Heidi Vanderlem.

Cranebrook mother of three Heidi Vanderlem has been named the Volunteer of the Year at the 2025/26 NSW Community Cricket Awards.

Vanderlem was bestowed the prestigious honour after she was nominated for her tireless work with the Emu Plains Cricket Club and Nepean District Cricket Association.

“I was shocked when they called me! Things like this don’t usually happen to me,” Vanderlem told the Weekender.

“I actually found out last year, but I wasn’t able to say anything to anyone. I had to keep it under wraps. I knew I had been nominated but that’s all I knew. It’s all anonymous, so I have no idea who even nominated me.”

As a result of winning Cricket NSW’s Volunteer of the Year award, Vanderlem has now been nominated for the Cricket Australia Volunteer of the Year Award, which will be handed out during National Volunteer Week in May.

“Cricket NSW put me forward off the back of winning their award. This whole thing I can’t even put into words,” she said.

Vanderlem first got involved in volunteering after her kids began playing cricket.

She started out as a Team Manger – helping the coach with the young players – before putting her hand up to be the Junior Secretary at Emu Plains.

“I’ve been looking after the junior teams ever since,” Vanderlem said.

“I also had a stint as the over-arching Junior Secretary for the entire Nepean District Cricket Association, but this season I’m just part of the Committee.”

Vanderlem’s enthusiasm for all aspects of cricket was amplified further when her daughter Leah began playing the sport. A talented young cricketer with the world at her feet, the left-arm fast bowler began feeling uncomfortable at games, according to her mum.

“All of this became more of a passion piece due to my daughter because I went to her games and watched the reaction she was getting from some of the boys about her being a female playing cricket,” Vanderlem said.

“I said, ‘we need to start educating others because this doesn’t have a place in our sport in this day and age’.

“Leah is a good little cricketer, and I didn’t want someone with so much natural talent to be bullied out of playing something she is so passionate about.”

Vanderlem took her activism straight to the top and was one of 40 people selected nationally to be part of Cricket Australia’s Project Inspire, which was created to equip women with the tools, confidence and support to deliver projects that grow the game for women and girls in their community.

“We were trained by former Australian women’s cricket captain Belinda Clark,” she said.

“I’m now building a traineeship program for women who want to take on leadership roles in committees or associations who may not have the skills from their professional lives. I want to empower these people to get them ready.”

Vanderlem hopes to see more people like her get involved at their local sporting club because they too can make a difference in the lives of many.

“Emu Plains have been a great club to be a part of,” she said.

“It’s a really good club and I don’t think they get enough credit out there for what they do.

“I want more and more people to put their hand up to be a volunteer because it’s rewarding and a lot of fun.”

Nathan Taylor

Nathan Taylor is the Weekender’s Deputy Editor and Senior Sports Writer. He also compiles the weekly Chatter on the Box TV column. Nathan is an award-winning journalist, who has worked at the Weekender for a decade.