Moreton Bay clubs recognised at gala awards ceremony

Five Moreton Bay community clubs have taken home gongs at the annual Keno and Clubs Queensland Awards for Excellence awards night.

The awards were presented at a gala dinner at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre on March 22.

Among the winners were Caboolture Sports Club, North Lakes Sports Club, Bribie Island RSL, Club Pine Rivers and North Leagues and Services Club.  

In addition, Bribie Island Bowls Club was named a runner-up in one of the categories.

Clubs Queensland CEO Kelly Egan says the Moreton Bay regional clubs have stood tall when they were needed more than ever, commending their resilience in the face of ongoing challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Despite the constantly evolving landscape, our clubs have continued to provide invaluable service and social support for members and local communities,” Kelly says.

“It has been particularly special this year to be able to again gather face-to-face for the awards night, which was a richly deserved acknowledgement of the great work of clubs statewide. Community clubs have a proud history of fostering local spirit and delivering top-shelf facilities.

"Moreton Bay has again been prominent for the exemplary way its clubs have maintained their connection to community.”

He also says the awards are now in their 23rd year. 

See the full list of awards below.

Caboolture Sports Club

The Caboolture Sports Club took home three awards on the night, winning the Best Multi-Sports Club category, Director of the Year, which was presented to Kevin Kaeser, plus the acclaimed Support of Sport category for its provision of community Sporting facilities.

CEO Kelvin Patch says it is a great feeling to come away with a number of top awards.

“It was a very good night. We came away with a mixture of awards,” Kelvin says.

"Our club looks after a number of different sports in the region, so to win the award for Best Multi-Sports Club, that was a great feeling."

Kelvin says the club's strong partnership with Moreton Bay Council also contributed to their success. 

"The Support of Sport category is only relatively new, and us winning this award is based on what we have done in recent times with our funding partnership with Moreton Bay Council," Kelvin says.

"Through this partnership we have been able to achieve a number of sporting infrastructure improvements in our region.

"We want to ensure we are providing superior sporting facilities for the Caboolture region, and providing sporting pathways for children right up to seniors."

Local rugby union legend Kevin Kaeser, who is the club's general manager, was also named Director of the Year.

"Kevin does a lot to help the community, and is very active in that space," Kelvin says.

"He was one of the forefathers for developing and establishing the Caboolture Rugby Union Club, hence why the fields are named in his honour.

"You will often see him out in the canteen cooking the sausages or handing out drinks. He just loves serving his community."

North Lakes Sports Club

North Lakes Sports Club was announced the Club of the Year (Grand) at the awards night. 

CEO Kelvin Patch, who also oversees this club, has thanked the community for their support during these trying times. 

"The club is only five years young, and the way the community and members have embraced it, well this award is attributed to them," Kelvin says.

"I want to acknowledge the members because without them, this wouldn't have been achieved.

"With COVID-19 and everything else in the past year, they have remained very loyal and passionate, so I want to say a very big thank you to all of them. 

"They know that all funding goes back into sports infrastructure for the community to enjoy." 

Bribie Island RSL

Bribie Island RSL was announced the winner in the Best Dining category (100-200 capacity) for its Social Café

General Manager Janelle Barraud says the club is “rapt” to win this award.

“This was the biggest category of the night as it had the most entrants,” Janelle says.

“This was the first time we have entered this category so to come away with a win on our first try, it was quite unbelievable.

“As we were walking up to the stage, I heard the judges say Social Café scored a 10 out of 10 with the mystery judges, which was a perfect score.

“We are extremely proud of Social Café, which has been running for about three years now.”

The club also took third place in the Health and Wellbeing category.

Club Pine Rivers

Club Pine Rivers took home two trophies from the night, having won the Best Bowls Club and Club Manager of the Year categories.

The club is in the Hall of Fame for the Best Bowls Club category, as they also won this award from 2004-2006. 

Manager Steve Ratcliffe says he and his team are thrilled with the wins, saying they are honoured their club has been acknowledged. 

“This last year has been so tough on our industry, and I am so proud of my team for all the effort that they have put in. Winning this award means so much to our team, we are thrilled," Steve says.

He is also extremely humble about winning the title of Club Manager of the Year, saying it is a collective effort.

“I am so lucky to have such an amazing team around me, this award is as much theirs as it is mine.”

North Leagues and Services Club

North Leagues and Services Club won the category for Best Dining (200 plus capacity) for The Precinct. 

Manager Troy Young says The Precinct is a popular spot for people to gather.

“We are extremely excited to have won the Best Dining (+200 seats) Award at the Keno and Clubs Queensland Awards of Excellence. The innovation The Precinct brings to the club industry and the local area is something we very proud of," Troy says.

"This outstanding result is due to the amazing team we have at Norths, who work tirelessly to ensure our members and guests have a wonderful time when visiting with us”

Bribie Island Bowls Club

They may have come in second at the awards ceremony, but staff and volunteers from the Bribie Island Bowls Club are still thrilled with their placing. 

Marketing coordinator Leigh Dennis says the club came in second in the esteemed Heart of the Community Award for its Lacing Up Our Walking Shoes For Wounded Heroes category.

"This is the Kokoda Challenge, where people sign up to walk 96km and raise money to support wounded heroes - past and present," Leigh says. 

"We thought this was a really great cause to get behind and support."

Following a difficult few years due to COVID-19, Leigh says it was nice for the hospitality industry to get dressed up and enjoy a night out.

"Hospitality is one industry that has struggled the last two years through lockdowns and COVID in general, so it was nice to go and attend these awards and see other people from other clubs face-to-face."