GRANTS FERTILIZING GRASSROOTS FOOTBALL

This latest round has given grants totalling $82,105 that will be spread around 33 different applicants, ranging from individuals to clubs.

A major focus is to provide assistance for talented young players from around New Zealand to attend National Training Centres. The current NTC-related grants of $20,000, together with $30,000 earmarked in the previous round of grants in April, means that the 250 young players selected to attend will each receive assistance of $200.

The NTC has also gained the support of the ASB Bank, which will be providing each player attending with a pack that includes the opening of a bank account in his or her name.

Chairman of the Foundation, Andrew Clements, says as well as helping individual players improve their skills the Foundation is playing an ongoing role in making money available to rural communities, where clubs often struggle for funding to provide facilities.

“The fantastic thing is that with this latest round of funding we have already been able to deliver three rounds of grants totaling over $280,000 to further the development of football in New Zealand. That is a real and ongoing tribute to the achievements of the 2010 All Whites.

“Our ability to make grants will continue into the future because they are made from the Foundation’s investment income, which we believe will continue to grow as we attract further support for our work.

“Additionally grants totaling $408,366 have been committed to projects in the Christchurch area from the separate FIFA Earthquake fund. These will play a role in redeveloping facilities lost or damaged as the result of earthquakes.

“We are also a catalyst that enables football clubs and organisations to help themselves, with many people providing their skills and labour free, be that for coaching, administration or improving facilities.

“For example, in this latest round $31,475 has been granted towards facility improvements ranging from flood lighting to the building of goals and nets, storage sheds, pitch improvements and clubhouse improvements, all of which will have a high level of volunteer input.”

Mr Clements says just as importantly, the Foundation has been able to help a number of remote families with the costs of getting their children to coaching and competitions around the country.

“There is still the need for more of course, with the applications for assistance in the latest round of grants totaling $240,000.  As such we are still looking for more supporters to add to the endowment fund and enable us to increase the scale of the grant program.”

The Foundation allocates funds twice each year, in April and October. The first round of grants was in October 2011.

More details can be found at the Foundation’s website www.footballfoundation.org.nz