Thursday, 06 September 2018

Member for Davidson, Jonathan O’Dea has announced two football clubs within the electorate are to receive a substantial funding boost.

The funds come from a $4.1 million reinvestment into local NSW football clubs from the 2015 Asian Cup Legacy Fund.

Mr O’Dea said a second round of funding has resulted in both the Wakehurst and St Ives Football Clubs each receiving $150,000 to upgrade facilities for the benefit of the local community.

The St Ives Club will use the funds to convert the pitch at Warrimoo Oval from grass to a more durable all weather synthetic surface while the Wakehurst Club will commit the funds to a similar project, converting two of the four fields at Lionel Watts Oval to the more robust synthetic finish.

“It is fantastic to see that this major 2015 international sporting event is continuing to benefit grassroots sport by helping to boost local participation through these successful grants,” Mr O’Dea said.

Sports Minister Stuart Ayres said: “The second round of funding will see 19 projects worth more than $2.3 million go towards improving the quality and quantity of local club facilities across the state.”

NSW Football CEO Stuart Hodge said the collaborative effort of the NSW Government, Football NSW (FNSW) and Northern NSW Football (NNSWF) has enabled local clubs to benefit.

“Along with supporting participation, we will see flow-on effects such as these upgraded and new facilities creating stronger communities - whilst improving the overall experience for players, coaches and spectators,” Mr Hodge said.

“With more than 280,000 registered players now playing football in NSW, it is the financial support from initiatives such as this legacy fund that will ensure the future of Football continues to grow around the state,” he said.

For more information visit https://sport.nsw.gov.au/clubs/grants/asiancuplegacy