7 February 2019 | Tennis Victoria

Tennis Victoria’s Volunteers’ Breakfast, proudly supported by ANZ, proved a highlight on Day Four of the Australian Open.

Hosted by Neroli Meadows and supported by Ian Cover roving in the crowd, more than 400 guests packed into the Melbourne Cricket Ground’s Members Dining Room to pay tribute to the thousands of volunteers that make our sport special.

Volunteering is a rewarding way to be part of a sport and tennis is fortunate enough to have many of them that put in hours and hours of work. The Tennis Victoria Volunteers’ Breakfast is a small way of acknowledging the volunteers for their outstanding contribution.

This year, two awards were presented to two incredible volunteers that go above and beyond for their club and community.

Wendy Meers (metro) and Sarah Ellis (country) were presented with their awards and were completely shocked by the accolade.

Meers’ influence on the Murrumbeena Tennis Club has been extraordinary. From a club with dated facilities, she was able to engage the council, local MP and their own community to rally together.

The Murrumbeena Tennis Club is now enjoying new lights on two of the courts and funds to update their pavilion. Meers has also shifted the culture in such a way that the membership has increased considerably, adding a significant atmosphere to the area.

“I’m awestruck and proud,” Meers said.

“I feel really happy that I picked up tennis as a fourteen-year-old, I’ve been playing it ever since and now I’m fifty-eight.”

Ellis was instrumental in providing the small town of Goroke a place to enjoy their tennis. Without lights to play after hours, she and the committee have still managed to record 58 members from a town population of 200.

Her dedication to the tennis club is incredible. Receiving more than $100,000 in grants, the club can now look forward to lights on their courts and allow their members the opportunity to play tennis for even longer.

“I’m just very honoured and excited to receive such an award, it’s really unexpected,” Ellis said.

“I love what I do and I do it because I enjoy it – this is just amazing.”

The 400+ guests were treated to an entertaining morning full of fun, reflection and a healthy breakfast. Many were able to pose with the glistening Australian Open trophies (Norman Brookes Challenge Cup and Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup), take a photo in the photo booth and mingle with fellow members of the tennis community.

The morning was also dominated by the riveting interview conducted by Meadows with former World No.1 doubles player and nine-time grand slam winner, Jonas Bjorkman.

Tennis Victoria’s acting CEO Belinda Kleverlaan was thrilled to meet some of the amazing volunteers and hear their wonderful stories.

“Volunteers are truly the lifeblood of our sport,” Kleverlaan said.

“I feel that recognising the amazing people in the room is just a small token of thanks for the countless hours they put in.

“We know there are many more that couldn’t make it today but we want to acknowledge their contribution to tennis and their local community is much appreciated,” she said.

The volunteers were then invited to stay on and venture into the precinct for a day of watching tennis as another token of appreciation.