NOW OPEN: ‘You won’t believe you’re in Grafton’

Largest facility of its kind outside Sydney metropolitan area opens its doors in the Clarence Valley.

PCYC Grafton manager Tyson Donohoe provided an extensive tour of the $6.5 million facility ahead of its official opening on Monday, 24th August, 2020. Photo Bill North / The Daily Examiner

BOXING and gymnastics classes were among the range of activities taking place when PCYC Grafton opened its doors today.

Those privileged to have a tour of the $6.5 million facility on the site of the former Grafton Sports Centre have been impressed.

“You won’t believe you’re in Grafton,” former Grafton Vikings veteran basketball player Bryan Robins said.

“It’s what you’d expect to see in Wagga or Dubbo or Tamworth, a big regional centre.”

Grafton is the 65th PCYC club in the state and largest outside the Sydney metropolitan area.

“Our main goal is to produce that safe environment families can trust,” PCYC Grafton manager Tyson Donohoe said.

“We have a police presence in our club at least four days a week. That alone is a good deterrent for anyone who shouldn’t be around kids in general.

“They’re not here to be security guards, they’re here to engage.”

While the primary purpose of PCYC clubs is to provide a safe space for youth to participate in healthy activities, Mr Donohoe insists it is available for the whole community to benefit.

“This is the Clarence Valley’s PCYC,” he said. “We’re making this as inclusive as possible for everyone.”

Grafton Basketball Association Inc and North Coast Futsal are among the sports set to resume activities on the revamped courts, while the centre also includes a gymnastics floor, a general purpose gym and a high performance gym which includes boxing.

“There’s no reason anymore for anyone to say there’s not a good gym, no sports courts, no gymnastics in Grafton,” Mr Donohoe said.

“Now we can facilitate training programs for an elite level and stop sending our kids four or five hours up or down the road to get it.”

Even the changerooms are a step up for the Clarence Valley.

“The mirrored change rooms have five toilets, four basins, a seated changeroom area and three showers.

“These are facilities that haven’t existed in the Clarence Valley. I’ve played in many a facility up and down the east coast, and only in the metros have I seen facilities like this.”

Annual PCYC Grafton membership is $25 for Seniors and $10 for Juniors. Access to the gym is $5 for the first month and then $9.95 per week, while the high performance and fitness package is $17.95 per week.

Find more details at www.pcycnsw.org.au/grafton

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