Bright, New and Clean, Amenities soon to be Pristine
Bayside Council, in collaboration with Bexley North Football Club (BNFC), have been successful in obtaining $150,000 from the NSW Football Legacy Fund – Infrastructure Stream (Round 2).
The funding will go towards the much-needed amenities upgrade at the club’s home ground, Kingsgrove Avenue Reserve.
BNFC has emerged as a powerhouse in the Football St George Association, experiencing remarkable growth in its membership. Since the 2021 season, BNFC has witnessed a significant 35% surge in overall participation, accompanied by a noteworthy 40% uptick in female involvement. With this surge in demand, the existing facilities at the club are no longer adequate, prompting the club’s collaboration with Bayside Council.
The successfully secured grant will be utilised for a comprehensive upgrade of the amenities at Kingsgrove Avenue Reserve. Construction has commenced and the improvements include a new canteen, storeroom, meeting room, referee rooms, medical room, public toilets, and fencing. Moreover, there are plans, contingent on further funding, to renovate existing shared bathrooms/changerooms into dedicated home & away change rooms, with a special focus on accommodating the strongly represented female teams.
BNFC President Eddie Yazbeck said, “Unfortunately, our existing facilities are no longer fit for purpose to support our increase in members, in particular our large female participants”.
“We have worked closely with Bayside Council to develop a site plan for Kingsgrove Avenue Reserve and together we applied for the NSW Football Legacy Fund to help make our vision a reality”.
Undoubtedly, this grant and the ensuing infrastructure developments are poised to have a profound impact on BNFC and its participants.
“This grant will deliver a much-needed infrastructure upgrade, addressing concerns such as accessibility and safety, improved canteen facilities, storage for our kits, change rooms for players and referees,” Eddie concluded.
James Spanoudakis, the Facilities and Grants Officer at Football NSW, added, “Amenity blocks that accommodate for the modern requirements of football clubs are imperative towards ensuring player safety , enjoyment and club sustainability”
“In the Football St George footprint, only one in four amenity buildings are gender neutral.”
With the surge in participation following the triumphant hosting of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023, the alignment with the existing NSW Football Infrastructure Strategy gains added significance. The proposed developments at Kingsgrove Avenue Reserve correlate directly with three key pillars of the NSW Football Infrastructure Strategy including improving existing venue capacity, inclusive football facilities, and planning for growth and demand.
The new amenity upgrades are expected to be completed towards the end of 2024, ready for the 2025 winter season.
NSW Football Legacy Program
The NSW Football Legacy Program is a $10 million investment from the NSW Government. The program seeks to support female football through new community facilities, participation initiatives, development programs as well as tourism and international engagement.
More information about Football Legacy Program can be found here – https://footballnsw.com.au/nsw-football-legacy-programs/ to find out more about NSW Government Legacy Programs.
