Lord mayoral candidate Arron Wood pledges $500,000 boost for inner city sports clubs
Local sports activities have been put on hold during shutdowns, with concerns about the effect on community health. A lord mayoral candidate wants to help clubs come back.
Victoria
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Local sporting clubs in the inner city will get a $500,000 boost to be COVID-safe under a lord mayoral candidate’s election policy.
Deputy Lord Mayor Arron Wood has also pledged to upgrade more sporting pavilions in the City of Melbourne.
Mr Wood said calls to Beyond Blue’s Victorian support line had risen by 77 per cent recently, and there had been a spike in youth and child presentations to community health services.
“Sport, exercise and mental health are intrinsically linked,” he said.
“Regular exercise reduces stress, depression and anxiety, and assists recovery from mental health issues, and community connection is equally integral.”
“Promoting sport and community connection will be key to our society’s recovery from COVID-19 restrictions.”
If elected at the October 24 council poll, Team Arron Wood will create a $500,000 fund to help sporting clubs operate safely after shutdowns.
“This could pay for things like COVID-safe signage in club rooms, team drink bottles to prevent the use of communal drinking taps, sanitiser stations and assistance to create COVID-safe plans,” he said.
Mr Wood said he had secured funding for upgrades of Brens, Ryder and Western Sport pavilions to accommodate women’s sport last year, and was looking forward to seeing the plans go forward in 2021.
“Pre-pandemic, we saw a massive boom in women’s sport and community sport in general, and I want to ensure we can pick up where we left off, but continue that by investing in modern, accessible and fit for purpose facilities,” he said.
Team Arron Wood wants five pavilions upgraded over four years, and is also committed to a new Kensington Recreation Centre and North Melbourne Community Centre.
University High School women’s footy player Alison Boyce Player said any grant assistance to help make club rooms and operations safe for players would be a huge boost.
“We’ve lost lots of money in waived membership fees and sponsorships. Many community clubs are on their knees financially and may not be able to go on,” she said.
Fellow player and team captain Abbie Mills said sporting clubs were the backbone of the community and played a key role in keeping people healthy and connected.
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