Kate Wood-Foye - Business Illuminate

Illuminate

tKATE WOOD-FOYE

THE GUTS, GRIT AND GROUNDWORK OF REMARKABLE REGIONAL ENTREPRENEURS, INNOVATORS, LEADERS AND GAME CHANGERS.

LAURA NOBLE

Laura Noble is a passionate powerhouse with a focus on family, football and the future of her community. As the fi rst female president in the history of the Port Saints Football Club, she was awarded 2020 Club Person of the Year and elected as the fi rst female board member for Football Mid North Coast in over a decade. Laura leads the way with an incredible group of like-minded soccer enthusiasts and volunteers. Together they are pushing to increase diversity, advocacy, and inclusion in the sport for all players – particularly participation for women. Her dedication and vision for the sport has meant that boys, girls, men and women at all levels, ages and abilities can experience the on and off fi eld opportunities and connection only football can bring. Renowned for her next-level ninja style organisation skills and drive, Laura is changing the face and the playing fi eld for football on the coast. Congrats Laura on your election to

the Football Mid North Coast (FMNC) Board of Directors. What do you hope to achieve in your three-year term?

Thank you! I’m honoured to have this amazing role. I hope to combine both strategic thinking and skills in business management with my passion for the game. To continuously improve and further promote the importance of developing the football landscape in our region, I will be focussing on creating a valuesdriven leadership team. It is critical to support coaches, players, parents, carers and volunteers to fl ourish and contribute positively to our football community.

My role with youth focussed charity Mid Coast Connect has also been the driving force behind my goals in football – we’re all about providing opportunities for local young people – and at the heart of everything I want to achieve with FMNC is opportunities, opportunities, opportunities. Showcasing our beautiful region, its amazingly talented players and increasing female voices at higher governance levels are all opportunities I want to help create! It’s important to raise the profi le of our beautiful region; its talent and the endless sports tourism possibilities to the rest of NSW.

The board have been very welcoming and supportive of my ideas and input. It’s been great to get settled in and assess where things are at, to really understand FMNC’s values and goals and how they align with my own. It’s been a great experience so far and I can’t wait to get to work!

You are passionate about participation for all players and have a particular focus on female participation in the sport – why is this so important?

Over the last few years female player participation has been rising across the FMNC zone and at Port Saints, with 25% of players being female. This is due to providing as many opportunities as possible. Our zone offers girls-only and mixed comps at a club level, as well as at a high-performance level. I want to increase opportunities for female participants to take on leadership roles, including game leaders, referees, coaches and committee/board members. For women and girls to feel included, grow and be successful in football as it currently exists, a shift in the way we think and lead is needed. I want to be a driver for that new leadership. I’m also a member of Women Onside, which focuses on policy development and advocacy, professional development and networking to achieve their vision of women in football, everywhere.

Port Saints FC has been going from strength to strength under your leadership. How important is collaboration in your leadership strategy?

Collaboration is critical. 2021 has seen our club recover to pre-pandemic numbers and surpass 2019 by 70 players'. With 527 registered in 2021, we are now the second largest club in our zone. This could not have been achieved without the professional, passionate and dedicated volunteers I work with at the club. Over the

last fi ve years, I have really focussed on ensuring an inclusive and enjoyable experience, helping to create a real football family which I’m incredibly proud of.

We have seen a rise in player numbers, retention, member engagement and sponsorship. I worked closely with past president Greg Bell to develop a community coaching program to increase participation in both a non-competitive and competitive environment where children can learn fundamental skills in a fun and safe environment from qualifi ed and professional coaches.

How do you achieve balance across your voluntary roles in the sport and community, work, family and study?

Yes, things are busy! Volunteering for Port Saints FC, Mid Coast FC, FMNC and The Rabbit Sanctuary is teamed with working full time at Mid Coast Connect. I am also studying towards a Graduate Certifi cate in Community Leadership and Resilience with Charles Sturt University. Linking my experience with study has been invaluable to my fi rst year as director and president. Balancing work, study and volunteering can be a challenge; thankfully my husband and son are really supportive. They understand how equally important all of those things are to me and they get involved where they can. We’re our own little team. I can already see it rubbing off on both! 2022 will be my husband Damian’s second year of coaching a representative team and our son Hunter loves being a player, game leader and ball kid for the club. Trying to do it all just seems to run in the family!

As non-player, what make you so passionate about football and drives you to do what you do?

I started as a soccer mum, organising carpool and cutting oranges for half time. But that quickly developed into more. After seeing how much work goes into every Saturday morning by volunteers I knew I had to do more.

I have especially seen, since starting my football journey, that football has the potential to provide an opportunity for everyone regardless of race, gender, age, ability or socioeconomic background, to unite and build connections – on and off the fi eld! Building that connection for my community is what drives me. Seeing players, teams and families come together every week and develop lifelong skills and friendships is incredibly rewarding.

Who is your mentor?

In football, I have to credit past president Greg Bell. He is a strong advocate for the sport and what he believes in. He pushes me to step out of my comfort zone and step up to help. His dedication to the club, the game and the wider football community has been an inspiration.

What is the hardest lesson you have learned in your leadership journey?

I can’t be a people pleaser and a leader all at once. People look to their leaders to make the tough calls and those don’t always make everyone happy. I like to think that I balance out my decisiveness and ambitions by developing strong relationships through communication and empathy. Honouring these relationships by providing individuals with time, support, and guidance is critical to maintaining good leadership.

Biggest challenge you face?

Developing my voice within the community to help lead initiatives for improved resourcing for women in football, including referees, coaches, players and administrators.

Biggest risk you have taken?

Putting my hand up and saying “I’ll do it” when I became secretary of Port Saints. I had committee experience but nothing like what I was walking into. But I stepped forward, gave it my best and learnt everything I could about the game and how to run it. I’m naturally an introverted person so I feel like every day I put myself out there in the public eye is a bit of a risk. But everything I have accomplished, big and small, in football so far has been a reward worthy of the risk.

Happy Holidays

From Leslie Williams, Member for Port Macquarie , Member for Port Macquarie

The NSW Government’s Economic Recovery Strategy includes:

2 x $25 Dine & Discover Vouchers

Expansion of the voucher program for all NSW adults. Existing customers will not need to reapply toreceive the additional vouchers*

5 x $50 NSW Thank You Parent vouchers

To each household of school aged children in2021**

1 x $50 Stay & Rediscover voucher

To all adults to use towards the cost of accommodation bookings across NSW*

$100 ‘First Lap’ Learn to swim vouchers

For pre-school aged and kindergarten children*

*Available from 1st December 2021 **Available from 1st March 2022 through Service NSW

If you would like to be kept updated on available vouchers and grants, please contact my office on 6584 0977.

My staff and I would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a relaxing New Year. very Merry Christmas and a relaxing New Year.

There is no better time to explore our own backyard and support our local businesses than during the summer holidays. Remember, stay COVID safe. The Port Macquarie Electorate Office in Grant Street will be closed from 12pm on Friday 24th December and will reopen at 9am on Monday 10th January 2022.

t L e

portmacquarie@parliament.nsw.gov.au www.lesliewilliams.com.au PO Box 2022, Port Macquarie 2444 02 6584 0977 02 6584 0978

Authorised by Leslie Williams. Funded using Parliamentary entitlements.

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