Glenhaven Football Club Sets its Sights on Lighting Up the Field
Glenhaven Football Club is set to upgrade their home ground of Glenhaven Oval after they were awarded a $90,000 grant as part of the NSW Government’s Football Legacy Fund.
The Hills Shire Council is also rallying its community to support and help bring this project alive. The Council will put forward over $200,000 to assist with the rest of the costs for the project.
Glenhaven FC is a part of the Hills Football Association and is moving forward with refurbishing its grounds to encourage an influx of female participants, which The Hills Shire Council sees promise in following the FIFA Women’s World Cup this year.
The project will allow the upgrading of the lighting on the sports field, using LED and new lighting system controller technology at Glenhaven Oval to meet 100 lux compliance.
Football NSW Manager Government Relations, Funding and Infrastructure, Daniel Ristic, noted that 35% of lights in The Hills Shire Council region do not meet the lighting standards for community and elite games, “the Glenhaven Oval upgrade will improve safety through the provision of higher standard lighting for players, referees, and coaches accessing the field.”
President of Glenhaven FC, Bill Kafkis, says, “planning for growth and demand is key to our club’s strategy. The upgrading of our venue is crucial for the unprecedented growth that will come out of the FIFA Women’s World Cup.”
The completion of this project will help facilitate increased use of the sports field, particularly for night training and night matches, as well as extensive training in accordance with local competition requirements and regulations.
The enhanced facility will accommodate people of all ages and varying degrees of abilities and cater to male and especially female participants, ahead of the FIFA Women’s World Cup that kicks off this July.
About the Legacy Fund Participation and Infrastructure Grants
The NSW Government recently announced a $3.1 million investment into more than 100 grassroots football projects across the state to help improve facilities and run programs to boost player participation as part of the NSW Football Legacy Fund.
The investment is intended to broaden female player options and increase participation opportunities, whilst enhancing football facilities and supporting infrastructure. This fund also aims to assist clubs in developing football programs at all levels through the construction or upgrading of community facilities, leadership, and development initiatives.
As Australia prepares to host the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2023, strengthening the football community in NSW is key to matching the unprecedented level of interest in female football. The NSW Football Legacy Fund seeks to ensure it has the facilities and programming to match the buzz that the FIFA World Cup is generating for Australia’s next generation of future Matilda’s
More information about the NSW Football Legacy Fund is available here.
