Ms Elvy has been the President of IDNA since 2010 and involved with the District for more than 50 years.

Dianne began playing netball at age 11 and has spent the majority of her adult life volunteering for the netball district to spread a love of the sport among generations upon generations of children and adults throughout the Illawarra.

Mr Scully said that Dianne’s name had been suggested to him a number of times as a worthy recipient for her decades of work to foster and grow the netball community in the Illawarra.

“We all know someone who loves playing netball and loves the sense of community that the sport gives them – that is due to the hard work of Dianne and others in the association.

“The sense of teamwork and friendships built by playing sport helps to grow confidence in everyone, but particularly in an environment like the one Dianne has fostered in netball. The confidence that this camaraderie brings to young women helps them to succeed and flourish in all other aspects of their lives”, Mr Scully said.

During her time as President, Dianne has organised five NSW State Carnivals hosted by the Illawarra District at its home in Berkeley. These carnivals amass over 5000 players and up to 8-10,000 people are involved.

“The work that goes into hosting these Carnivals is immense. To have organised five of them is incredible. They create opportunities for netball players in the Illawarra, as well as the additional support for local businesses given the number of people they bring to the region”, Mr Scully said.

“Dianne is working hard at the moment to make sure that the IDNA courts at Fred Finch Park at Berkeley get the upgrade they need, so that the Illawarra can host these State Carnivals in the future.

“The life-long dedication which Dianne has shown to netball and to our community is nothing short of astounding”, said Mr Scully.

The Wollongong Electorate Woman of the Year award is presented each year to a woman who has made a great achievement or provided a great service to the community as part of International Women’s Day celebrations. Previous recipients have included Illawarra Women in Business Director, Glenda Papac, cancer care advocate Nesrin Salem, and community campaigner Rebecca Lachlan.