Why Your Club's Community Program Might Be Missing the Point 

Michelle: 

Welcome everyone to today's podcast. Oh my goodness, I've been waiting to have a conversation with this lady for a number of years. I've known her in the registered club industry and watched her progression through the industry, but also her passion for connecting community and clubs. 

Jenny Holt has worked at Club Rivers, which is a beautiful club — it's one of those clubs that looks like the Tardis. It's small from the outside, and then you get in there and it just expands. She's been in the industry for more than 25 years and at Club Rivers for more than 10 years. If you're in the Sydney area, Club Rivers is on the Macarthur line, around the Revesby area. Her passion is community engagement and making connections with various charities and stakeholders. Welcome, Jenny. It's so lovely to have you here. 

So let me ask you the very first question. You've been in this industry for 25 years — how did you first get started in the clubs, and what originally drew you to this sector? Because I think a lot of people see it as a transient job, but like yourself and so many others, you've really created a career out of it. 

Jenny: 

Well, to be honest, Michelle, I think it's more than 25 years, because it was back in the day when poker machines still had handles — if you can believe that. My son was five and now he's 36, so that's a lot of maths — maths I don't want anyone to do! It was a promotion company I used to work for, back when people had to put coins in the machines. I know I sound like a historian, but that's how it was. If they got three kings on their machine, they'd put their hand up and we'd give them a little ticket. There was a whole gang of us running around — it was actually at Canterbury Hurlstone Park RSL. 

The best thing about it was that it was a weekly event, so you got to know the people. Even without realising it, we were making community connections back then — knowing little Joyce who was there playing that machine, who liked a little chat afterwards. For me, it was just the connecting with people and building that rapport weekly. They looked forward to us coming, and we looked forward to seeing them. It was basically fun. We got paid to talk to people and have fun — and that's so important, isn't it? 

Michelle: 

It is — that connection of feeling like you belong to something. And through those early days, you were already planting the seeds of what is now a much stronger community connection. You've touched on the old poker machines, and I remember being underage and pulling down on one of those handles at a club — it was a bit of fun! 

You've seen a lot of changes over the years, Jenny. What are some of the significant changes across the club industry that you've seen, particularly now with connecting with communities? 

Jenny: 

Back in those days, the Club Awards program was not community based at all. Essentially every aspect of a club had a size-based category — the big club, the medium club, the small club. So you had the Big Club Bistro of the Year, the Medium Club Bistro winner, the Small Club Bistro winner, and they did that for every aspect: the café, the gaming floor, everything. 

But now the Club Awards is all community based. It's all about what clubs do in the community. And it's always really important for all of our clubs to tell their stories, because I truly believe the community engagement and connection side of the club industry is the yin to the yang of the gaming industry. Yes, sometimes the gaming industry gets a bit of a bad rap, but we hope to combat that with our community engagement — with what we do, what we offer, and how we connect. 

I think all clubs just have to get out there and tell their stories, whether it's through social media, their magazines, or in venue. We do a fabulous thing at our venue — we call it the Club Rivers Community Team, or CRC. And we have CRCTV, where every event that we go to, every time our team comes along, we take photos and put them up on the screen. It gives our members the chance to see what's happening — even those who aren't on social media. We have quite an elder demographic, and they love seeing it. It creates the opportunity to talk about what we do: 'Oh, how did you go at the sailing event?' And then the conversation grows from there. 

Michelle: 

I love that idea. People are connected on social media, but having that CRCTV is a great concept. I think it's been quite remiss of clubs over all these decades to not get out there and champion what they actually do. 

We've always seen clubs as that sanctuary for the community — particularly when there are disasters, whether it's fire or flood. People come to the club for solace, connection, food, or even to sleep in some regional areas. But this is connecting further than just those disaster moments. It's all the time — which is absolutely key. 

The community support has always been part of the club model, but today I feel it's a lot more intentional, a lot more strategic — not just hit and miss. How has community engagement evolved at Club Rivers over the years? 

Jenny: 

What I've tried to do, Michelle, is through the club grants program — we get lots of applications for a broad range of things — we try not to just write the cheques and be done. We don't write the cheques and wait for the acquittal. That's not what we're about. 

The application comes in, goes through the portal, goes to the board for approval. As soon as it gets approval, I get a scope of what the program is and I'm on the phone or emailing them. For example, there's a program called Delta Dogs — they take dogs into nursing homes, which gives the residents a bit of mental health relief. Everyone smiles; it's a wonderful thing. So I'm emailing them saying, 'When are the dogs going? We'd like to come along. We want to see the progress and the impact this program is having on the residents.' 

I do that with every single one. I don't just want the acquittal — if I get a chance to take our team along, I always do. My catchphrase is to get my foot in the door. For us to come along and see the program helps with future funding, and the recipients appreciate it. It builds the rapport, and the next year when they're putting in their application, the board already knows about the program because I've taken photos, put it in my board report, and given them a little blurb about what it was like. The next year it's basically just a tick. But building those connections — it's not just about writing cheques. You've got to take it one step further. 

Michelle: 

Definitely. And I think it's also important for the recipients to realise it's more than just that cheque. Prior to Covid, the expectation was often: 'The club is going to give us money.' The club is happy to give that money, but it's lovely when it's reciprocal — when they come to the club for their event, promote what the club offers, or share the banner. They're not being asked for that reciprocity, but it is nice to have, because it exposes the club to people who perhaps wouldn't normally visit. That exposure can open doors to additional funding as well. 

Do you find, Jenny, that being in there gives you the opportunity to say, 'Actually, there's something else we could do together — come in and do something at the club, or there's an event our team could come and help with'? Does that give you the chance to learn more about what they do? 

Jenny: 

Exactly. And often there are little side benefits that come from connecting with them. But one thing I find very interesting is that I love connecting our stakeholders with our other stakeholders — with us as the anchor. 

For example, we were helping someone sell raffle tickets at a home game for a big charity we support — the Autism Community Network. We had about five of our team going along to help. Unfortunately, three of them got rostered on or something came up, so we were three people short. Our staff volunteer out of hours, and sometimes work gets in the way. So I connected with one of our other charity groups, Lugarno Lions. Lions always come to the party — they sent three people along to help. To me, that's just the epitome of communities connecting. 

Michelle: 

That's such a beautiful example, Jenny. You as that connector — if you hadn't taken the time to learn about these organisations, you wouldn't have been able to make that call. It's this full circle moment. It's beautiful. 

Jenny: 

I love full circle moments! And the pie is big enough for everybody. You just need the connectors in there. 

Michelle: 

You mentioned early in our conversation about club grants. For those who aren't aware, registered clubs here in New South Wales — and in other states — are required by legislation to support volunteer groups and associations with a certain amount of money. But as we know, clubs go well above and beyond club grants, and those programs have an enormous local impact. How do you decide where to allocate that funding, and how do you ensure it aligns with your club's values and community needs? 

Jenny: 

Our board has focused on what they believe to be the main pillars of our community. The first is local — local is very important to us. Then they've done research into the needs in our community and identified youth, disability charities and organisations, and domestic violence, which has unfortunately become very prominent. We support several organisations in that space, including Georges River Lifecare. 

But something that's really come to light over the last three years is our schools. We are supporting local schools financially because they can't afford to send children to swimming lessons or school camp. We believe every child in this state should have the right to swimming lessons and school camp, regardless of whether their parents can afford it. Some of our local schools are on the lower end of the socioeconomic scale, but those children have the right to those experiences. The funding schools receive is tied to student-to-teacher ratios — and it's clearly not enough. 

Michelle: 

I think when we went to school, every child had ten days a year to learn to swim, and it was free. We are an island — Australia — and every child should learn to swim. The drowning rates are horrific. It's sad to hear that schools need this support, but it's wonderful that you're aware of it and able to step in. 

Jenny: 

And it's a very frustrating thing — a state school has to pay state government pool entry fees, when many of those pools were originally built with money raised by men and women who came back from the war. You'll see a lot of those memorial pools. There's the upkeep, and the trouble is that rates and council funding just don't cover it anymore. We're getting more and more people in our areas — particularly around Club Rivers, which is now a high-density area. It's clearly not an easy balance for any government. But when it comes down to something as fundamental as swimming lessons or a school camp, you'd think the money could be found. 

Michelle: 

I'm glad to see clubs stepping in. That alignment with your values — getting local and supporting schools — is really evident. How have you found building those school relationships? 

Jenny: 

I've really prided myself on connecting with all the schools around us on every level. And let me tell you, it can be a little tough — it doesn't happen overnight. The office staff at schools can be quite tough nuts to crack. But once you're in, you're in. We offer local awards to schools, invite them to our Remembrance Day and Anzac Day services, and try to connect as much as possible. The hope is that one day they'll come for a meal and bring their families. We want to be the hub, the heart. I think every club strives to be the heart of their community. 

Michelle: 

They may be hard to crack because they don't yet understand what a club does — they may have a preconceived idea. But once you chip away, they go, 'Oh, okay.' By sharing what club membership offers, the children and the community start to benefit. That's fantastic. 

You've mentioned that your staff have really embraced the volunteering aspect — they're volunteering in their own time. How does involving your team in community initiatives influence workplace culture and engagement? 

Jenny: 

It's a wonderful impact, Michelle. It enhances the whole volunteering experience and lifts morale. I'm very fortunate that I'm not a solo team member anymore — I've got a community engagement team now. I have a wonderful colleague who is younger and was a frontline staff member. She's managed to engage with our staff so much better than I can because she's on their level. She works with them on the frontline, so while they're carrying plates she can talk about the next upcoming event. She's very good at recruiting and getting everyone on board. 

We do two types of volunteering. One is supporting our grant recipients directly — for example, we support a group called Sailability, which gives children with disabilities the opportunity to go sailing. Some of them are quite severely impaired and need to be craned into the boats. What's also wonderful is that some of the children from other charities we support also attend Sailability, so when we're there, we already know the people. And sailing is so much fun — a beautiful day on the water. Our young guys help get the boats in and out for the elderly committee who run it, and everyone gets to go for a sail. 

The other thing we do is team-building events. We did a big Tough Mudder — I was the photographer on the day! They made an announcement calling for volunteers, so I ended up in the bag-drop unit. We did it to raise funds for Waterfall RFS. Our closest station is Menai RFS, but Waterfall RFS is a little further out with a smaller community and they're always looking for extra help. Some of the RFS guys joined us, and the next year everybody wanted to do it again. It just really helps build morale and enthusiasm. 

Our staff volunteer over 1,000 hours a year across 50+ events — all in their own time. Our members love hearing about it because we put it all up on CRCTV. 

Michelle: 

I love that. Waterfall covers one of the highest fire-risk areas close to Sydney. It's a small population but a significant responsibility. Wonderful. 

I've been in clubs for 32 years, and over the years we'd always talk about community — but as you said at the start, all the awards were for the biggest club, the best meal. Now the community focus resonates so deeply, especially with Gen Z. I love how you've got a younger person speaking that language and being a champion for community within the club. 

Do you think people stay longer at the club because of the community work, or that job applicants are drawn to it? 

Jenny: 

Honestly, not directly — unless the applicant is quite savvy and has done their research before the interview. As for whether it makes staff want to stay longer, I'd say not in the straightforward way you might expect, because we get a lot of staff at 18, 19, 20 — they're saving to go to Europe or working through university. We just hope they get on board with our program while they're here. 

But what often happens — and this is very interesting — they do university, they've been here three, four, or five years, they go off to their chosen career, and it doesn't quite work out. And they come back, and they're different. That's when they're all in. They want to embrace everything we do. They become champions because they've been out in the world, seen what it's like elsewhere, and come back knowing how good it is here. 

Michelle: 

And even if they leave Club Rivers permanently, the values they've developed there travel with them. They take that culture to their next organisation and champion it there. It's that real ripple effect — for every good thing you do, it can double and double again. 

Jenny: 

Absolutely. And another way to enhance connection within the club is that we invite our members to join our volunteering events. They see their photos up on CRCTV and ask, 'When are we doing that again?' They want to bring other people along. Getting our members volunteering alongside our staff at fun, engaging events that make a real difference — for me, it's just tick, tick, tick. 

Michelle: 

What's lovely about that is that a lot of people would like to volunteer but hesitate because they don't know anyone or aren't sure of the commitment. When you set the scene for them — they already know the staff, they've had a coffee together, they feel safe — that removes the barrier completely. 

I noticed on social media you were recently celebrating team members with 25 years of service, including Johnny at the front door, who anyone who's visited Club Rivers would know. When members volunteer alongside those familiar faces, it means something more. That's another beautiful dimension to what you're building. 

Would you like to share a little about the domestic violence work before we finish? 

Jenny: 

Yes. It ties back to our team events and club grants. We support Georges River Lifecare in quite a few different ways, and they run an annual sleepout. We host a dinner here at the club, and then members of their community — including corporates, schools, and some politicians — come along. Last year in our car park, we had over 100 people sleeping rough on the concrete with just a sleeping bag. 

Because of Caitlin, my colleague, we had the biggest cohort of Club Rivers staff ever — more than 20 of our staff sleeping rough. This event has been going on for 14 years and we're one of their biggest supporters. For our staff to experience what it might be like to be homeless — and there's a small fundraising element too — it's just unbelievable team building. Even if they sit up all night playing UNO, that shared experience is something else. 

We've also started a yearly challenge with the Autism Community Network where we climb Mount Kosciuszko. Last year was our first year, and let me tell you — it was tough. We had about 13 team members go, and they were broken when they came back. But later that night, Vanessa from ACN posted something that said: 'We got to the top. It was challenging. My legs are sore. But the challenge we went through today was nothing compared to the challenge parents of children with autism face every day.' 

I read it to the team and every single one of them felt it. So we're going back again. This year we're also doing a 24-hour treadmill challenge in front of the club to build fitness for the climb. It's those kinds of events that build our team and help the people we support. 

Michelle: 

Jenny, you've been doing this for quite a while, and a number of clubs are doing great community work — but there are still plenty out there thinking about where to start. What tips would you give them? 

Jenny: 

It is tough, and it doesn't happen overnight. But I'd say go back to your club grant recipients. Start with those people, because they're already relying on you. Make the connections there, and make sure you tell your stories across as many channels as you can. Start local and build out from there. 

Connect your charities with each other. Sponsor the soccer team — but don't just have your name on the jersey. Get a tent, take it down to the game, bring some of your team, have your magazines there, talk about what the club has to offer. Get your word out there. 

Michelle: 

Definitely. Having those champions and getting the team together is wonderful. 

For those watching on YouTube, you can see Jenny's eyes lighting up — because she loves what she does and she loves the people she meets. And I'm sure I'd be right in saying it's also seeing your team with those big smiles, whether they've walked up or down Kosciuszko, given blood, or handed out jerseys in the community — and back in the workplace saying, 'Can't wait to do it again next year.' 

Jenny: 

Yes, exactly. And Michelle, I feel very lucky. People said to me today, 'Are you nervous about the podcast?' And I'm like, 'No, not really — because I'm just talking about what I do and I love what I do.' It's easy to talk about. 

Caitlin has been on the team for a year now, and I must say to her at least twice a month: 'We have the best jobs in the world.' And we actually do. Every day is different — one day we're going here, the next day we're meeting these people, then doing something else, then going for a walk. The variety and scope of a community engagement role within a club is amazing. It makes it a wonderful job. 

Michelle: 

And we must take a moment to thank the board of Club Rivers and the executive leadership team for supporting the community and getting behind a role such as yours — and then bringing on Caitlin to develop it even further. That truly is the backbone of the registered club industry: that deep connection to community, helping those who come into your venue and those who may never walk through the door. It's about helping the community. 

Thank you so much, Jenny, for your time today. I will put links in the show notes. And on a side note — everyone, go to Club Rivers on a Wednesday morning. They have the most amazing cakes in their coffee shop. I got the heads-up from the café supervisor that Wednesday is the day for a tasty treat! 

Jenny: 

Thanks, Michelle. Take care! 

Michelle: 

Thanks, Jenny. Bye bye!