Mingara Recreation Club has been named as a finalist for two categories in the 2008 True Local Business Awards.The categories are Hotel/Clubs/Entertainment Venue and Clubs over 8,000 members. Mingara would like to thank its members and patrons for nominating and voting for the Club.Mingara Community Services Manager John Millard said being named a finalist in the True Local awards was a great honour for the Club.”We have always prided ourselves on our commitment to the community, but these two nominations and being named a finalist in these categories show us how much the Central Coast community values the Club,” Mr Millard said.”We will honour these nominations by continuing our work with the community. Mingara’s vision has always been, ‘to make a significant contribution to the quality of community life’ and the award nominations prove that is exactly what we are doing. “These nominations are great timing because our new fitness centre opens this month, which will provide even better health and leisure facilities to our members,” he said.In the past year alone Mingara has made cash and in-kind contributions worth $490,000 to the Central Coast community. The Club also incurred costs of $132,000 to operate the Gatorade Regional Athletics Centre, a facility benefiting a diverse range of sports including athletics, soccer, rugby league, grid iron and Oz tag.Mingara’s other contributions include hosting the Australian Masters Snooker Championship, Mingara Relay for Life raising money for the NSW Cancer Council and the Club’s Christmas Under the Stars last year raised more than $12,000 for the Salvation Army Oasis Youth Centre and the Volunteer Rescue Association. Mingara proudly hosted the inaugural Donnica Clarke Foundation Sports Gala Dinner, fully sponsored the Salvation Army’s Central Coast Red Shield Appeal launch and continued to support the community through its CDSE contributions (Community Development Support Expenditure).Cumberland Courier Newspapers holds the True Local Business Awards for 19 regions across Sydney and the Central Coast. The awards acknowledge and celebrate the success of businesses in their local communities.

Mingara Recreation Club piloted the Max Potential youth leadership program this year to such great success that the club is looking to businesses to help fund a bigger and better program next year.Mingara Recreation Club is calling on Central Coast businesses to contribute funding and time to coach young people so it can be even more successful in years to come.Max Potential started in this year with 12 Tuggerah Lakes College The Entrance Campus students participating. It will be open to Central Coast youths aged 16-25 years from 2009.The program connects young people with their community and gives them the opportunity to work with a coach who genuinely cares about their future. Coaches came from a variety of backgrounds, including Central Coast businesses, Mingara staff and staff of Mingara-affiliated clubs, to inspire the students.Max Potential runs over 22 weeks to develop personal leadership skills and help them maximise their potential during the final years at school and beyond. It also encourages youths to focus on the local community and ways they can work to improve it.Each participant chose a community project to complete during the program. These included a holiday workshop called “Equipping Kids of Fostering Families”, a mural in conjunction with Wyong Community Art Outreach program, a musical workshop for disabled children, fundraising for cancer and a Paralympian and an art workshop for gifted primary school children.Max Potential culminated in a presentation earlier this month at Mingara, where the students showcased their achievements.Coach Les Rogan, of Ray White Berkeley Vale, said he had no idea what to expect or how much he would gain from the experience when he agreed to be involved in Max Potential.”It has been a discovery of great personal reward and interaction with my assigned student, who I have also learnt so much from,” Mr Rogan said.”As a person I not only developed character building strategies, but also discovered invaluable skills in relating to young people. I developed a burning passion to continue on this journey and to set and establish new goals to assist young people from different situations across the Central Coast,” he said.Year 11 student Jake McDonald said he developed new skills and improved others throughout the 22-week program.”I challenged myself to build confidence and perceive success in my life and how to work towards it by completing dynamic projects assisted by my personal coach and the other participants within the program,” Jake said.”My recent community service project allowed me to help by raising desperately needed funds for a young athlete. Max Potential gave me the right attitude and leadership skills to make a difference,” he said.The Entrance Campus principal David Beattie has trained as a coach, so he knew what his students would gain from the experience.”When I heard that Mingara was supporting the Max Potential program I was really keen for students from The Entrance to be involved,” Mr Beattie said.”By linking our leaders of the future with local identities and business people, students can get a better insight and work with their coach to improve their skills and abilities. The projects they developed and refined to demonstrate their leadership and abilities were fantastic and the students’ skills in planning, reflecting, organising and public speaking were enhanced. Be inspired - develop your leadership skills and aspire to be the best you can be!” he said.Max Potential 2008 was fully funded by Mingara Recreation Club, which continues to demonstrate its community leadership and passion for youth through involvement in this program. Gosford RSL also contributed to Max Potential.