There is barely a sporting code in Bundaberg that doesn’t include a team attached to The Waves Sports Club. While The Waves is widely recognised for its commitment to local sport, it is only one part of what the not-for-profit organisation does for the Bundaberg community.
Among the 16 affiliated sub-clubs supported by The Waves is a small yet powerful Italian choir – Voce D’Italia. Made up of more than 20 members, the group is able to use the function rooms of The Waves for its weekly practices and monthly performances. They sing in both English and Italian as a way to connect to the ‘old country’ and as a nod to the group of Italian migrants who founded The Waves in 1968.
There’s a good reason The Waves was named Community Organisation of the Year at the 2021 Bundaberg Business Excellence Awards. It is not just the Italian choir and affiliated sporting teams that benefit from more than $1.2million returned in community contributions each year by The Waves. On average, the organisation delivers cash and in-kind support to more than 100 non-affiliated sporting groups and community organisations each year. They include the likes of Meals on Wheels, Cancer Council Queensland, Headspace Bundaberg, Gregory River Rural Fire Brigade and Make-A-Wish Australia.
The Waves CEO Brendan Royall said the Club also contributed indirectly to the local economy.
“We are proud to contribute about $5 millon each year through local employment, as well as $100,000 a year in staff training and development, and we spend a further $4 million on goods and services,” Brendan said. “With our capital expenditure programs, we always go local. In the past 18 months, we’ve spent another $3 million on renovations, which is all through our local suppliers and builders.”
Brendan said the Club’s profits – through their main revenue streams of food, beverages and gaming – were also used to progress the organisation’s 10-year masterplan to improve member facilities and services.
“Our profits are reinvested in the facilities, as well as providing offers and services for our members. And to help us in pursuing our charter, to foster and promote sport, which is really what our existence is about – it is all about the community and sport.”
Non-affiliated sporting groups supported in 2021
- Bundaberg Basketball: Season sponsorship of representative teams.
- Bundaberg Cycling Club: International Cycling Spectacular and Bundaberg Cycling Spectacular events.
- Bundaberg Primary and Secondary Schools: Providing support for schools to use The Waves Sports Complex facility for their inter-school sport events, for a range of different sports.
- Bundaberg Race Club: Season sponsorship.
- Running Events/Organisations: Bundaberg Parkrun for start-up sponsorship and Cane2Coral for sponsorship of the teams category of event.
- Queensland Country Cricket: Sponsorship of the Bulls Masters Championship.
- Wide Bay Thundercats Netball: Season sponsorship of representative teams.
- Donations of gift cards are also made to a range of non-affiliated sporting organisations for them to use as prizes for their fundraising events.
Non-affiliated community groups supported in 2021
- Bundaberg and District Meals On Wheels: Funds contributed towards a new kitchen floor and freezer.
- Bundaberg PCYC: Support of the youth programs in Bundaberg.
- BUSHkids: Support towards purchasing a telehealth system to be able to offer free assistance to the health and wellbeing of children and families in Queensland’s regional, rural and remote communities.
- Cancer Council Queensland
- Gregory River Rural Fire Brigade: For training and equipment for the branch.
- Headspace Bundaberg
- Impact Community Services: Raising funds for IMPACT’s Housing Project providing affordable housing to the disadvantaged in the community.
- International Fund for Animals Welfare (IFAW): With the assistance of members of the community, The Waves was able to donate paw protectors for wildlife animals following the bushfires throughout Australia.
- Leukaemia Foundation: World’s Greatest Shave event fundraiser.
- Make-A-Wish Australia: Fundraising to grant wishes of children between the ages of 3 to 8 that are battling life-threatening diseases, supporting a young local girl to achieve her dream of seeing snow.
- Matthew Stanley Foundation: Contribution for the foundation to present the ‘Walk Away Chill Out’ campaign to High Schools in the region.
- Smart Pups: Support towards training Service Dogs for Multipurpose Assistance, Seizure Assistance and Autism Assistance, to enable them to assist children with special needs, with Smart Pups improving independence and quality of life for the children.
- The Push-Up Challenge: Raising money for Mental Health Awareness with funds raised going to Headspace Bundaberg.
- Rotary Club of Bundaberg Sunrise: Oceanfest Bundaberg event
- Donations of gift cards and cash are also made to a range of non-affiliated community organisations and schools for them to use as prizes for their fundraising events.
The Waves 1 Miller Street, Norville 07 4152 1231