Club Central Hurstville and Menai dig deep to support locals in need

Club Central Hurstville and Menai continue to demonstrate that they are community clubs at heart by awarding more than $350,000 in grants to local community groups and charities and $107,000 to grassroots sporting clubs.

“The disruption caused by COVID-19 continues to test us all in different ways. Whilst we are always looking to make a positive difference, the challenges we are all facing this year made it even more important to the Board and our team to support our local community,” said Brian Cloney, President of Club Central.

“Throughout the huge amount of change over the past few months we’ve been conscious that many of our community partners are being asked to do more than ever and support those enduring hardship,” he said.

“We have focussed our funding on helping the most vulnerable, who may otherwise slip through the cracks in times when the broader needs across the community are so high. The programs we are supporting will help babies and young people, right through to our elderly residents as well as our amazing first responders and our friends and family living with a disability.

“We want to ensure that members of our community who are doing it tough get support and help when they need it,” Mr Cloney said.

A total of 34 sporting clubs of varying sizes in the St George and Menai districts are sharing in $107,000 of financial grants, supporting sports such as soccer, netball, rugby league and union, AFL, athletics, golf, cricket, badminton, physical culture and basketball.

“Grassroots sport is only made possible by some really dedicated volunteers. Now more than ever it is so important that we stay active and connected, so we are really pleased to be able to provide financial support to assist our local clubs,” Mr Cloney said.

In another show of generosity, Club Central Hurstville recently donated 50 double insulated water bottles to the Hurstville SES Unit, to be distributed to volunteers. Club Central Menai donated $3,000 to the Menai Bushfire Brigade and another $3,000 to the Illawong Bushfire Brigade. All were the result of patron donations matched dollar-for-dollar by the Club.

“The huge fires and storm events that dominated the end of 2019 and start of 2020 seem so long ago, but we haven’t forgotten the amazing work our local volunteers continue to do in times of crisis.

“Our Vice President Margaret Starks met some of the Hurstville SES brigade members and heard amazing stories about deployments across the state in a wide range of capacities. I had the privilege of meeting some of our Menai and Illawong Rural Fire Service volunteers who were front and centre in the same fire emergencies. We say a big thank you to all of these wonderful people on behalf of a grateful community!” said Mr Cloney.

JOINT CLUB CENTRAL GRANTS

Joint funding was awarded to the following organisations by Club Central Hurstville and Menai to enable services to continue across the Georges River and Menai areas.

$42,000 – awarded to Project Youth for its TrYangle Program which uses social enterprise in the form of a Café Y at Menai and a Labour Hire company to work with young people who have complex needs and who are at risk, to support them to access a qualification and employment.
$41,000 – awarded to Clever Care NOW to keep its home nursing service vehicles on the road in the St George and Sutherland Shire, enabling older members of the community to remain independent and at home while receiving their medical care.
$32,000 previously awarded to Beyond the Badge to support retired first responders by providing them with career transition, career development and job placement

CLUB CENTRAL HURSTVILLE GRANTS

$30,000 – awarded to Learning Links to provide literacy and numeracy programs at local schools in the St George area
$25,000 – awarded to Kingsway Community Care to support a transitional housing project for victims of domestic violence in the St George area
$7,000 – awarded to the Zonta Club of Botany Bay to fund two programs to provide breast care cushions to cancer patients at St George & Sutherland Hospitals as well as linen packs to Platform 9 for women escaping domestic violence
$7,000 – awarded to Dandelion Support Network to provide safe sleeping and travel for babies and toddlers in the St George areas
$5,000 – awarded to Asian Women at Work to enable its women’s health and wellbeing programs to continue during COVID-19
$4,000 – awarded to Kogarah Storehouse to continue to provide women’s health and wellbeing and English conversation lessons to continue during COVID-19

Included in the overall total were grants previously awarded to the following groups (prior to COVID):

$135,000 – awarded to Calvary as the final instalment in an 8-year, $1 million funding commitment to funding a Dementia Respite Care service.
$10,000 – awarded to Kingsway Community Care to assist with costs associated with the homelessness project for victims of domestic violence in the Georges River area.

CLUB CENTRAL MENAI

$12,000 – awarded to Sutherland Shire Carer Support Service for a program designed to keep carers connected and support them in their caring role during unprecedented times