WERRI BEACH BOARDRIDERSCHARGERS

KIAMA SENIOR NETBALLDIVISION 2BEACHETTES 2 - 73 d GERRINGONG 3 - 16

KIAMA SENIOR NETBALLDIVISION 2GERRINGONG 2 - 34 d GAINSBOROUGH 2 - 32

KIAMA SENIOR NETBALLDIVISION 3KIAMA DOWNS 3 - 41 d GERRINGONG 4 - 40

KIAMA JUNIOR NETBALLCADET ABEACHETTES 4 - 24 d CENTRAL 6 - 13

KIAMA SOFTBALL ASSOCIATIONTG CUP

KIAMA JFCFEMALE FOOTBALL DAY & DAWN POWER ROUNDGERRINGONG BREAKERS 8 WHITE 1 d KIAMA JFC 8 YELLOW 0

KIAMA JFCFEMALE FOOTBALL DAY & DAWN POWER ROUNDDAPTO 3 d KIAMA JFC 8 BLACK 2

KIAMA JFCFEMALE FOOTBALL DAY & DAWN POWER ROUNDWOONONA SHARKS 5 d KIAMA JFC 10 RED 3

KIAMA JFCFEMALE FOOTBALL DAY & DAWN POWER ROUNDSHELLHARBOUR 5 d KIAMA JFC 9 RED 0

KIAMA JFCFEMALE FOOTBALL DAY & DAWN POWER ROUNDKIAMA JFC 8 PINK 2 drew with UNANDERRA 8 PINK 2

KIAMA JFCFEMALE FOOTBALL DAY & DAWN POWER ROUNDKIAMA JFC 9 YELLOW 2 d KIAMA JFC 9 PINK 0

KIAMA JFCFEMALE FOOTBALL DAY & DAWN POWER ROUNDUNDER 11 RED VS FIGTREE

KIAMA JFCFEMALE FOOTBALL DAY & DAWN POWER ROUNDKIAMA JFC U10 GREEN 2 d SHELLHARBOUR 1

Kiama Knights Junior Rugby League Club (JRLC) President Carl Middleton has been awarded the South Coast Volunteer of the Year award by NSW Rugby League.The 2024 NSW Rugby League Community Awards took place on July 29 acknowledging the vital contribution made to the game every season by more than 31,000 volunteers across the state.Of the more than 700 clubs in NSW, 18 volunteers’ efforts were highlighted and Middleton says he is honoured to be recognised. “I’m very humbled by it because I do know the amount of work that a lot of people do in junior rugby league. There’s a hell of a lot of volunteers and it's a very strong group of people who are involved so it's extremely humbling to receive the award,” he said.Since Middleton became President in 2018, the registered players for the junior Knights has risen from 178 to 496 and Kiama JRLC Secretary Kristie Laird says that this is very much as a result of Middleton’s impact.“He has been an instrumental member of our Committee for more than 12 years, and as President he has led a number of initiatives both on and off the field which have resulted in our Club becoming one of the biggest Clubs in Group 7 and the Illawarra,” says Laird.Middleton says he is unable to quantify the amount of hours that he and others donate to the club, but says “it is all worth it in the end”.“I think there's a lot of people out there who have just got a willingness to help and assist other people and, in this case, help young kids in junior rugby league. I spend countless amounts of time on the phone and doing things, but it’s something I enjoy doing and it's something where, if you didn't enjoy doing it you wouldn’t do it,” says Middleton.And Middleton says his main joy comes from watching everyone enjoy their rugby league on a weekend and hopes that from his work, kids will be able to have happy memories of playing footy in Kiama.“Just seeing the smiles on the kids' faces, seeing their mothers, fathers, extended family, siblings having a good time at the footy on the weekend. You just want the kids to be in a position where they can enjoy their footy,” says Middleton.Other than being President, Laird says that Middleton has a lot of other roles within the club.  “He has given his time to coach a number of teams, is a qualified level 1 Sports Trainer, Vice President of the Kiama Senior Knights and is everyone’s favourite ground manager with pump-up music blaring at Chittick Oval. This award is certainly a fitting reflection of his Club-first approach,” says Laird.

On Thursday August 1, the Kiama Knights first-grade team announced they would be forfeiting their Round 16 clash against the first-placed Shellharbour Sharks.The Kiama Knights have struggled to field a team all year due to injuries, and Co-coach Marc Laird says luck just hasn’t been on their side.“We’ve been battling the last few weeks to field a competitive first-grade side and against Albion Park last week we lost another 3 players due to injury during that game. And rolling the team out this week we found it was probably best for the players if we just forfeited this week, unfortunately,” says Laird.The Knights have had a horror run with injuries throughout the year, with many players being forced out with season-ending injuries.“Our injury toll has been horrendous. Every week you get one back and then you lose another three. And they’re not short-term injuries either, they’re all serious, year-ending injuries. And we feel for them in terms of their employment, they’re risking a lot to play. But yeah, it's just been one of those years where it's been unfortunate,” says Laird.To make up for the injuries, players from the reserve grade side have been forced to play two games most weeks, and captain Kieran Poole says this just wasn’t sustainable.“The toll has had an impact on reserve grade as well. Most of the guys backing up have had to play two games each week. It’s obviously not ideal, but it has gotten to the point where it’s unavoidable,” says Poole.The Knights sit at eighth on the 2024 group seven first-grade ladder with three wins (whereas the reserve grade team sits at fourth), but Laird points to their success early in the year as an indication of how the team's season could have gone if it weren’t for injuries.“We were very competitive at the start of the year. Just look at the Nowra games, the first time we versed Nowra we won and then the second time we versed them, a couple of weeks ago, they beat us by 60,” says Laird.Despite the adversity, Laird is adamant that the team will finish out the year. “It’s absolutely our intention to be back on the field for the last 2 rounds,” says Laird.The Knights will play Milton-Ulladulla and Gerringong in the last two games of the 2024 season.

On Friday 2 August, Green and Gold Day, both public and private buildings, famous landmarks, sporting grounds and local councils across Australia will light up in the national colours. The initiative is to remind all Australians to wear green and gold to work, school or play to support the Aussie athletes as they take on super Saturday, which is the biggest day of sport during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.“It’s great to see so many Australians throwing their support behind the Australian Olympic Team. I know that initiatives like these really have a positive impact on our athletes, bring communities closer together and show that everyone back home is unified in their support for the team,” says Matt Carroll AM, CEO of the Australian Olympic Committee in a media release.Aussie Stingers water polo player, and two-time Olympian Bronte Halligan, was excited to learn about Green and Gold Day.“Support from home really helps to lift everyone on the Team. Seeing so many amazing landmarks lighting up to let everyone know Green and Gold Day is on, is so special, it really makes it feel like the whole country is getting behind us,” she says.“On the field of play we wear our green and gold with pride and seeing that connection amplified connecting all Australians is a real inspiration.”Find out more about Green and Gold Day.To read more from our Olympic coverage:'Allez, allez': Local Olympians ready for the ParisA ceremony in France honours fallen Australian Olympian and WWI soliderHistoric opening ceremony on the Seine to launch the Paris Olympics GamesOlympic torch relay at Blue Haven Bonaira

The federal government awards the Kiama Central Netball Club a $3,500 volunteer grant. “These small grants can make a big difference to community sporting organisations that are providing a fantastic training ground and fun social outlet for young players,” says Fiona Gilmore, Federal Member for Gilmore.Phillips called to congratulate the players and volunteers during a recent round of games. “The place was buzzing,” she said.The Kiama Central Netball Club has about 180 members — 16 teams, 20 coaches, 16 managers, 30 umpires and 15 committee members. Players range from six to 60-years-old across all playing groups.Kelly Schofield, the Club president, welcomed the funding, saying:“The grant will go towards computer equipment, electronic payment devices and storage to assist the committee with its organisation of the running of the club and its events.It will also assist our coaches, managers and umpires with new resources, equipment and First Aid supplies.”Twenty-five community groups across the Gilmore electorate will share more than $66,000, including the Gerringong Districts All Sports ($3,500), the Lions Cub of Gerringong ($2,000) and Gerringong Sunrise Rotary ($1,100), according to Fiona Phillips.“This funding boost is welcomed as it will provide greater support for local volunteers and ensure they continue to support their community.At the end of the day, we want volunteers to know that we are backing them, and I will continue to support their work in assisting our South Coast communities.”

On Monday July 30, Blue Haven Bonaira hosted a special event to commemorate the 2024 Paris Olympics by holding their own Olympic torch relay.Denis Ryann, who proudly carried the Olympic torch back in 2000 for the relay leading up to the Sydney Olympics, began the Blue Haven Bonaira ceremony by carrying the torch accompanied by flag bearers and bagpipers from the entrance of the Barroul House Cafe.“I was given the honour of being Wollongong citizen of the year. And that honour gave me the opportunity to run with the torch at Woonona (in 2000). And when I ran it, I had a friend with me who was a bagpiper. When I had finished, I took the torch into the nursing home, and they loved it. And I thought I’d do it for the old people here and I’m proud I did it, because I think the senior citizens of Kiama just loved it,” says Ryann.Ryann walked the torch to the care home where he handed it to Val Brunker OAM, the former president of the Kiama Netball Association, who walked it into Matterson Hall.At over 85 years of age, Brunker says that sport is such an important part of a community and that it connects people of all ages together. And that the Olympics is one of a kind.“I remember watching the Sydney Olympics and I think it was just a wonderful spectacle and the athletes are just wonderful. Sport keeps a community together and it's great for people of all ages, especially the kids. For me, the TV stays on all day next to my bed. I fall asleep and then wake up and something else is on,” says Brunker.Val Brunker walking the Olympic Torch.The event brought together the Blue Haven Residential Aged Care Facility (RACF) residents, the Independent Living Units (ILU) and the Community Seaside Group and Kristen Delahunty, the acting lifestyle communicator at Blue Haven Bonaira, who stresses the importance of events like these.“When residents come into a facility to live, we need to look at what their cultural preferences are, how they live their life. They should not have to stop doing the things they like doing just because they are here. So being involved in group events helps them become involved in the local community. Kiama has such a tight knit community, and we want to keep them connected with people,” says Delahunty.The event also enabled residents who were volunteers at the 2000 Sydney Olympics to reminisce about an important part of their, and Australia’s, past. “We’ve got a lot of memorabilia in the foyer from the actual Sydney Olympics. We’ve got flags and welcome presents and all sorts of stuff. And this has been a great remembrance event so the residents here who were volunteers at the Olympics have got their families to dig out their volunteers shirts and tracksuits and they’ve all gotten excited,” says Delahunty. Vince O’Sullivan is a resident at Bonaira Blue Haven, and he came to the torch relay with a 2000 Sydney Olympics hat with all sorts of pins and decorations from the games. His wife Linda was also a volunteer.“We both were volunteers in the 2000 Olympics and we both have our uniforms. Vince was a driver for the officials, he drove them around to the different venues and I was welcoming dignitaries into the venues,” says Linda.Vince O'Sullivan wearing his 2000 Sydney Olympics hat.Vince, who suffers from dementia, was in high spirits on the day and Linda praises events such as these.“It’s very important to Vince, he’s changed dramatically since he’s been here. We, as a family, think we’ve picked the best place for Vince to come, they’re doing such a great job,” says Linda.“Living with dementia is something that is here and that we have to manage and if you see Vince here today, he's having an amazing time,” says Delahunty.Other than the fabulous bagpipes soundtracking the relay, there were also some songs from the Blue Haven Ukulele group. Peter Mayes, who is part of the group says that music is very important to the various residents of Blue Haven.“We’re more than happy to share it with people and we’ll do a monthly thing with the residents because music is a universal language. For people at the end of their lives or they have dementia, music is something that seems to spark them on and take them out of themselves,” says Mayes.The Ukulele Group, Peter Mayes is pictured to the left with the vest on.It was announced on May 30 that Blue Haven Bonaira was purchased by Hall and Prior Aged Care, and Mayes, who is also the chairperson of the ILU resident committee at the Bonaira venue, says he is excited about the transition. “We’re looking forward to a change of ownership in a way because we’re looking for someone who knows about independent living and the care home. In the last few years, I think the Kiama Council has lost the knowledge base that they had. Most residents came here with the knowledge that there was 40 years of history here, so a lot of us have an emotional attachment to the Kiama model,” says Mayes. “But it is probably just time for Kiama council to focus on doing what councillors do and I think getting someone who is experienced in aged care is the best way to take everyone forward.”Blue Haven Bonaira is holding many different events over the next two weeks to get the residents involved in the Paris Olympics with showings of medal events as well as Olympic themed happy hours.