OUR TEAM
Meet Will
You may have already met Will at one of your previous “Santa Photos On The Beach” sessions on the beach at Shellharbour, although he was probably a little disguised… if you know what I mean. And if you’ve spent time around Shellharbour Surf Life Saving Club, you’ve almost definitely heard Will laughing out loud, that’s something he does a lot of!
Shellharbour’s “Santa Photos On The Beach” is an initiative that brings together the magic of Christmas and the relaxed, sun-soaked atmosphere of the beach, all while supporting a great cause. We sat down with Will to delve deeper into the story behind this community gem and to introduce you to the new team members who are helping to make this year’s event even more special.
Falling in Love with Shellharbour and Surf Life Saving
His passion for the ocean led him to volunteer at the Shellharbour Surf Life Saving Club in 2008 when his first son was just 5. Over the years, he’s taken on various roles, from Water Safety Coordinator to Junior Club Captain.
Mostly I like to be the guy that makes things fun & exciting,” he says. It’s fair to say that Will has made a significant positive impact through his volunteer work at the club.
One example of Will’s work is teaming up with Dana Richards and together they started Nippers Camp. Parents had commented that motivating their kids to attend Nippers wasn’t always easy, so Dana and Will initiated Nippers Camp.
The first weekend of the Nippers season starts an overnight camp at the club, we have fun, they all get to know each other and they become friends, then start nippers the next day.One year we had 100 Nippers attend, so now it’s split up into age groups and venues.
The brilliant thing it does is the rest of the Nippers season becomes a get-together with friends, then the kids hassle to go and do their training and hang out with their friends, winning!”
Falling in Love with Shellharbour and Surf Life Saving
Will had heard of some other clubs having some success with Santa photos, so he thought he’d try. After two years of trial and error, “Santa Photos On The Beach” was born and quickly gained traction. “Things really took off,” Will notes.
A Community Impact That Keeps Growing
This year, he’s set the goal to raise up to $5,000 for the club. It’s probably not so surprising to learn that Will has collected a few accolades along the way, including 3x South Coast Surf Lifesaving Volunteer of the Year and Shellharbour SLSC club person of the year.
Meet the New Team Members
“I’ve got a great person to help with some of the admin and business side of things, that’s Jo, and two great new photographers for the team, Dylan and Daniel, both very experienced, and relaxed people who will make shoots fun and easy for everyone.”
What Keeps Families Coming Back?
What’s the secret sauce that keeps families returning year after year? “It’s just so Aussie. This is Christmas for us, summer on the beach,” Will tells us. “The positive feedback regularly overwhelms me. Also, customers love that money goes back into a community institution like the club.”
Will has countless heartwarming stories to share. “From families that have returned year after year, families that hand-make matching outfits, the petting zoo! And to the person that asked for a re-schedule because her baby hadn’t been born yet. She (the baby) was 3 days old for her photo,” he reminisces.
What Keeps Families Coming Back?
We asked Will if there was one message he wanted to leave you with? He said
“Dive in, Santa Photos On The Beach are fun, not a chore.
I think we are all excited to see what this year’s “Santa Photos On The Beach” will bring, and we hope to see you there! 🎅🏖️🎄
Beachy Santa photos so easy and fun, you’ll swear it’s already Christmas!
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