Successful Community TAB Sports Grant Program goes from strength to strength
27 December, 2018
To further support local sport in regional and metropolitan communities in WA Community TAB plans to start awarding more clubs a grant each month.
In the last 12 month since launching the Sports Grants Program Community TAB of Racing and Wagering WA (RWWA) has provided $80,000 worth of grants to 22 sporting clubs throughout regional and metropolitan WA.
Community TAB General Manager Matthew Thomas said the response to the program has been enormous.
“Since launching this program it’s clear to see the need for extra support for our grassroots clubs in WA,” Mr Thomas said.
“We have appreciated getting to know the people and the communities behind the clubs who have been receiving the grants, this has increased our understanding of the amount of time and resources it takes to keep a club running within a community.
“We had planned to provide one grant each month, however due to the flood of applications to meet the needs of communities we increased our quota to award two sporting each month and will potentially be providing even more going forward.”
There have been 11 regional and 11 metropolitan clubs who have received grants and these have ranged from all areas including Kardinya, Northam, Tom Price, Bunbury, Gosnells, Wembley, Ravensthorpe and South Fremantle, and have covered many sports such as Horseriding, Baseball, Football, Rugby, Gymnastics and Athletics.
Kardinya Lakes Cricket Club President Steve Burgess said the grant has made a huge difference to a small sporting club that struggles for funding.
“The Community TAB Sports Grant enabled our community club to support our Integrated Cricket program through providing equipment and infrastructure requirements that benefit the club into the future,” Mr Burgess said.
Port Hedland Rovers Football Club Vice President Robert O’Driscoll said the Community TAB Sports Grant helped Rovers Football Club foster its relationships in the wider community.
“By helping contribute to the coaching clinics that Rovers run at Yandeyarra Community, 150km south of Port Hedland, we were able to donate footy jumpers, boots, shirts and shorts to the young footballers in the community,” Mr O’Driscoll said.
“Since these clinics were run, a number of young footballers have gone onto play footy for Rovers, providing these young men with pathways into regular competition football that are not commonly found in remote indigenous communities in the Pilbara.”
Swan Districts Female Football Club Manager Kara Donnellan said the Female Football Program is very grateful and thankful for the grant received from Community TAB.
“We were able to put the money towards the club’s first ever set of NAIDOC jumpers to wear for our inaugural double header NAIDOC Round match with our WAFL men’s side, and we were also able to purchase brand new footballs and equipment for our program,” Ms Donnellan said.
The grants program encourages metropolitan and regional sports clubs in WA to apply for grants of up to $4000 to support their club.
Once a club applies for a grant the application will stay within the pool until the grant is awarded.
Sporting clubs can apply for a grant at communitytab.com.au. Terms and Conditions apply.