Interview with Mark Rushton – 2015 NSW Volunteer of the Year
June 29th, 2016
How has the NSW Volunteer of the Year Awards impacted winner, Mark Rushton
On the cricket field, Mark Rushton stands out for his enthusiasm for his young players.
Mark’s wheelchair is the least noticeable part of his busy life. Running the Blowfly Club stepped up a notch after Mark won the 2015 Volunteer of the Year Award.
All the Blowflies have special needs. Mark started the Club five years ago so kids with Autism and other disabilities can get out on a weekend and play a game of cricket, just like he did.
Source: BlowflyCricket – http://www.facebook.com/blowflycricket
“Winning the Volunteer of the Year prize bought a lot of publicity to the organisation,” Mark says.
“And it was not just for me but for parents, players, volunteers – it reverberated throughout the whole organisation.
Winning the award has not just boosted his tiny club’s profile, Mark’s public speaking skills have also been exercised as he has accepted invitations to speak at corporate and community events across the State.
“It opened doors in what might have been difficult-to-navigate areas for us.”
“Winning this award has improved the profile of the cricket club. We have had so much more support since. People and organisations now know about us and that has made it so much easier to get things done.”