Community Cleaners member Alison Blair said the group needs 32 teams to fill a pickleball fundraiser scheduled for September 20, but only 10 have registered so far.

Speaking to the Northcliff Melville Times on September 12, Blair said, “We are hoping that we can, in this last week, often people leave things to the last minute.”

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The fundraiser comes at a time when Community Cleaners is increasingly taking responsibility for maintaining local parks in Northcliff, Fairland and Berario. Volunteers mow grass, collect litter and carry out clean-ups, often on weekends.

Funding local park care

Keeping that work going requires funds to maintain lawnmowers, strimmers and chainsaws, buy fuel, and employ workers to assist with heavier tasks.

Blair said most volunteers are older and need extra muscle behind the equipment, adding that as a non-profit organisation, the work must stop without financial support.

Pickleball was chosen for the fundraiser because it offers an accessible way for people to get involved, whether they are experienced players or simply looking for a social day out.

Blair said she particularly enjoys the sport because it can be as competitive or as social as participants want it to be.

That spirit fits the purpose of the fundraiser: getting people who may not normally participate in weekend clean-ups to come out, meet the people behind Community Cleaners and become part of the wider effort to care for their neighbourhood.

Also read: Clean-up shines light on Westdene Recreation Centre’s infrastructure issues

The organisation is also looking to encourage more young people to volunteer. Blair said community clean-ups can provide young residents with community service hours and certificates that can support university applications, while allowing them to make a tangible difference close to home.

For Community Cleaners, however, the bigger goal is building a culture in which residents recognise that keeping public spaces clean is a shared responsibility.

The pickleball fundraiser is therefore about more than sport.

It is an invitation to the community to show up – on the court, in the parks and for the people working to keep them clean.

With 22 teams still needed, organisers are hoping residents will answer the call and help turn a Sunday sporting event into practical support for the community.
Residents can support the initiative by entering a team for the event on September 20.

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