Sports grants extended as return to play nears

Sport and recreation clubs, associations and leagues in Victoria now have extra time to apply for a Covid-19 survival grant.

The Community Sport Sector Covid-19 Survival Package sees $1000 grants available for clubs and up to $15,000 for associations and leagues that have been impacted by the pandemic.

A 12 day extension of the cut-off for grant applications meant clubs now have until 11.59pm on 30 June to apply.

Community sport Minister Ros Spence said the grants were helping clubs ensure they could remain operational and ready to return to play as coronavirus restrictions were gradually eased.

“We’re helping clubs to keep their heads above water and prepare so that their members are ready to get back playing the sport they love when it is safe to do so,” Ms Spence said.

“I know that club members will be cheering every player, every umpire, every coach and every volunteer as they return to competition and with these grants we’re trying to make that transition a little bit easier.”

As of 19 June, 2,077 club grants for $1,000 were paid across Victoria, and a further 2,152 were being processed.

Since the start of the coronavirus shutdown, the community sport and active recreation sector had suffered significant revenue losses.

Juniors returned to full-contact training and competition from 22 June while adults would return to full-contact training on 13 July, ahead of a competition start date of 20 July.

The grants are part of the Government’s $40 million Community Sport Sector Covid-19 Survival Package which is helping state sporting associations, regional sports assemblies and academies, state sport and recreational bodies, associations and leagues, and clubs in these challenging times.

The State Government is also investing $68 million in shovel-ready community sport and active recreation infrastructure projects across the state, to stimulate jobs and economic activity and deliver new projects to local communities.

For more information on the sports grants, visit sport.vic.gov.au/grants-and-funding/our-grants/community-sport-sector-coronavirus-covid-19-short-term-survival-package.