Clubs & Community

Sammy’s stellar swing

By Matt McCoy & Nina Sampson Helensburgh Public School is beaming with pride as one of our own, Sammy, a Year 5 student, has achieved an extraordinary milestone by making it to the Primary NSW State Cricket Team. This remarkable achievement...

The Illawarra Flame

April 2025

Clubs & Community

Helensburgh Lions set for Movie Night Scramble

With Autumn upon us, we have some special events coming, so mark your calendars. 19/4/2025 – First up is the Easter scramble and movie night organised by Mattias Samuelsson and his wonderful team at Ray White Real Estate on Easter Saturday...

Fran Peppernell

April 2025

Clubs & Community

Time to join your local Community Fire Unit

Jenny and Andrew Newland, an IT consultant and a geologist respectively, have long served the community in their efforts to be fire prepared. Now in their early 70s in retirement, they continue to enable local community action and knowledge with the...

Janice Creenaune

April 2025

Partner content

Celebrate Buddha’s Birthday with art, light and culture at Nan Tien Temple

Nan Tien Temple invites everyone to enjoy a spectacular four-day celebration of Buddha’s Birthday – a vibrant, multicultural festival blending art, mindfulness, and community spirit. From April 18 to 21, the temple will share inspiring program...

The Illawarra Flame

April 2025

Clubs & Community

Join Helensburgh Travel Group and see Australia

By trip organiser Helen Slade Helensburgh Travel Group started out as a small social group within the Helensburgh Workman’s Club in the late 1990s. They organised monthly day trips and annual holidays each year, and we still do today. Holiday...

The Illawarra Flame

April 2025

Clubs & Community

Enjoy better health (and making things) at Helensburgh Men’s Shed

By Bob Pymm of Helensburgh Men’s Shed With the Men’s Shed settling down in its new location at the end of Darkes Forest Road, we are beginning to get back into other activities. Built into our constitution is a commitment to enhance the health...

The Illawarra Flame

April 2025

Clubs & Community

Working wonders: The man with the golden trowel

Ian McKinlay is the city’s keeper of the Golden Trowel, honoured in December 2024 at Wollongong Council’s Environment Volunteers Awards. His prize tool saw action soon after, finding a rare species of flowering ground-cover on its first outing...

Genevieve Swart

April 2025

Partner content

Considering volunteering? NINA would love your help

We find out how NINA volunteer Maureen got involved in volunteering and what it has brought to her life. Please tell us a little about yourself? I’ve lived in Thirroul for 35 years and am in the process of moving interstate to be closer to family...

The Illawarra Flame

April 2025

Clubs & Community

Rise & Shine: Join the award-winning Dilys Hoser and her crew at CREG

Bellambi local Dilys Hoser received the Rise & Shine - Basil Ryan Award at the Wollongong Council Environment Volunteer awards, for her work as leader of Corrimal Rotary Environment Group (CREG). CREG carries out environmental clean ups every...

Tyneesha Williams

April 2025

History

Working in ‘Kleinville’

By Tamara Hynd, curator of Shellharbour City Museum Edwin Harold Klein was an eccentric to say the least. He had little education, made millions using unorthodox construction methods while working as a builder at Shellharbour, and purchased the...

The Illawarra Flame

March 2025

Clubs & Community

Ambos embrace CWA’s comfort teddies

By Marion Cook The Keiraville Branch of the Country Women’s Association (CWA) are always busy cooking and sewing and raising funds for the needy and creating things to help others less fortunate. One way that our branch likes to help is the...

The Illawarra Flame

March 2025

Clubs & Community

Where there’s a need, there’s a Lion

By Ken Magnus of Oak Flats Lions Club In 1917, in response to social problems created by World War 1 and rapid industrialisation, a businessman named Melvin Jones invited business clubs across the US to a meeting where the Association of Lions Clubs...

The Illawarra Flame

March 2025

Clubs & Community

CWA enjoys pottery class, shares Remote Opshop tip

By Jan Johnston of Stanwell Park CWA In February, one of our members hosted a wonderful day teaching us the art of pottery. After moulding the clay, we came up with a complete array of pottery ideas – all shapes, decorations and colours. While...

The Illawarra Flame

March 2025

Clubs & Community

Helensburgh Men’s Shed sets up in Darkes Forest

By Bob Pymm of Helensburgh Men’s Shed Helensburgh Men’s Shed now has a new home. Over the last few months, we have moved all our stuff from our old premises in Parkes Street to what can only be described as a ‘green fields’ site at the end...

The Illawarra Flame

March 2025

Clubs & Community

Toastmasters to compete at Woonona-Bulli RSL

By Toastmasters Area 03 Director Matthew Derbridge Toastmasters is a safe, welcoming place to develop communication and leadership skills. It is a not-for-profit organisation that provides opportunities for our members to grow and learn new skills...

Matthew Derbridge

March 2025

Clubs & Community

Reckless in Towradgi

Tony Ryan revives his love of local live music and discovers that yes, people do still collect playlists. After travelling to the four-day Mundi-Mundi Bush Bash music festival outside of Broken Hill last year, my taste for live music has been...

Tony Ryan

March 2025

Clubs & Community

1st Austinmer Scouts put their skills to the test at national Jamboree

By Greg Pearce of 1st Austinmer Scouts Five Scouts and one Leader from 1st Austinmer joined more than 10,000 other Scouts and Leaders from all over Australia in spending 12 days in January at the 26th Australian Scout Jamboree in Maryborough...

The Illawarra Flame

March 2025

Clubs & Community

Alchemy Chorus: Dementia-friendly choir sings for joy

The region’s only dementia-friendly choir, Alchemy Chorus South Coast is bringing great joy to local audiences, singers and carers. Christa Wood, whose partner Ray has dementia, founded the choir in Gerringong in 2022 after being approached by...

Lesley Roulston

March 2025

Clubs & Community

New beginnings and fond farewells at Helensburgh Public School

By Nina Sampson of Helensburgh Public School We are delighted to announce that Helensburgh Public School has recently welcomed 70 enthusiastic Kindergarten students who have joined three new classes. It’s been heartwarming to see our newest...

The Illawarra Flame

March 2025

Clubs & Community

Holy Cross primary school invites community to fete

The annual family fun day is back, writes Jenny Amadio. The Holy Cross School Fete is fast approaching and our school is looking forward to welcoming our wonderful community for a day of fun on Saturday, 15th March from 10am until 2pm. Your...

The Illawarra Flame

March 2025

Clubs & Community

Learn, Laugh, Live with Shellharbour City U3A

Shellharbour City U3A (University of the Third Age) is a local community group that promotes life-long learning in the ‘Third Age’, (the third age being retirement or semi-retirement.) In keeping with their motto ‘Learn, Laugh, Live’ the...

Lesley Roulston

March 2025

Clubs & Community

Tech savvy? Helensburgh Lions need your help with their website

We’re also seeking assistance with our webpage. If you’re a community-minded individual with skills in HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript, and can spare a bit of time for updates and admin tasks, we’d greatly appreciate your help. Please email at...

Fran Peppernell

March 2025