Marg and Matt Osborne retire as St Helens Athletics volunteers

Margaret and Matt Osborne announced their retirement from the club earlier in June.

"We're getting older, we just decided we needed to step away from some of our commitments," Marg said.

The couple moved to St Helens in the 1980s from Melbourne, and helped to establish the athletics grounds at the small coastal township.

Having been heavily involved with athletics previously before moving to the East Coast, Marg said it was only fitting the pair help out at St Helens.

"We were involved when the athletics ground was first built - Matt set out the actual athletic ground when it was first built," she said.

"He mowed the athletic track every week once it got established ... he mowed it up until some other people from Little Athletics took it over.

"When we were in Melbourne, we were always involved in Little Athletics so it was a natural progression to come here and get involved with it again, which we did.

"The [St Helens] athletic club was looking for people so Matt got on board and so did I, and we've been doing it this whole time."

Since getting involved, the Osbornes have played a crucial role in the club, particularly Little Athletics and the organising of the St Helens Carnival every January.

Both have had stints as club secretary, with Matt standing as its treasurer from the 90s up until his retirement this year.

"It is a special club, and it's a special part of the history of St Helens - it's been going for 65 years and I'm hoping it goes for a lot longer," Marg said.

The pair are adamant to continue to volunteer in a St Helens community that's dear to their hearts.

"I believe that communities like ours don't survive without volunteers," Marg said.

"You need people to do the sort of things that need doing like running Christmas parades, making sure kids have sport to play like netball, Little Athletics, football and soccer.

"All those sorts of things are all run by volunteers. I'm the president of the hospital auxiliary and we run the tip shop in St Marys and St Helens on volunteers and without them, they wouldn't run.

"Volunteers in communities, especially small communities, are very important I feel."

In a thank you post on Facebook, the St Helens Athletics Club congratulated the two for their three decades of service.

"We salute Matt and Marg's unwavering commitment to the St Helens Athletics Club throughout the years and we thank them for providing us with their time, hard work and outstanding personal performance and we wish them all the best as they take time to smell the roses and enjoy their much-deserved retirement," the post read.

While there are big shoes to fill, the club is in search of a new treasurer and volunteers willing to lend a hand.

Anyone interested in volunteering for the club can reach out by emailing lornellejohnson@gmail.com.

"If there's anyone out there looking to come to St Helens who'd like to offer their services, they'd be very welcome," Marg said.

Do you know someone who is contributing to Northern Tasmanian sport, whether through participating or assisting?

The Examiner's Junior Sports Awards, sponsored by Woolworths, provide acknowledgement of accomplishments by players, coaches, volunteers, teams and clubs across the region.

Nominations are open from Wednesday, April 14, and will close at midnight on October 4.

Entries must include a photograph of the entrant.