'It really touched my heart': New clubhouse helps boost netball association

The association has now received a total of $40,000 courtesy of grants from Woolworths.

Junior and senior players were joined by officials and a host of guests for the official reopening on April 6.

Former Australian Diamonds international Cath Cox was there as part of her role with Woolworths and the NetSetGo program.

NetSetGO is netball's official program for kids aged five to 10, aimed at teaching the basics and introducing them to the game.

It is the second time Cox has visited with Woolworths after the initial grant money was announced midway through 2022.

"It's great to be back here and see how special this is," Cox said.

"We saw the devastation not only in the Lismore community as a whole, but also the netball community."

"The grants have had a massive impact on communities and getting kids back on the court.

"Speaking to a few families last time, they were looking at having to choose between either themselves or the kids playing.

"It's so important for people to have a place to play netball.

"It builds relationships and keeps that sense of community strong."

Club secretary and life member Shirley Donovan was grateful for the ongoing support from council, government and Woolworths.

She said having the money in the months after the floods helped them replace equipment and cover fees so they could be back playing that season.

The association lost everything down to pens and paper when the clubhouse was flooded.

The money has helped upgrade facilities while building its membership.

"I remember we looked at grants and the Woolies grant was there and I thought 'I wonder' and it's probably the best thing I've done in my life," Donovan said.

"They came in and made our kids and members feel so special.

"We had nothing, not even biros, there was nothing salvageable.

"Now we have a community space where everyone can come and enjoy.

"People make a difference and it meant so much more having a team come in with equipment

"It really touched my heart, some of our members didn't even have shoes to play in."

The clubhouse has seating, a new television, automatic lights and timed fans with a flood resistant level.

The association was determined to honour its history and make life easier for its members by staying at the Marie Mackney courts.

"If we were to move, we would lose our base," Donovan said.

"This has been our home since we moved from the caravan park and we've been around since 1947."

The association received the keys to the clubhouse in December and continue to work with council on lighting and repairs to the courts.

Page MP Kevin Hogan spoke at the event while the canteen has a variety of healthy food options due to ongoing support from Woolworths.