After growing up on the Northern Beaches, falling in love, raising a family, and then working locally, Mel and Nathan Wellings decided to give back to their community in the form of a 24-hour row!
The Wellings are a family of five, plus their family dog, who have set up their home in Avalon and Mel says they will ‘never leave’.
“We love our Avalon community,” Mel tells Peninsula Living.
Mel works as a vet nurse at Northside Vet Specialists in Terrey Hills, and Nathan is an electrician in Brookvale.
Passionate about giving back to their community, Mel tells Peninsula Living she had the idea for a 24-hour row after a valued member of Avalon Surf Life Saving Club tragically committed suicide.
“Their death affected many club members, as well as the Avalon community, and this death was one of too many young teenage deaths on the Northern Beaches,” Mel said.
The 24-Hour-Row is exactly what it says on the tin, members of the community rowing together for a full day for a great cause.
“With Nath being a sweep at Avalon Beach Surf Club, I suggested the idea of the event to him, as we saw an opportunity to get the boat rowers together to row for a full 24 hours to raise funds for a local Mental Health organisation,” Mel says.
“We wanted to see the funds raised by the event be put back into the local community and hopefully make a difference.”
Mel and Nathan receiving recognition from Rob Stokes for their outstanding contribution to the Pittwater community in establishing the 24-Hour Row.
The first 24-Hour Row took place in 2018 and included the Avalon Beach boat rowers. Locals donated food platters to feed the rowers and local osteopaths donated their time to massage the tired rowers.
In their first year, Mel and Nathan managed to raise an impressive $28,000 and, with the help of the community, they have successfully raised a total of almost $700,000 in the last five years for local charity Gotcha4Life.
“The local community has been incredibly supportive through all five years, donating funds and cheering on our rowers through their hour rowing stint,” Nathan says.
“Members of the community have also been recipients of the incredible programs that Gotcha4Life funds. We will be hosting more programs at Avalon Beach SLSC this year and would love for more community members to attend.”
Gotcha4Life is a Northern Beaches charity working on mental fitness and Mel says they chose the organisation because they wanted their community to directly benefit from the funds raised.
Mel and Nathan Wellings with Gotcha4Life founder Gus Worland and local MP Dr Sophie Scamps.
“It is the perfect charity, as it has grown to be a national organisation, just like our event has grown over the five years. Gotcha4Life is an organisation supporting all age groups, male and female. There’s a program for everyone,” says Mel.
Mel and Nathan tell Peninsula Living they love how the event brings people together.
“This event is about connection and community, and we are both so proud of what we have achieved with this event. We can only hope that every [surf] club in Australia will participate and raise these much-needed mental health funds.”
By Jess Clarke