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Grants and awards Sport and Recreation | June 28, 2018

VicHealth grants boost female participation 2017-18

The Nationals Member for Lowan, Emma Kealy MP has congratulated five regional sporting clubs who have received funding under Round 2 of the VicHealth Active Club Grants Program 2017-18.

“One of the key focuses of this latest round of funding is getting more women and girls to take part in sport, something I actively support and encourage”, Ms Kealy said.

Research shows that female participation in sport is still lower than male involvement and women and girls can find it hard to reach the recommended 2.5 hours of moderate physical activity each week.

This is for a number of reasons including a lack of suitable opportunities and difficulty prioritising physical activity over other commitments like family, education and work.

The following clubs will use their grants to boost female participation rates by entry into new competitions and conducting new programs and clinics:

• Hamilton Rowing Club is creating Lets Go Rowing Girls which is a ‘drop in’ program suitable for all ages and abilities to participate in rowing ($2,970)
• Horsham Calisthenics College is introducing a range of non-competitive opportunities for girls and women to join calisthenics ($1,720)

 Grants were also received by the Minyip and Rupanyup Golf Clubs who will both introduce Golf Australia’s My Golf program ($3,000 per club); and the Hamilton and District Gymnastics Club which will expand its programs to provide more opportunities for people of all ages and abilities to join the gymnastic club ($2,570).

“It is important we continue to open up avenues for more people to get involved in sport and I congratulate and offer my full support to all these clubs for their initiatives to achieve this,” Ms Kealy said.