COVID SAFE Active Clubs Kickstart program available

Football Queensland

Sport organisations in Queensland have until June 30 to apply for the COVID SAFE Active Kickstart program – featuring a $2000 grant.

The funding is designed to help these sporting organisations to restart their activities and competitions safely following Covid-19.

Applications first opened on May 25 but the deadline to get this in has been extended to June 30. The Queensland Government has addressed relevant details to be met when applying.

Organisations will be eligible to apply as long as they meet the following criteria:

  • Registered with an ABN
  • local or regional level Queensland not-for-profit sport or recreation organisation or not-for-profit community organisations
  • Sport or recreation clubs associated with a Queensland university.

When applying, there must be no outstanding compliance issues with the Office of Fair Trading spanning more than six months – and no debt owing to the department. Organisations are advised to provide clear and accurate information to secure their chances of a successful application.

The funding of $2,000 (excluding GST) can be used for one of the following categories as outlined by the Queensland government. The funds can be dispersed across multiple projects under one of the individual sections:

  • equipment to help deliver quality physical activity experiences e.g. equipment to improve the quality or safety of physical activity experiences (including balls, bats, racquets, helmets, batting pads, goal post padding)
  • training to help deliver quality physical activity experiences e.g. coach/official/instructor education and accreditation
  • equipment to improve your ability to manage the organisation: e.g. office equipment/software to assist organisations with financial/administration management
  • training to improve your ability to manage the organisation e.g. governance, financial or volunteer management training/courses/conferences
  • catering/food purchases to set up for restart post COVID-19 e.g. replace perishables that expired during COVID-19 restrictions
  • operational expenses including costs to deliver activities, utilities, ground and facility maintenance costs, safety and sanitisation requirements e.g. water and electricity utilities bills, COVID-19 related signage, and sanitisation stations

The following list has been identified as areas that will not receive funding:

  • White goods
  • Capital works or fixed structures (e.g. shade sails and stands)
  • Discreet consultancy without any education/training for the organisation (e.g. developing a strategic plan/grant application or administration fees)
  • Feasibility studies/research
  • Prizes/giveaways/alcohol/recognition items/merchandise
  • Wages of ongoing/seasonal nature (e.g. paid coaches).

For clubs looking to apply for the COVID SAFE Active Clubs Kickstart program, the online portal is available here.

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Driving Health Forward: Melbourne Victory partners with Hydrodol

Melbourne Victory has celebrated a new partnership with Australian wellness brand, Hydrodol. The deal will see both parties collaborate for the rest of the 2024/25 A-Leagues season.

Hydrodol is a significant supplements provider across Australia, New Zealand the Asia Pacific, supplying customers with cutting edge products tailored to assist with hydration and a range of other health concerns.

Together, Melbourne Victory and Hydrodol will join their philosophies of driving health and fitness forward in order to bring attention to healthy living practices among the Australian football community.

Melbourne Victory Managing Director, Caroline Carnegie, expressed admiration for the partnership.

“We are delighted to welcome Hydrodol to the Melbourne Victory family,” she said in a press release.

“This partnership reflects a shared vision of supporting individuals to perform at their best whether they’re on the pitch, in the stands, or in their daily lives. Together, we aim to provide meaningful benefits to our fans, players, and the broader Victory community.”

Hydrodol Marketing Manager, Jenn Leung, echoed Carnegie’s applause.

‘Hydrodol is passionate about empowering people to feel their best, whether they’re elite athletes or everyday Australians,” she said via press release.

“Partnering with Melbourne Victory, Australia’s biggest football club allows us to connect with a vibrant community that values health, performance, and well-being.”

Melbourne Victory Director of Football, John Didulica, outlined the significance of the club’s collaboration with Hydrodol in a press release.

“To lead successful football programs, it is essential that we look to partner with companies like Hydrodol, who can help maintain and improve our players’ recovery from the demands of professional football and readiness to compete each week,” he said via press release.

For the remaining games of the 2024/25 season, fans and spectators will be able to see Hydrodol advertisement material at the Home of the Matilda’s and AAMI Park, as both Melbourne Victory and Hydrodol work to bolster the health and wellbeing of the community.

FIFA set new global benchmark for Women’s Football Development

In a landmark initiative for women’s football, FIFA has unveiled an ambitious strategy aimed at reaching 60 million female players worldwide by 2027.

The comprehensive plan, supported by 13 distinct development programmes, is available to all 211 FIFA Member Associations, marking a significant step forward in the sport’s global evolution.

FIFA also took the announcement to highlight the achievements for women’s football in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and Oceanic Football Confederation (OFC).

The recently enhanced FIFA Women’s Development Programme underscores the organisation’s strengthened commitment to expanding the women’s game.

The upcoming 2025 calendar promises several groundbreaking developments for women’s football.

The Philippines will host the inaugural FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup, while Morocco makes history as the first African nation to stage the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.

The latter tournament sees significant expansion, growing from 16 to 24 teams and shifting to an annual format.

International competition reaches new heights with continental championships scheduled across multiple confederations.

The pathway to the FIFA Women’s World Cup Brazil 2027 commences with African qualification matches, while major regional tournaments including the UEFA Women’s EURO and OFC Women’s Nations Cup will crown new champions.

In a significant advancement for club football, all six confederations will host their respective continental club championships for the first time.

This renewed focus comes amid unprecedented growth in participation rates, particularly evident in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup co-host nations.

New Zealand has reported a remarkable 27 per cent surge in female participation since 2022, with particularly strong growth among Māori and Pasifika communities, showing a 14 per cent increase.

A strategic partnership between New Zealand Football and Māori Football Aotearoa further strengthens grassroots development.

New Zealand Football CEO Andrew Pragnell voiced the federations successful results.

“The expansion of football and futsal in Aotearoa New Zealand has been extraordinary, with the Women’s World Cup serving as a genuine catalyst for growth,” he explained via official FIFA press release.

Across the Tasman, Football Australia’s Growing Football Fund Community Grants programme continues to foster development at the grassroots level.

The latest round of funding benefits 118 recipients, complementing the 121 projects supported in March 2024.

This initiative particularly emphasises regional development, with nearly half the grants allocated to areas outside major metropolitan centres.

The grants provide essential support for women’s football development, encompassing coach education, introductory programmes, and vital equipment procurement, further cementing the sport’s foundation at the community level.

Also within the AFC, footballing powerhouse Japan has successfully hosted the continent’s first female-exclusive Pro Licence coaching course.

A collaborative effort between FIFA, AFC, and the Japan Football Association (JFA), represents a significant milestone in professional football development.

The intensive seven-day course attracted participants from fourteen nations, featuring presents such as AFC Technical Director Andy Roxburgh and Japan men’s national team coach Hajime Moriyasu.

Participants gained valuable practical experience through observations of pre-season training sessions at both J.League and Nadeshiko League clubs.

JFA Technical Director Masanaga Kageyama emphasised the programme’s strategic importance and inclusivity.

“This course is a joint AFC/JFA initiative to increase the number of top-level, professionally licensed female coaches in Asia. It aims to provide existing talents with additional advice to help them achieve greater success in their current coaching positions and secure future success,” Kageyama explained via official FIFA press release.

This initiative aligns with JFA’s renowned long-term development philosophy and a significant advancement in creating pathways for women in professional football coaching.

This newly improved strategy at the global scale will hopefully allow for more women in both professional and amateur spaces to get the opportunities they deserve in football.

It also highlight’s that AFC & OFC nations, including Australia, will have a strong place within the growth of women’s football.

Read more on the FIFA Women’s Development Program here.

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