The Facilities and Advocacy Unit in conjunction with Manly Warringah Football Association (MWFA) delivered the first clubs football facilities forum of 2018 at Cromer Park on Wednesday 31 January.
It was another successful night with 14 MWFA clubs, the MWFA Referees, Manly United FC represented with Northern Beaches Council, State MP James Griffin and Federal MP Jason Falinski also in attendance.
Facilities is the biggest issue confronting grassroots football clubs across NSW. Football faces real challenges at all levels of the game to access enough facilities of the right quality to play.
“Facilities not only enable growth in the game, they also enable broader community development” said Daniel Ristic, FNSW Manager – Government Relations, Funding and Infrastructure.
Football is the number 1 club based sport in Australia and NSW, however demand is exceeding the current number of facilities and leaving many kids behind.
The Clubs Football Facilities Forum is a fantastic opportunity for clubs to receive information not only on facilities but valuable tips on government relations and how to work collaboratively with all levels of government.
The MWFA Club Football Facilities Forum covered several topics including presentations from Northern Beaches Council on ‘How to engage with Local Council’. The football community is reliant on facilities that are largely owned by Local Councils, who own, maintain and develop sites. It is therefore crucial that clubs work closely with their respective council to ensure facilities are maintained and upgraded to a suitable level.
State Member for Manly, James Griffin presented to the clubs on ‘Engaging with your local State Member for Parliament’. Mr Griffin encouraged clubs to contact their local member and keep them updated on the club events and projects throughout the year.
Jas Virdee, FNSW Manager – Infrastructure, Planning and Strategy spoke to the attendees about the importance of facility and strategic planning. Building a case for why a club needs a facility will assist clubs greatly particularly when trying to source money through various grant programs.
The NSW Asian Cup 2015 Legacy Fund took centre stage with FNSW Manager – Government Relations, Funding and Infrastructure, Daniel Ristic wrapping the evening up by providing an in-depth look at the Fund. Clubs received key tips on applying for Round 2 of the Fund which closes on Friday 2nd March at 5pm. See link to apply, NSW Asian Cup Legacy Fund.
Overall the MWFA CEO, David Mason was ecstatic with the attendance from clubs in the Manly Warringah Football Association, “it’s definitely opened the eyes of our member clubs to better understand the process they need to follow from a planning and government relations perspective”.
Further Club Football Facilities forums will take place throughout 2018 with local football associations across the state.
