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Since the program\u2019s inception in 2008, the volunteer-run cr\u00e8che facility has run every Tuesday morning, offering affordable and flexible child minding. The program is designed to coincide with the existing social tennis program and coaching lessons offered at the club, enabling more than 180 mums to participate in tennis over the past 10 years.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The concept, which was the brainchild of volunteer Dianne Broome<\/strong>, aims to address the risks associated with the onset of post-natal depression, providing the opportunity to participate in physical activity, break from routine and engage in social connectedness, all while the children are cared for in a safe, enjoyable and affordable environment.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ms Broome, who is a registered midwife, says these outlets are essential for parents of young children who often fall prey to the traps of isolation.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAs a midwife, I was constantly seeing women who had little opportunity for physical activity and social engagement,\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSociety has changed so much. We now see a lot of families living away from their immediate support networks and as a result there\u2019s limited opportunity to break from the routines and demands of home,\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIsolation can be incredibly debilitating for parents and is a precursor for the onset of post-natal depression,\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThe number one barrier and contributing factor to the isolation, is a lack of options for childcare, so I set about creating a positive change with LAB,\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThe principal goal of LAB was to help prevent post-natal depression by helping women connect through physical activity and social engagement. I wanted to help Mum\u2019s realise that they weren\u2019t alone,\u201d Ms Broome said<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Charging just $10 a family for each visit, Ms Broome maintains that it\u2019s essential the program is made as affordable and as accessible as possible for parents with young children.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve only ever charged $10 per family and I\u2019ve got no intentions of raising the price. It\u2019s about getting mums out of the house and onto the courts, that\u2019s what\u2019s important,\u201d Ms Broome said.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Running the program for over 10 years, Ms Broome is quick to note that despite her efforts in bringing LAB to life, she couldn\u2019t have done it all alone. Well supported by good friend and fellow volunteer Linda Roberts<\/strong>, Dianne says the pair look forward to Tuesday mornings when the children turn up.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI started off with an idea which I spent time researching before I presented the concept to the Sorrento Tennis Club, City of Joondalup and my good friend Linda,\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThe tennis club were incredibly supportive of the idea, as were the City of Joondalup who made sure we had the financial backing required to bring the concept to life,\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve been so well supported, especially from my good friend Linda who has been with me since the beginning,\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWe love Tuesday mornings, Linda and I have an absolute ball,\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cTo see the Mum\u2019s faces as the rush through the doors is incredibly rewarding. It\u2019s just such a brilliant feeling and the driving force behind LAB,\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Over the past 10 years LAB has provided care for over 400 children<\/strong>, allowing more than 180 mums<\/strong> to engage in physical activity and social engagement. Yet the impact of LAB runs far deeper, with many mum\u2019s going on to build lifelong friendships and sign up as club committee members.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve cared for about 400 children over the years, giving more than 180 mums a much needed lifeline,\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cLAB has done so much more than getting mums out of the house and playing tennis. It\u2019s been the foundation of many lifelong friendships and support networks. The impact runs very deep,\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s incredible, these families, who first met on the tennis court, now socialise outside of tennis and go away on holidays together,\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAnd then there\u2019s kids that have been around tennis since they were wheeled in to us in prams. To see them out on the court is really something else,\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Cathy Fitzgerald<\/strong>, who first came to LAB when her daughter was just four months old, says the program was a lifeline for her with her support network of family and friends in New Zealand and Victoria.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cLiving away from family and friends can be really tough, it\u2019s makes it incredibly difficult to get out of the house and do things for yourself,\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not sure Dianne and Linda truly appreciate the positive impact they have had on so many lives, mine included\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThey are the most gentle and wonderful women who truly go above and beyond in every regard,\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019ve become a very special part of our family. My girls who are now five and ten call them \u201cAunty Dianne and Aunty Linda\u201d, it\u2019s so lovely to see,\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAnd because of LAB, I\u2019m now a passionate and committed committee member who enjoys giving back to the club,\u201d said Ms Fitzgerald<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Davina Menezes<\/strong> agrees saying that Dianne and Linda are both vicarious and loving women who are naturally welcoming and supportive of everyone who takes part in LAB.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll never forget how lovely Dianne and Linda were when I first turned up to the club. A week before, I\u2019d had an accident in the kitchen and my face was covered in superficial burns,\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI was so depressed and couldn’t bring myself to go out in public but I dragged myself into the club and they both handled it with such warmth and care,\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cLAB makes Tuesday morning a little more bearable with an energetic three year old,\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSometimes I even just read and have a cuppa with the ladies instead of playing tennis. Anything to grab a quiet moment knowing that my son is being well cared for by Dianne and Linda,\u201d Ms Menezes said.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ms Broome, who grew up in outback North Queensland has been involved in tennis all her life. First as a youngster who participated informally whilst her Mum played at the local club and then as a young mother herself who saw tennis as a great opportunity to get out and socialise.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n A member of the Sorrento Tennis Club for some 34 years, Dianne was awarded life membership in 2017 in recognition of her ongoing commitment to the club. Alongside her dedication to LAB, Dianne has held the following roles:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u2022 Junior Coordinator \u2013 1999 \u2013 2002 <\/p>\n When questioned about what it takes to be a volunteer, Dianne challenges us all to commit whole heartedly to volunteering without any expectation of reward. Claiming quite simply that we should all \u2018dare to do something without reward\u2019.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Program details:<\/strong><\/p>\n What: Life After Birth (LAB) <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Download Dianne’s #ACEgirl poster here<\/a><\/p>\n Life member and volunteer extraordinaire, Dianne Broome, has spent over 10 years coordinating the ‘Life After Birth’ (LAB) program at Sorrento Tennis Club. The positive impact of this program is quite simply, beyond measure. Since the program\u2019s inception in 2008, the volunteer-run cr\u00e8che facility has run every Tuesday morning, offering affordable and flexible […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6203,"featured_media":14324,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14233","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tennis.com.au\/wa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14233","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tennis.com.au\/wa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tennis.com.au\/wa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tennis.com.au\/wa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6203"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tennis.com.au\/wa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14233"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.tennis.com.au\/wa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14233\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tennis.com.au\/wa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14324"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tennis.com.au\/wa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14233"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tennis.com.au\/wa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14233"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tennis.com.au\/wa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14233"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n\u2022 Ladies Captain \u2013 2004 \u2013 2008
\n\u2022 Club President \u2013 2008\/2009<\/p>\n
\nWhere: Sorrento Tennis Club
\nWhen: Every Tuesday during school terms
\n9 am \u2013 12 noon
\nContact: (08) 9448 6591
\nhttps:\/\/sorrentotennisclub.com.au\/<\/a><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.tennis.com.au\/wa\/files\/2019\/05\/dianne.png\")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.tennis.com.au\/wa\/files\/2019\/05\/dianne-1.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"