How Hospitality and Clubs Build Community Trust Through Real Partnerships

After more than 30 years working with, observing, and championing the registered club industry, I've watched many things evolve. The gaming floors have changed. The menus have changed. The member demographics have shifted. But one thing has grown in a way I find genuinely moving — the depth of connection between clubs and their communities.

Recently, I sat down with Jenny Holt, Community Engagement Manager at Club Rivers, for an episode of The Michelle Pascoe Hospitality Podcast. Jenny has been in the club industry for more than 25 years and has spent over a decade building what I can only describe as a masterclass in intentional community partnership. What she shared in that conversation has stayed with me — and I want to share it with you.

From Compliance to Calling

Not long ago, the conversation around community in our industry was largely shaped by obligation. Club grants existed, recipients applied, cheques were written, acquittals were received. Tick. Done.

The awards programs of the time reflected this. Categories were based on club size — the best bistro, the best café, the best bar. The message was clear: bigger is better, and community is a footnote.

That's changed. Today, the Club Awards program is built almost entirely around community impact. And the clubs that are thriving are the ones who understood — before it became expected — that community isn't a strategy. It's an identity.

"The community engagement and connection side of the club industry is the yin to the yang of the gaming industry." — Jenny Holt, Club Rivers

She's right. And the clubs that understand that are building something no competitor can replicate.

Getting Through the Door

Here's where Jenny's approach gets truly practical — and where I think most clubs can genuinely level up.

The typical club grants process looks like this: application received, board approves, cheque sent, acquittal awaited. Done.

Jenny's process looks like this: application received, board approves, phone call made, site visit arranged, photos taken, story told to the board, relationship built, future funding almost guaranteed.

Her catchphrase? Get your foot in the door.

She gave me the example of Delta Dogs — a program that takes dogs into nursing homes to provide companionship and mental health relief to residents. The moment Club Rivers granted them funding, Jenny was on the phone asking when the dogs were going in next. She wanted to come. She wanted to bring the team. She wanted to see the impact.

That one visit became a board report. That board report became a photo on CRCTV — Club Rivers' in-venue screen that shows members what their club is doing out in the community — and a story that built the case for ongoing funding almost automatically.

It's not just about being generous with money. It's about being generous with presence.

The Club as Connector

One of the moments from our conversation that I keep coming back to happened almost as an aside.

Jenny was coordinating volunteers to help the Autism Community Network sell raffle tickets at a St George Rugby League home game. Three of her team members were unexpectedly rostered on at work. She was three people short.

So she called Lugarno Lions.

Lions sent three volunteers. The event ran without a hitch. Two organisations that had never worked together found each other — with Club Rivers as the anchor in the middle.

Your club can be that connector. But only if you've done the work to know who is in your community, what they need, and who else might be able to help.

When Staff Become the Story

I asked Jenny whether all the community work she does has a measurable impact on staff retention and recruitment. Her answer was refreshingly honest: not directly, at least not in the ways you'd expect.

What she has seen is something harder to measure but easier to feel. Staff who volunteer — and Club Rivers logs over 1,000 volunteer hours across 50+ community events every year, all in their own time — come back different. They carry something from those experiences into the workplace. They talk about it. They recruit their colleagues for next time.

And the experiences themselves are extraordinary. Sleeping rough in the club car park for Georges River Lifecare's annual sleepout. Climbing Mount Kosciuszko for the Autism Community Network. Sailing alongside children with disabilities through Sailability. Running a Tough Mudder to support the Waterfall Rural Fire Service.

The mountain climb gave me the most memorable moment of our entire conversation. When Jenny's team came back from Kosciuszko exhausted and a little broken, their charity partner Vanessa posted something that stopped everyone in their tracks:

"The challenge we went through today was nothing compared to the challenge parents of children with autism face every day." — Vanessa, Autism Community Network

Jenny read it to the team. Every single one of them felt it. And they're going back again this year.

Where to Start

If you're reading this and thinking your club could do more — or you're simply not sure where to begin — Jenny's advice is clear.

Start local. Start with your existing grant recipients. They're already relying on you. Get through the door. See what they do. Tell the story — on your screens, in your magazine, on social media.

Then start connecting. Introduce one stakeholder to another. Be the anchor. Be the reason two organisations that share a mission find each other.

And involve your members. What Jenny has found is that members who would never have thought to volunteer suddenly have a safe, familiar entry point when they're invited alongside staff. They know the faces. They feel welcome. And then they come back — and bring others with them.

The Bigger Picture

Clubs have always been part of the fabric of Australian communities. They open their doors in floods and fires. They fund the soccer teams, the school camps, and the Christmas lunches. They employ the local kids and serve the local seniors.

But there's a version of that role that's transactional, and there's a version that’s transformational.

Jenny Holt and Club Rivers are building something transformational. And in my 30+ years in this industry, I believe the clubs that choose that path — the ones that get in the door, make the connections, and tell the stories — are the ones that will still be the heart of their communities in another 30 years.

🎙 Listen to the full conversation with Jenny Holt

The Michelle Pascoe Hospitality Podcast — available now on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.