One of the best parts of being your local Member of Parliament is getting to know the kids, families and volunteers involved in Berowra’s local sports clubs.
While the dedication and passion is evident at every match from the kids on the field to the parents working the canteen, BBQ or running the logistics, the reality is that it comes at a cost.
Berowra’s local sports clubs do a great job fundraising for new uniforms, running end of year presentations and basically keeping the lights on but right around our area we’ve got clubs that operate in facilities that aren’t up to standard. We have club houses that don’t have women’s changing rooms. Some clubs have bathrooms that are dilapidated and frankly just aren’t equipped for the growth, especially with more young women joining up.
And as anyone involved with winter sport will tell you after the wet winter the drainage on too many of our fields is not up to standard.
Since I have been elected, I’ve taken up this fight for a lot of local clubs and I’m so pleased with what we’ve been able to achieve working together. New club houses, returfing, equipment, storage facilities, bathrooms and upgrades and improvements totalling around $5 million worth of local investment are some of my proudest achievements as your local MP.
I’ve lost track of the number of times I’ve spoken about local sports clubs in Parliament and the reason is because when I’m in Canberra I’m there fighting for Berowra; I’m telling my parliamentary colleagues about the fantastic groups in our area and reminding them that they need support to continue.
Despite how much we’ve managed to achieve together, there’s still lots to do.
Last week I met with representatives from a couple of local clubs and community groups to talk about how they’re travelling and what their plans for the future are. I met with representatives from West Pennant Hills and Cherrybrook Football Club – the Lions. The Lions play at Campbell Park, along with West Pennant Hills Cherrybrook Cricket Club which means the facilities are in demand pretty much year-round.
The representatives from the Lions gave me a few really great ideas so I’ve taken those thoughts and am starting work on a plan on how to support them and other clubs using Campbell Park.
If you’re involved in a local sports club, community group or volunteer organisation and think your organisation might benefit from my support for more funding or a small grant then please get in touch with my office to talk about how we can work together.
