He intended to create a team that he could rally to help individuals, organisations and charities in the Manning Valley and Great Lakes region and in return, Club Taree would let them claim four hours pay per year for their volunteer work.

Today the team boasts 60 members, has contributed more than 1100 volunteer hours, raised more than $70,000 and according to Paul, not one team member has submitted a claim for their four hours pay.

“It is a testament to their desire to help the community.”

Paul is proud of the team and its contribution to the community in its first year and is quick to share the success of the team in the 2016 le Tour de Taree. More than 30 members of the team rode 3519 kilometres on spin bikes in the Club Taree Members Lounge and sponsorship realised more than $21,000 for Ronald McDonald House Northern NSW. He adds that in the last 12 months the team also helped Cundletown Museum, Taree parkrun, delivered cakes to nursing staff at Manning Hospital, made meals for families at Ronald McDonald House in Forster and helped with New Year’s Eve events. 

“Club Taree is a great community asset and what better way to show our support for our community by volunteering,” Paul explains.

“We have a great culture of people wanting to help people. There’s a readiness to help now, it’s at the stage that if I put up a list and say we need volunteers on this day, I find myself in the happy situation of having too many volunteers.”

Paul is the brand and communication manager for Club Taree and acknowledges there is a benefit to the club when its staff are seen by the community to be supporting the community. Corporate or employee volunteering is not widespread in Australia with Volunteering Australia revealing an Australian survey in 2011 found 24 per cent of volunteers worked for an employer than had an employee volunteer program. In the Manning Valley and Great Lakes region Paul says Club Taree is “unique in that it is the only club that has a team that goes out there in their own time to help the community”.

Paul says the success of the team indicates “a really healthy and happy staff culture” and contributes to creating a positive work environment for Club Taree staff. 

Volunteers make a significant contribution to the Manning Valley economy and society and there is an increasing awareness of the positive effects that individuals gain from giving their time and skills to the community.

In April 2015 Volunteering Australia revealed “volunteering results in a ‘helper’s high’, a powerful physical and emotional feeling experienced when directly helping others”.

“Volunteers are happier, healthier and sleep better than those who don’t volunteer – doctors should recommend it.”

Courtney Berry knows the ‘helper’s high’ that comes from volunteering in the Club Taree Community Team.

She will soon celebrate three years with Club Taree and cites the Random Act of Kindness experience of taking 10 boxes of cakes to the nursing staff at Manning Hospital in February as one of the highlights of her career.

“It was an incredible experience. To be able to meet these people who do so much for our community and to personally say, ‘thank you’, it was really moving and it felt good to give back.

“I love being part of the team. I’m Taree born and bred and it’s a great community. I think it’s important to give back, help others and to also improve our area where we can.”

To secure the help of the Club Taree Community Team contact Paul Allan on 6539 4000.