A 50 year veteran volunteer of community sport and fundraising, John Stoffels, has been named the 2022 Cronulla Senior of the Year on day one of the NSW Seniors Festival.
I announced John as the winner at a celebratory morning tea where the trophy was presented by Minister for Seniors Mark Coure.
John has been passionate about giving people from the Sutherland Shire the opportunity to play and enjoy sport. Over the years he has been a driving force across football, softball and more recently golf, always actively involved in fundraising to provide a better experience and facilities for players.
John’s enthusiasm for a cause is obvious, no more so than in his current role as Chair of the Woolooware Golf Club’s Legacy Committee, where he spearheads the annual push to help the families of fallen or ill veterans.
As an ex-serviceman himself, John throws himself into leading the fundraising effort, helping the club donate significant sums of money even when COVID-19 lockdowns have meant the yearly Legacy golf day couldn’t be held.
John’s passion, commitment and enthusiasm is infectious and has made a big difference to many people involved with both sport and Legacy.
John’s service to sport started with the Sutherland Shire Soccer Football Club, now the Sutherland Sharks Football Club, including a number of years as President, continued with the Sutherland Shire Softball Association where he was the President for more than a decade, and more recently he has been involved with the Sharks Social Golf Club, where he has served as President for almost 10 years.
The other finalists in the Cronulla NSW Seniors Festival Local Achievement Awards were:
- Patricia Cudmore – St Vincent de Paul Society Sutherland Shire regional president
- John Curtis – NSW State Emergency Service volunteer
- Michael Douglas – Sutherland Food Services volunteer including past president
- Ron Griffths – Lilli Pilli Football Club volunteer
- Betty Jacobs – Kurnell Girl Guides and Kurnell Pensioners’ Club volunteer
- Chris Murray – NSW State Emergency Service leading senior operator
- Norman “Buzz” Piddington – North Cronulla Surf Life Saving Club volunteer
- Neil Reynolds – Caringbah Baptist Church and Skills4Me volunteer
- Russell Sullivan – Port Hacking Open Sailing Club rear commodore
- Brian Thompson OAM – Elouera Surf Life Saving Club patron, Tradies director
- Peter Turbet – Sutherland Shire Council Bushcare volunteer, Fred Hollows Foundation worker and history author.
The awards recognise the invaluable contribution seniors make to so many aspects of community life here in the Shire.
The finalists highlight how fortunate we are to have such incredible, dedicated volunteers in the Sutherland Shire, which makes it such a great place to live.
A massive shout out to our NSW SES crews who’ve worked around the clock to clean up after the devastating storms around NSW last week.
Thank you to our wonderful SES volunteers and all the other emergency services workers (including NSW Rural Fire Service) who’ve been busy responding to calls for assistance. ... See MoreSee Less
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Well done Mark - they couldn’t have anyone better than you in their corner🙏
☀️A stunning morning for a mobile office down at North Cronulla Beach!
E-bikes were the biggest local issue mentioned, cost of living having a big ongoing impact, and plenty of commuters still reeling from the chaos on the trains. ... See MoreSee Less
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Mark Speakman were you appraised of this? >> www.facebook.com/share/p/1AoMFN7VPA/?mibextid=wwXIfr
The Minns Labor Government has lost control of our transport network and it’s the commuters who are copping it.
NSW deserves better.
3PM Wednesday update - cancelled services will increase from 350 to over 1000 by the end of the day. ... See MoreSee Less
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This absolutely disgusting to hold people at ransom
Transport rail services under Premier Chris Minns, train from Chatswood to City, 25 mins wait, this evening as of 6 PM. Uber best.
Mark Speakman Are these the same light rail POS your governement purchased which is now running in sydney after its cracking chassis issue was identified? www.youtube.com/watch?v=uynjvO0v9n8
The premier is a no show, wonder where he is
Minister spends more time at hairdressers ??
In the immediate future, the rail system must be privatized while ensuring that Opal pricing remains unchanged, accompanied by the dismissal of all RBTU workers to pave the way for a complete overhaul. Over the long term, the entire network needs to be transformed into a driverless, efficient, and fast metro system, delivering modernized, streamlined operations that prioritize speed and reliability for commuters.
Well it’s a proven fact that when a Labor government gets into power the unions are more active because their buddies are in power and they deserve to be heard because of their ongoing financial support to their political mates !!!
Mark the former government froze all the nsw employees wages and has caused a absolute nightmare for this government as all state employees are so far behind other states as a nurse I will never forget the 0.3 % pay rise your government gave us This government is here because of your government's neglect they have so much to catch up I don't think they can do it and will be gone next election. will your government be giving the nsw public workforce a pay rise? I think I know the answer
So Mark what would you do?As it seems any politician from any party is great to criticise each other, but what would your detailed plan be to tackle this issue?
What other government was in power for over a decade and neglected the same issue?
So Mark Speakman You state its "union thuggery at its very worst,” to the media. Shame on you for not fact checking that it was the executives at Sydney Trains in the Engineering Section that the Liberals put in place, unecessarily took signalling equipment out of use before its compliance time had ended. This was unecessary and Sydney Trains also have processes to give waivers to keep equipment working past the expiry date. This action was taken by Sydney Trains not the Unions, to deliberately inconvenience the public to cause drama and spread hate towards unions and members. This is the drama the liberals will always support when they see a chance to divide the Labour Party and its Unions. The truth is that the last liberal government that you were a part of is the most corrupt government in living times and did exactly the same thing with the unions in 2022. But as Gladys quoted "I dont want to know" LOL
Tell us how you would fix this then please?
Remember when this happened every week under the liberals?
The nurses, teachers, railway workers, paramedics etc. and their unions run a hate campaign against the LNP EVERY state / territory/ federal election. Goodness, that went well!🤦♀️🤣 "The greatest enemy of the Left, is reality." ~ Sir Roger Scruton.
The commuters have this enough. The train service is not free but funded by the commuters using their after tax money.
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More train delays, more cancellations and more commuter pain on the way.
From Wednesday 15 January, more than 50 locations across the Sydney train network will be impacted by the NSW Labor Government’s ongoing industrial dispute with the rail unions.
NSW deserves better. ... See MoreSee Less
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This train pay dispute is a mess, the government needs to grow some and sort this matter out as commuters have had a gut full of this bullshit for way too long
Hi Mark Speakman tomorrow and Thursday and Friday
Trains buses should be considered essential services
Any RBTU members out there who want to have an honest chat about why the public is fed up? I’m ready—let’s hear it!
Better late than dead or injured. Look at this crap the Liberal purchased when they were in government which is now running in Sydney. An accident waiting to happen? Especially after the cracks in the chassis were identified. www.youtube.com/watch?v=uynjvO0v9n8
Mark Speakman needs to fact check the dribble from his mouth instead of resorting to keyboard warrior defamation trying to arouse hate speech.
Remember how it was under your government? Bit rich for you to be criticising Labor when every public service went on strike under the libs because you don't respect essential workers
It is also time the heat was turned up on Minns for his ridiculous decision to order public servants back into offices. This will cost NSW tax payers untold millions in lost productivity. The productivity commission report showed that public servants are much more efficient working from home and the cost saving benefits are enormous. There is a housing shortage in NSW and instead of ordering public servants back into these redundant offices the buildings should be sold or leased out as residential apartments - this would take pressure off the housing market and save tax payers enormous amounts of money in not having to pay rent,electricity,maintenance and the enormous costs of having these buildings. We need a forward thinking progressive government not a regressive,reactionary media obsessed fool like Minns. Mark Speakman ask to see the statistics comparing work done by public servants in an office environment as opposed to working from home. You will be alarmed at the massive difference.
Really, i think thats caused by the liberal governments incompetent management structures, remember Gladbags & Constance? You still reflect their goals and ambition. What sort of government treats there people with such disrespect?
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🏏Congratulations Pat Cummins and the entire Australian cricket team on regaining the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after a fantastic test series.
#bgt #AUSvIND ... See MoreSee Less
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Congratulations
👏👏👏👏
GoOd Morning, 😃 Congratulations, HaVe A GrEaT DaY! #Amazing_Work, #Great_Photo, #GreAt_LeAdeR #Great_Team
🥳Happy New Year everyone!
Wishing everyone a healthy and safe 2025, filled with love and joy. ... See MoreSee Less
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Happy New Year may you and your family receive many blessings throughout 2025
Thank you Mark..all my best wishes to you and yours.
Have a great year Mark
Happy new year to you and your family Mark . Hope your all well .
Happy new year Mark x
Happy new year Mark.
Happy New Year!
🎊🥳🎇🌎🎉
Happy New Year Mark to you and family.
Special Blessings to you and Caroline and family!!! Happy New Year!💕 Mark & Dolores GONSALVES!!!💕
Happy New Year to you and the family Mark.😊❤️
Happy new year to you and your family
Happy New year to you too Mark ! 💜
Happy New year Premier Mark Speakman
Happy New Year Mark Speakman
It is my opinion that politicians want us to believe that Australia is multicultural. This is a lie. Australia was created in 1901 when we became a Commonwealth under one Christian Almighty God. Our values, our morals and our laws are fundamentally based on Christian beliefs. However, our core values and morals are under threat as each politician tries to win votes from different religions. The current actions and economic policies of our political leaders are not creating a stronger Australian culture, only making it weaker. We are not multicultural, we are one culture: Australian.🇦🇺 Individuals from other cultures that are invited to live in Australia are welcome, and we respect their customs. Our politicians are trying to polarise and divide us by forcing us to believe in a lie, that we are multicultural. We need to preserve our unique culture. It is our responsibility to tell them we are but one culture: Australian.🇦🇺 For those of us who have been born here, we are one with Australia as our aboriginal brothers and sisters. We are not part of a two state solution that Labor has been fighting to impose on our nation, as they are trying to impose on Israel. My message to all politicians is clear, we are one nation: Australia.🇦🇺
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