Collingwood Park Power footy mum close to Volunteer of the Year award

Footy’s Volunteer of the Year contender: A bashful Queenslander is close to winning a national award for her heartfelt efforts in helping children from all backgrounds play footy.

Cristelle Mulvogue, right, umpires juniors at the Gabba.

An Ipswich woman has won a prestigious national award for all her volunteer work at her local footy club – including ensuring all children can play Australian football regardless of their financial situation or ability.

Cristelle Mulvogue, also known as CJ, is a Collingwood Park Power AFC member who is one of four contenders for the Volunteer of the Year, Australian Institute of Sport High Performance Awards.

Mulvogue’s passion is driven by a desire to watch children develop in sport and as people, which includes making sure any children who wants to start in the Auskick program has the chance to do so.

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Mulvogue, the junior vice-president, does everything from run water, umpire, pen grant applications and organise the indigenous round.

But as the Powers’ Auskick coordinator, Mulvogue has overseen the program grow from eight participants in 2021 to around 70 both boys and girls. Auskick is a footy starter program for children aged five to seven and centres around drills, skills and fun games.

Cristelle Mulvogue, middle, with some of the club's Auskick kids.

No child wanted to be involved in Auskick is left on the sidelines by Mulvogue or the Power club.

If that means the club, or even Mulvogue herself, paying the fees to enable children from a financially disadvantaged background to play, then that is what happens.

Children can then stay in the program all the way up until its under-12 age limit.

Look of satisfaction from Cristelle Mulvogue as a child proudly displays a handwritten card.

Mulvogue has been a volunteer at the club since 2017 when one of her two sons decided he wanted to join the club.

“I was asked to do some things, and gradually started doing more and more things and here we are today,’’ Mulvogue said.

She described Collingwood Park Power as a “nice family club.’’

“I have made great friends, and I get joy out of watching kids grow and develop,’’ Mulvogue said.

Mulvogue is not only a footy mentor for the children, but also a “safe person for them, someone they can trust’’ to discuss anything from school milestones they are proud of to personal problems they may be having.

Cristelle Mulvogue with Darcy Wilmott and Luke Lloyd, who attended the club.

“It is lovely to see them grow as people,’’ Mulvogue said.

“That keeps me coming back. I love celebrating successes with them and I have a lot of good friends at the club. I is a family.’’