Held on Monday, 28 October at the Canberra Southern Cross Club (CSCC), the 2024 ClubsACT Clubs & Community Awards celebrated Canberra’s clubs for their vital role in supporting community, culture, and sport across the territory.
It opened with a keynote address by federal minister Bill Shorten, who commended the clubs for their efforts during the year.
“Politicians should understand and respect what you do,” he said.
“I think by your very existence it symbolises the desire of our community to engage with each other and to look out for each other. What is a club without people?”
During the evening, the CSCC emerged as the standout, taking home three major awards, including the Contribution to Sport, Community Development and Wellbeing Award for its Cupcakes and Conversations initiative, which aims to promote community support and connection. Jason Nguyen, CSCC Woden’s central manager, won the Emerging Talent Award, and the club also claimed the top honour of Heart of the Community – Club of the Year (Large Club).
Other winners of the night included Vikings Group, which walked away with two awards. It was recognised for its various training programs designed to enhance the lives of individuals across different age groups with the Education, Learning and Development Award. Meanwhile, Michael Peel, Vikings Group venue manager, was handed the Individual Service to the Industry Award.
ClubsACT CEO Craig Shannon praised the calibre of this year’s nominations, noting the challenging selection process.
“All of the nominations we received in every category were of a high quality and there was very little between the winners and other nominees, making it especially tough for the judges,” he said.
Shannon also highlighted the unique role Canberra’s clubs play beyond standard hospitality functions, emphasising their commitment to creating safe spaces, sponsoring events, and promoting cultural development.
“I think the important thing with our awards are that they don’t aim to recognise the normal things that hospitality venues do as part of their businesses, like selling chips or chicken schnitzels, they really seek to remind the community of the unique role our not-for-profit venues play in sustaining the broader community,” he said.
“These awards highlight the social licence value of our industry. There is no other industry with a core purpose that ensures the provision of safe and free spaces for community gatherings, the sponsorship of sporting and other events and facilities and focuses on cultural development.
“I really think that as a relatively small industry we really punch above our weight in terms of social impact and the unity of our industry. It’s an industry we are very proud of and one I’m honoured to represent.”