Bristol Paints Volunteer of the Month: Rose Wild

Rose Wild gives her all for Bendigo Touch. She is the first to put her hand up to help at the emerging regional association, a real jack of all trades.  From promoting the competition in local schools, helping setup the fields and seeking grants and sponsors, Rose epitomises the definition of a dedicated volunteer. Like most volunteers, Rose avoids the spotlight, only wanting the club to grow and see as many people enjoy the game.

As our Bristol Volunteer of the Month, we chat to Rose and find out what drives her involvement and passion.

Congratulations Rose, can you tell us how you became involved in Touch Football?

I only became involved in Touch Football three-years ago when a friend called me one afternoon. I was on the couch after work when they called asking what I was up to, and with no real excuse I responded with “not much”. This led me to playing my first game of Touch Footy and from there I’ve never looked back!

In recent times I’ve joined the committee to seek sponsorship so my involvement in Touch Football is ever growing and I’m enjoying it more and more!

What do you enjoy/love the most about Touch Football?

That someone as uncoordinated as myself can play a sport and still have fun! I’ve still got plenty of improvement on the field - particularly with my catching skills - but I really enjoy being able to play with my family and friends and participate in all the social activities we do off the field.

We’ve had the same team for three seasons in a row now and we’re building really strong friendships with each other. It’s nice to catch-up once a week, throw the footy around and have a laugh, so it’s the social and inclusive side of the sport which I really love.

I’ve also been fortunate enough to play with a few family members in my three seasons. I’ve roped in my parents and three brothers to play throughout the years so it’s been really enjoyable being able to play with them.

You wear many hats? What element do you enjoy the most?

Definitely playing, just being on the field and having fun. I’ve started to ramp up my fitness a bit which is certainly helping me to stay out on the field longer! I don’t do much else in life other than work so it’s nice to catch-up with people once a week.

Off the field I’ve really enjoyed being on the committee and helping out with securing local sponsorships. It’s gotten me involved with the Club in a number of aspects including set-up and pack-up on competition nights and even featuring in a news segment about the Club which I am still mortified by!

But it’s great to be involved in more than just a playing capacity to help those who’ve been running the club and to ensure it keeps running long into the future!

What is your favourite memory or moment in the game?

Getting a try was pretty nice…. I’ve only got three in my three years playing so they are rare! I’m not very fast so I’m usually tasked with running through the middle, so when I get an opportunity to go out on the wing and score the odd try, I’m stoked.

Another memory that comes to mind was getting my parents involved. It was very funny having both of them out there joining in on the fun. Mum still plays which is great but unfortunately Dad has had to hang up the boots - it was a miracle we got him out there to begin with!

What have been the biggest advancements in the sport in your opinion?

At a local level it’s been great seeing the numbers of women who’ve become involved in the sport. In the past, our teams have been desperate to attract women and girls to participate so it’s great to see more females who are frequently engaged and love playing. It’s great to see the confidence of these women and girls grow – I remember one girl in our team was quite shy when she joined but now, she’s super confident and rips in which I love to see.

It’s a great sport for women to play (as well as men) as it’s extremely inclusive and no one is out there getting bowled over!

We agree! Finally, if you were to be named Volunteer of the Year and $5,000 towards a paint project, what projects come to mind?

I’m moving house soon so I’m sure I could find a wall or three that needs a good coat of paint. Otherwise, it would be so much fun to get everyone down to the Club for a group project to paint something that gives back to the community.

As our volunteer of the Month, Rose is now eligible for the Bristol Paint TFA Volunteer of the Year (VOY) Award. The TFA VOY will receive paint to the value of $5,000 for a project of their choice, thanks to our friends at Bristol Paint.

DON’T FORGET – All Touch Footy participants are entitled to 15-20% OFF Bristol Paint products.  Download your exclusive discount card on our website, here.