Evans Head Touch Football Association is set to expand its junior representative programs after securing $14,300 through the NSW Government’s Local Sport Grant Program.
State Nationals MP for Clarence, Richie Williamson, announced the funding, which will support the growth of junior touch football and strengthen representative pathways for young players across the Richmond Valley.
The grant will help the club purchase match and training footballs, two marquees, representative player kits, field flags and a stand — all aimed at supporting increased participation and development opportunities for junior athletes in Evans Head.
Mr Williamson said the funding would help the club continue its strong momentum following years of rebuilding.
“Evans Head Touch Football Association is a fantastic local sporting organisation driven by an incredibly passionate and dedicated committee who have worked tirelessly to rebuild and grow the club following COVID and the 2022 floods,” Mr Williamson said.
“This funding will help support the continued growth of junior touch football in Evans Head and create stronger representative pathways for local children and young people.”
He said regional families often faced barriers to participation, including travel costs and distance, making local development opportunities especially important.
“With many regional families facing barriers such as travel costs and distance, this project will help make representative sport more accessible for young players in our community.”
Mr Williamson also highlighted the broader benefits of grassroots sport.
“Providing safe, healthy and inclusive sporting opportunities for children and families has enormous benefits for the wider community,” he said.
“Local sporting clubs like Evans Head Touch Football create opportunities for young people to stay active, build confidence, develop teamwork skills and form lifelong friendships.”
Evans Head Touch Football Association secretary Jo Slade said the club was thrilled with the successful application.
“We are over the moon with the success in our grant application and this is definitely going to be well received by our junior members together with our senior Evans Head Touch Football Association members and families,” Ms Slade said.
“We have worked hard following COVID and then the 2022 floods to rebuild our club and this has been due to the tireless efforts of our passionate small committee.”
“Our junior rebuild has been long coming and it is so exciting for our committee to see the fantastic response and uptake from within our local Richmond Valley communities.”
Ms Slade said the club has ambitious plans to grow participation further and increase opportunities for young players who currently have to travel long distances for higher-level competition.
Mr Williamson congratulated the committee and volunteers on their successful application and thanked them for their contribution to grassroots sport in the region.
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