Newcastle Basketball will open its doors to more children, thanks to a new funding resource announced this week.
With the establishment of the Basketball Community Foundation, the central sporting hub is hoping to provide grant funding for school-aged children who might not otherwise get the chance to participate.
The foundation, formed on Monday, has already received a welcome start, with Newcastle Basketball tipping in $10,000.
“This is a significant step forward for the sport of basketball in this region,” Foundation chair Michael Gallacher said.
“We want as many children as possible to get the opportunity to participate and this will help break down some of the barriers that currently stop them from doing so.
“The foundation is aimed more at entry level participation than elite level players, which means getting the kids off the streets and into the stadium.”
Newcastle Basketball General Manager Neil Goffet said the foundation would help break down barriers children in the community might face when seeking to play basketball.
“We often get inquiries from community groups, schools, youth workers and fantastic local organisations like Samaritans, Life Without Barriers, Clear Sky Australia and others who want to get children from a variety of backgrounds to play organised sport,” he said.
“The funds will be distributed on a case by case basis by our foundation committee and it is aimed at, but not limited to, children wanting to play competition basketball as opposed to rep players who can already access Dream Hoops funding through Basketball NSW.”
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