Lifetime contribution award for Emu Point Sports and Community Centre’s Kevin Shanhun

Emu Point Sports and Community Centre’s Kevin Shanhun has received a lifetime contribution to volunteering award from Clubs WA for his nearly four decades of commitment to the centre.

The community stalwart received the honour at the 2022 Clubs WA Industry Awards for Excellence ceremony in Perth on Friday night.

Since joining the centre in 1984, Mr Shanhun has held a variety of roles including president and vice-president.

He has overseen the tennis court redevelopment project and coached tennis lessons for 10 years, donating the profits back to the club.

Mr Shanhun said it was an honour to get the recognition from Clubs WA.

“But I have to say it’s also recognition of lots of other volunteers who do things for the club,” have filled positions and vacancies over the years,” he said.

“There have been lots of people who have put their hands up.

“It’s amazing how if you create the right environment, people will come forward and put their hand up or have certain skills that will help you with maintenance, repairs and those sorts of things.

“It’s been a rewarding period of almost 38 years since I started and along the way I always made sure I kept people informed about what was happening and where things were going.”

In 1998, Mr Shanhun received life membership to the centre.

In 2016, he was awarded the Mike Stidwell Medal for outstanding service as a sports administrator in the Great Southern.

EPSCC president Angus Woithe nominated Mr Shanhun for the Clubs WA lifetime contribution award.

“There is no doubt that Kevin’s long-term commitment and support to all sectors of the EPSCC goes far beyond the key roles mentioned,” Mr Woithe said in his nomination.

“He is a very sincere and fair person who has made an outstanding administrative and physical contribution to all sectors of the EPSCC over a long period of time.

“His honesty, leadership and exceptional interpersonal skills have been demonstrated over a long period of time, and he has always found time to assist others when needed.”

Mr Shanhun said he had been amazed amazing by the generosity of his fellow volunteers over the years.

“If you look after the people involved, it never ceases to amaze me the people that put their hand in their pocket and are quite philanthropic for a good cause in the sense of what they believe in,” he said.

“I had an elderly member that used to help me with surveying early in the morning, he used to always be available whether it was 6am in the morning or after work.

“After the whole project was completed, and we had a lot of support from all sorts of people, he came to me and he said he would like to give the club some money.

“I said to him, ‘you don’t need to do that, you’ve already made a commitment and you’ve helped me and the club’. He said ‘no, I want to do this’ and he gave the club $10,000.”

The EPSCC’s volunteers are in the midst of planning the redevelopment of the 48-year-old club building to make it more community-focused.

Over the past two years, Mr Shanhun has taken on the role of office manager to help guide the centre through the challenges of the pandemic.

“It’s been a tremendous journey and I’ve seen a lot of changes, as we do over time,” he said.

“I want to say thanks to all the people who have volunteered and contributed to make the club what it is today.”