National Volunteer Award Profile - Katrina Wallace
Our final award winner from the first round of Bowls Scotland National Volunteer Awards is Katrina Wallace from Dunning Bowling Club.
Katrina or ‘Treenie’ as her fellow club members know her has served as President over the last four years and overseen numerous changes to modernise her beloved club. She’s well renowned for lending her hand to anything that the club needs assistance with whether it be calling the bingo or doing stock runs for the bar.
Laura White is a fellow member and friend of Katrina’s and sees her unselfish nature firsthand, she said: “Treenie has always been supportive of the club and volunteered over time as either social conveyor or helped on the bar. She’s also the Match Secretary and between us we’re Covid Officers and Secretary.
“She has even represented our club several times at Ayr over the years too. She’s always happy to help people where she can and always has the future of the club in mind with important decisions including how we can progress forward and move with the times.”
The even more impressive thing about the generosity and time that Katrina dedicates to the club is she still works full-time as a primary school teacher! Bowling clubs rely heavily on unpaid volunteers to thrive and operate successfully, and Dunning BC is certainly lucky to have Katrina leading the way. Speaking on Katrina’s can-do attitude, Laura said: “She works full time but still manages to co-ordinate club activities and engage with members and the committee. She has ensured everyone was kept informed during lockdown and also had great ideas on how to focus on getting back to the green as soon as we could.
“Treenie has very much brought the club into the 21st Century and is a cornerstone of its success over the last four years. Our positions are voluntary and to have someone who works full time, still be able to engage how she has done in her own time has been refreshing.
“The club wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for the volunteers. People who donate their precious free time to help pro bono are what keeps us going. We are lucky to have so many volunteers who step in to help where they can.”
Whilst much of Katrina’s work throughout the pandemic focused on how to safely get members returning to the green and enjoying playing bowls again, she has also transformed Dunning BC from an off-the-green perspective. The club is now a well-respected hub for the local community where people can socialise and re-connect after a challenging couple of years for everyone. Laura added: “Treenie has always kept things progressive and moving along before Covid but even more so during the unprecedented times. She’s kept members informed of what’s going on at the club, been in touch with various other local clubs and made sure everyone was safe and secure during Covid so that they can enjoy their bowls when things allowed.
“Not only bowls but we now have a thriving off season with a pool league and darts league as well as a long-standing bingo session on a Saturday. She’s been pivotal in our recent regeneration of the patio and other important upgrades we have undertaken.”
More recently, Katrina was nominated for Scottish Women in Sports’ Volunteer of the Year Award and attended the awards ceremony at the Grand Central Hotel in Glasgow as she had been shortlisted in the final three. Unfortunately, Sophie Allan from Athletics won the award, but this was still an excellent achievement for Katrina’s countless hours of volunteering to be recognised at a national level.
Very proud and humbled by her recent successes, Katrina commented: “I was delighted to have won my Bowls Scotland National Volunteer Award and very proud to represent bowls as a finalist at the Scottish Women in Sport Awards. I would like to thank Laura for the recognition and taking time to nominate me and the continual support I receive from her, our committee and our members at Dunning BC.”
Congratulations to Katrina on behalf of everyone at Bowls Scotland for receiving her thoroughly deserved National Volunteer Award!
Applications for our next round of nominations close on Tuesday 1st March 2022. For more information or to nominate someone, please visit: https://www.bowlsscotland.com/club-development/volunteering