IMAGE: Back – Left to Right: Cr Bill Jayet (Councillor-Parkes Shire Council), Chloe Allan (Northparkes Mines), Taylor Draper (Currajong Disability Services), Greg Howlett (Parkes Railway Bowling Club), Kellie Ostini (Parkes District Netball Association), Dave Porter (Parkes Touch Association), Peter Bristol (Parkes Golf Club Co-op Ltd), Brian Drabsch (Sport-ing Shooters Association Parkes Branch), Cr Neil Westcott (Mayor – Parkes Shire Council). Front – Left to Right: Ella Donnelly, Madelyn Donnelly, Gemma Orr and Charlotte Orr (Parkes District Netball Association), Brooke Plunkett (Northparkes Mines)
CMOC-Northparkes Mines (Northparkes) and Parkes Shire Council have announced the successful applicants from the latest round of the Sports Grants Funding Program.
Mayor of Parkes Shire, Cr Neil Westcott, was pleased to see many projects put forward for selection and said the number of applicants reflects the importance of sports in Parkes.
“The strong sporting culture in the Parkes Shire increases the opportunity for people of all ages to engage in an active lifestyle. Programs such as this promote and increase participation within the community and encourage people to create social connections they wouldn’t have otherwise,” said Cr Westcott.
This round, which closed in September 2023, included the Parkes District Netball Association, who were allocated $3827.00 to purchase mini grandstands for spectator seating and $2,400.00 to purchase 73 netballs and a crazy catch bounce net for training.
Kellie Ostini, Secretary of Parkes District Netball Association, said “receiving this grant will help our club provide more equipment for our players and a safe space for spectators, who are both valuable members of our netball community. We appreciate the support from Northparkes and Parkes Shire Council and can’t wait to continue sharing our love for netball with the community”
Cr Bill Jayet thanked Northparkes for their continued support of not only this program but also the many other community programs throughout Parkes and Forbes.
“Thank you to all the community groups who applied for this round of sporting grants. The diversity of sports offered across the shire is a big credit to the people who work behind the scenes to deliver such fantastic services. We strongly encourage any local sporting groups wanting assistance to purchase equipment or training materials for their players to apply next round. If you would like assistance with your application, please make use of the resources of Council’s Grants Officer,” added Cr Jayet.
Northparkes Managing Director Jianjun Tian said, “At Northparkes, we are committed to a number of long-term community partnerships, including the Sports Grants Program, which not only benefits our people, but the community in which we live and work.
“We recognise the importance of sport in sustaining a healthy and happy community. By providing financial assistance through the Sports Grants Program in partnership with Council, we’re able to support a range of different teams and clubs within the local community,” added Mr Tian.
The Sports Grants program is a joint funding initiative between CMOC-Northparkes Mines, Parkes Sports Council and Parkes Shire Council.
In total $28,810 in grants were distributed this round. The next round, which opens in February 2024, will see a total of $33,650.36 available within the Parkes Shire.