Fifth generation rolling up sleeves

Ella Mackey represents the fifth generation of her family to be born in Robe and like the generations that have gone before, she has rolled up her sleeves and worked side by side with her parents to make a difference in the seaside town.

“Mostly my community involvement centres around the Robe Football and Netball Club,” Ella said. “I have played netball since I was very young and when my mother became head trainer of the football club and then president we spent a lot of time around the club.”

So you could say, Ella employed the ‘if you can’t beat them join them, mentality, helping with the medical training side of things and started to help out with setting up and packing up on match days.

“Once I’d learnt all I could about that I completed my First Aid Course and my level one training course and started full time training,” Ella said. “I do Tuesday and Thursday nights and all-day Saturdays 8am – 5pm, home and away games plus pre-season.”

This includes prepping and packing up all the medical supplies and taping, ordering, stock, cleaning, strapping and pre and post-game assistance to the football players across all grades from junior colts to A Grade.

“I’m also supervising the games on the line and dealing with medical situations as they arise and working with our medical team to make sure everyone is OK,” she said.

She still caters to her love of netball, not just taping up some of the girls but also playing her game before heading back to the football oval to complete her training role.

“I also enjoy sorting the Thursday night meat raffles in the club and this year I have also taken on the ordering and management of the merchandise for the football club,” Ella said. “If mum is under the pump I’ll also give her a hand with the club cleaning or stock or whatever else needs to be done.”

Clearly she has learnt from her hard working parents and that, combined with her love of her hometown, has seen her eagerly take up her raft of volunteering roles.

“I really love Robe,” she said. “My parents both do a lot of work around the club and in other community areas. Mum was an ambulance volunteer and on the tourism association and dad plays music and was on the Robe Mountain Bike Association.

“It’s a busy time during summer but in winter you really need other things to do and if you can find something you enjoy then that’s even better.”

“I like to chat to people quietly when they might be really nervous before a big game and just let them talk, make them laugh or just take some time to check that they are OK,” she said. “I like it when people treat me that way so I try to be that for others.

“When you live in a small country town there is not always big opportunities to get out and meet people.

“I’m pretty shy so I’m not going to be the person who introduces themselves to strangers at parties but once I’m comfortable I really enjoy meeting new people and getting to know them.

“Sport has always been something that I’ve enjoyed so volunteering at the local sporting club seems to be the right fit for me but there is lots of other ways you can volunteer in your town.

“If you have a look around there will always be an organisation that really needs help and if you’ve got some spare time it can end of being a good thing for everyone.

“I get to be around some great people, I learn heaps of things all the time, I get to enjoy funny conversations and I get to build relationships with people of all ages.

“I’m not a big, bold, loud person so sometimes if you are not the most social in the group its difficult to meet new people but the Robe Football and Netball Club has let me become friends with some people who I would never have spoken to otherwise.”