Coledale, the community that resuscitated its RSL club, wins special award

He was one of the Coledale RSL crew celebrating when the club received a special judges award from Clubs NSW, recognising the community's efforts to save the club from permanent closure.

The club was forced to shut in December 2022 due to financial issues caused by the pandemic, weather and dwindling popularity of RSL clubs.

Thanks to a strong community push, however, it reopened and celebrated its 75^th anniversary in September 2023.

Since the RSL re-opened on April 6, 2023, it has been staffed primarily by volunteers with only two full-time employees.

Currently, there are about 70 volunteers involved and the second full-time employee, Mr Tyne, began as a volunteer in May 2023.

He initially volunteered to gain experience. Now he's second-in-charge.

"I've grown to like the place, even if I didn't get a full-time role there, I definitely would have stuck around and helped, just because I love the people I work with," Mr Tyne said.

"One of the biggest enjoyments I get out of working with volunteers is learning from everyone.

"To hear about their day-to-day lives and how we get along and stuff like that, I've actually got a lot of friends out of it as well."

Mr Tyne said when he heard the club had won the award he was "beyond grateful for all the hard work everyone does".

"This place goes to show how well we've just put Coledale as a suburb back on the map.

"It's just a lovely little club."

Coledale RSL secretary-manager Greg Todd said receiving the award was "pretty fabulous".

"Obviously the volunteers and everybody getting behind the club helps," Mr Todd said.

Mr Todd says the community had the option of "either just lamenting the fact that the club is closed", or to say "we've got an opportunity here to do something about it and making that happen".

"That's what the award is for, the fact that the community has banded together, to keep something that we wanted to keep.

"It's a great story and it's one we're all very proud of and keen to make it continue to happen."