Indoor Sports Victoria in Werribee will utilise a $40,000 state government investment to prioritise getting women back into sports programs after COVID-19 disruptions.
The group will aim to increase the number of girls participating in indoor netball and indoor cricket.
Indoor Sports Victoria chief executive Ross Gregory said the funding will go a long way at getting many programs up and running again.
“Sport makes you a better person, you learn to win, you learn to lose, you learn tolerance, you learn a whole range of things if you play sport,” he said.
“It’s all about health and creating friendships.
Mr Gregory said COVID-19 had “smashed” many existing girls sports programs and it was proving difficult to rebuild.
“We’re just starting to get everything back, and this [the funding] has been the catalyst behind doing all of that,” he said.
The group was one of 123 organisations to receive a share of $3.75 million from the VicHealth JumpStart! program, which seeks to support children and young people to get physically active in welcoming and inclusive environments.
“JumpStart! is all about empowering community-led organisations across the state to create a healthier future,” VicHealth’s executive manager of future healthy Sarah Loh said.
“There’s something here for everyone. The programs may be different, but they all share the same goal. It’s all about supporting young people to reach their full health potential.”
