Thursday, August 24, 2023

Issue:

Mackay and Whitsunday Life

A Club Built On Volunteers

Image: Kinglsey Theiber says Wests couldn’t operate the way it does without volunteers Robyn Stevens and Alexis Lake. Photo credit: Sam Gillespie

It’s often said that volunteers are at the heart of every community.

While volunteers can sometimes go underappreciated, Wests Leagues Club cherishes its volunteers, particularly Robyn Stevens and Alexis Lake.

“Both ladies are integral to our club operations,” said General Manager Kingsley Theiber.

“Clubs don’t operate without volunteers and these ladies have been with the club for numerous years.

“They don’t have children who are playing sport, but they have the club at heart and just continue to support.

“I can’t speak highly enough of what they do for our venue.”

Close friends for over 40 years, Alexis and Robyn have been involved in Wests since the 1990s.

Robyn began volunteering in the late 1990s, first getting involved through her sister-in-law.

“My nephew played football and my husband’s family come from Marian, they grew up in Marian, so they’ve always been Wests Tigers,” she said.

“We just got interested in the club and started to volunteer at the canteen, that’s how it all came about.”

Robyn has previously filled the role of club secretary and board member but now spends her volunteering time in the canteen.

A life and foundation member of the club, Robyn says she has made lifelong friendships through volunteering with Wests.

“I just feel I want to help while I can, because I’ve been honoured with that life membership, I would still like to do volunteering for the club,” she said.

“I just love it, I just love the club.

“It’s like part of the family.”

Close friend and fellow foundation and life member Alexis is formerly a Manager of Wests Leagues Club, a role she filled for six years before leaving to travel.

Upon returning, Alexis joined the Board of Directors and has been in the role for the last eight years.

“With that job, you’ve also got to do a lot of voluntary work so that’s when I just kept going and doing voluntary work for the canteen,” she said.

“It’s just a very friendly, very family-orientated club.

“They’re just a good bunch, we love it.”

Friends through thick and thin, Robyn and Alexis will be volunteering together in the Wests canteen until the end.

“We always say we’re going retire, Robyn and I,” said Alexis.

“We’ve got a pact: when one retires, the other one is going to go with them.”

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