Wandin Football and Netball Club and Coldstream’s Heathergene Calisthenics have benefited from the State Government’s $40 million community sport package.
The Government’s Community Sport Sector Covid-19 Survival Package will see both clubs receive grants of $1000 to help them support players and volunteers.
Heathergene Calisthenics has been operating for 21 years as a not-for-profit club dedicated to the development of calisthenics, a unique Australian artistic sport. Calisthenics is a team-based sport that involves a combination of dance, singing, ballet, apparatus and gymnastics.
Wandin Football and Netball Club announced in May that they would not be participating in the AFL Outer East’s senior football and netball divisions prior to the league’s announcement that the season would be scrapped.
The club sighted the significant hurdles being the health and wellbeing of players and staff, a strain placed on volunteers as well as the lack of infrastructure at their home ground due to construction upgrades taking place to their pavilion throughout the season.
The $1 million Federal Government project will see new change rooms for male and female players as well as being fully compliant with Australian disability standards for accessibility.
The idea of the 2020 season being pushed back later into the year did not favour the club as their oval is set to be redeveloped in August.
With the recent significant increase in coronavirus cases in Melbourne, and active cases in many regional communities, Victorians have been hit hard by restrictions and sport and active recreation clubs and associations are no exception.
Victoria’s Chief Health Officer has determined that Melbourne and Mitchell Shire residents cannot participate in community sport competition, and in regional Victoria training must remain non-contact for adult competitions.
The Victorian Government said they will continue to work with the sport and recreation sector to explore recovery options and help clubs return to play when it is safe to do so.
Member for Eastern Victoria Harriet Shing said, “Heathergene Calisthenics and the Wandin Football Netball Club are an integral part of our community and this support will help them pay the bills and make an eventual return to play that little bit easier.”
