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Local federal MP, Bruce Billson has announced that eight up-and-coming sporting athletes from the greater Frankston area have been awarded funding under the Australian Government’s Local Sporting Champions Grants.
Grants of $500 per individual and $3,000 per team (aged 12 to 18) are available to help meet costs such as travel, equipment, uniforms, and accommodation when competing at state or national sporting competitions that involves travelling more than 250km to participate.
Mr Billson said cost was often the biggest barrier for youth wanting to compete at major sporting competitions.
“The Local Sporting Champions program helps get young Australians to sporting competitions. With so much focus on getting our children to be active in sport, distance or a lack of financial means should not be a barrier to participation and an obstacle to promising young sportsperson fulfilling their potential.
“These grants will help support young athletes to get the valuable competition experience they need to continue developing in their sport and pursue and achieve their sporting dreams,” Mr Billson said.
To allocate funding, Mr Billson was required to appoint an assessment panel to help review the applications.
The Dunkley Assessment Panel is made up of dedicated volunteers who are already actively involved in volunteer sport in the local community and at a national and international level. Mr Billson met with the panel to review the applications to ensure that grants were directed to a range of sports across the electorate.
Panel members include: Tim Forsyth (retired Australian three-time Olympic high jumper and junior sport coach); John Pennell (Oceanic President – Modern Pentathlon); Alicia Kenney (local netball coach and President Frankston District Netball), Judith Smith (national and international swimming official) and Zoe Brennan (Frankston Citizen of the Year and volunteer basketball coach and junior football official).
“I am delighted to have the involvement and input of these respected and knowledgeable local people, who already give so much of their time to junior sport in our community,” Mr Billson said.
“We were all very impressed with the level of participation and achievement of the greater Frankston area recipients and the two other successful applicants from across the Dunkley electorate involved in a wide range of sports which included swimming, tennis, athletics, fencing, table tennis, netball and tenpin bowling.
“I would encourage all interested individuals and sporting groups to take advantage of this great opportunity and consider applying for funding for the 2009-10 round,” he said.
Application details for Local Sporting Champions Grants are available by contacting Bruce Billson’s office on (03) 9781 2333 or via www.ausport.gov.au
Successful applicants are:
Nigel Bacon – Frankston North
Alexander Simpson – Frankston
Matson Lawson – Langwarrin
Melanie Bath – Frankston
Kane Grimster – Frankston South
Nicholas Veale – Langwarrin
Dillon Cathcart – Mornington
Katherine Laemmle – Frankston
Briony McKenzie – Mornington
Keira Wills – Langwarrin
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Your Federal Member for Dunkley
