when communities and clubs work together.”
ClubsNSW CEO Rebecca Riant described the year’s achievements as “truly inspirational” and a testament to the industry’s commitment to supporting worthy initiatives.
“We had a record number of finalists in 2025 – 142 all up – so the judges had their work cut out for them separating the outstanding from the extraordinary.
“I’m incredibly proud of our industry, with clubs again showing their unwavering commitment to shaping and strengthening local communities.”
FULL LIST OF WINNERS AND HIGHLY COMMENDED
Arts, Culture & Entertainment
Winner: Mounties
Highly commended: Maclean & District Bowling Club
Education
Winner: Windsor RSL
Highly commended: Workers Lifestyle Group
Emergency Services
Winner: Broken Hill Musicians Club
Environmental Sustainability
Winner: Ramsgate RSL
Highly commended: St George Leagues Club
Fostering Grassroots Sport
Winner: Wests Illawarra
Health Care
Joint Winners: Wagga RSL & Bankstown Sports
Heart of the Community
Winner: Club Taree & Revesby Workers’ Club
Mental Wellbeing
Winner: Bathurst RSL
Highly commended: Campbelltown Catholic Club & Wenty Leagues
Social Inclusion
Winner: Wests League Club & South Tamworth Bowling Club
