NSW Government pledges more than $4 million to community sport

Community soccer

The NSW Government’s Local Sport Grants Program is set to provide over $4 million to more than 700 community organisations across the state.

The Local Sport Grants Program comes as a fantastic development for the state’s community sporting organisations who have faced immense obstacles as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The program provides sporting organisations with the necessary funding to increase and remove barriers for potential participants, purchase sporting equipment and to improve infrastructure with 831 grants awarded to a total of 728 sporting organisations representing 58 unique sports.

The Local Sport Grants Program grants sporting organisations with up to $20,000 for projects which are focused on sport development, sport access and facility development. It reaffirms the NSW Government’s commitment to ensuring that grassroots and community sport can once again thrive in the wake of what was a formidable year prior.

The NSW Government’s Minister for Sport, Geoff Lee, acknowledged the welcome reprieve that the Local Sport Grants Program will provide for communities across NSW as they move to overcome the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“The pandemic, bushfires and floods have created significant uncertainty for local communities across NSW,” he said.

“Sport is the glue which keeps local communities together, and these grants acknowledge the importance of sport within our local communities, plus recognise the considerable contribution our army of sporting volunteers make on a daily basis.

“The Local Sport Grant Program is structured to help increase participation, improve facilities and increase investment, particularly in women’s sport, enabling more women and girls to participate.

“Whether it’s providing opportunities for people with a disability to play football at Randwick Football Club, purchasing jerseys and equipment for the Wiradjuri Warrior’s women’s rugby league teams or buying uniforms and equipment for multicultural kids at Rockdale City Raiders Football Club, these grants play a vital role in giving everyone the opportunity to enjoy the benefits of sport.”

For further information on the Local Sport Grants Program, you can find it here.

Previous ArticleNext Article

How James Johnson Is Shaping Canada Soccer’s Billion-Dollar World Cup Commercial Future

Canada Soccer has confirmed a renewed long-term commercial agreement with Canadian Soccer Media and Entertainment, marking a significant reset in the federation’s revenue strategy as the country prepares to co-host the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The updated partnership extends CSME’s control of Canada Soccer’s commercial rights, including sponsorship, broadcast and media licensing, while introducing revised financial terms designed to provide the federation with greater long-term revenue certainty and growth potential. The agreement replaces a previous deal that faced heavy scrutiny from players and stakeholders over concerns surrounding commercial valuation and distribution of revenues.

CSME, led by Group Chief Executive James Johnson, played a central role in renegotiating the structure, which aims to better align commercial returns with the sport’s accelerating domestic and international profile. The revised framework is expected to support increased investment across national team programs, commercial development and broader football growth initiatives.

The agreement arrives at a pivotal moment for Canadian football, with momentum building across both men’s and women’s programs and global attention increasing ahead of 2026. Securing a more sustainable commercial model is viewed as critical to ensuring the federation can maximise opportunities generated by hosting football’s largest tournament.

The renewed partnership also signals a shift toward long-term commercial planning, providing Canada Soccer with a more stable financial platform as it looks to strengthen its competitive standing and expand participation nationwide.

Most Popular Topics

Editor Picks

Send this to a friend