The Recreation Club aims to provide activities to engage and entertain community residents of all ages. It is managed by SIRA.
History
The Recreation Club came into being in mid-2019, On behalf of SIRA, Robyn Iredale wrote a grant application to procure funds from Northern Beaches Council for ‘Promoting Social Inclusion on Scotland Island’. Robyn suggested the Club as way to help to fill the gap on the island for activities for the community.
The initial grant of almost $10,000 funded two table tennis tables and associated equipment, a 2-group coffee machine and coffee grinder, coffee trolley, waterproof covers for tables, chairs and coffee bar, two coordinators for table tennis, and hall rental for a wide range of activities. Since October 2020, the Club has funded its own activities and its account appears as a separate line item in the SIRA budget. The club has two arms: arts and culture, and physical activities.
What does the Recreation Club do?
The Recreation Club
- sponsors the Two Catherines Café on the 2nd and 4th Sundays of each month from 10 am to 12 pm. The café is managed by hardworking volunteers under the capable Melinda Ham, and has employed and trained eight island teenagers, conducted barista training for three teenagers, bought cakes from dozens of island bakers, offered a venue for artisans and craftspeople to sell wares, and provided a welcome space for island and offshore residents to gather and socialise.
- has provided table tennis in the Community Hall from 3pm to 5pm every Saturday from August 2019, at no cost to participants.
- hosts free International Folk Dancing nights once a month.
- organises the Young and Young-at-heart Musicians Concerts – next one in June 2021.
- initiated and managed the 2021 Festival of Making, which included a very successful exhibition on 23-24 April, stalls, workshops, buskers, salsa dancing and a writers’ tent. Food provided by the Two Catherines Café, the Scotland Island Fire Brigade and several other island cooks who offered a range of delicious meals and treats.
- Conducts a Newcomers’ Welcome twice a year
- challenges residents in the Island Race, running for the first time in 2020
Funds from these activities are used to buy equipment, such as a new coffee grinder, café supplies and banner, new BBQ and pay wages for up to eight young workers at a time. The Recreation Club also covered the cost of the Jeremy Sala band at the Feast for Freedom night.
The Recreation Club Subcommittee has now amalgamated with the Hall Subcommittee. This larger committee is now working to bring the building previously used by the kindy into full use as another community space. The survey which was conducted in 2020 showed a strong demand for art workshops/exhibitions, knowledge hub, tool/repair shed and many other possible activities.
How can you engage?
If you have an activity or workshop you would like to offer with the assistance of the Recreation Club, or if you would like to sell your work at a stall at the café, please contact us using this form.
Please find below a list of upcoming social events on Scotland Island:
