A Helping Hand: Marathon Foods Keeping Kids in Community Sport

Four clubs in the Barwon Region have been lucky enough to receive a grant that will help them to keep kids on the field.

Author: Ben Andonoudis

Every child deserves the chance to experience the joy of community sport.

For some families, rising costs have made that increasingly difficult.

Thanks to Marathon Foods and the Marathon Foods No child sits out of Community Sport Initiative, four clubs each received a $2000 grant to help cover junior registration costs.  

Marathon Foods Head of Commercial Operations Gianni Curcio said the initiative was about providing practical support to families and clubs at a grassroots level.

“Community sport plays such an important role in bringing people together, and we don’t want a family’s financial circumstances to be the reason a child misses out,” Curcio said.

“For us, this initiative was about doing something practical that could make a genuine difference at club level. If these grants help keep more kids involved, playing with their mates and being part of their local club, then that’s exactly what we wanted to achieve.”

Bell Park was one of four clubs to receive funding from the initiative.  

The funding enabled the club to cover the registration of multiple juniors who otherwise would not have been able to take part in organised sport.

Bell Park junior coordinator Ross Dillon said the funding would make a difference for local families.

“We appreciate it, it helps us a lot, and if we had more companies like marathon food it would be fantastic as well,” Dillon said.

Like every club, Bell Park relies on the hard work of dedicate volunteers to ensure every child is able to get on the field.

With the assistance of the grant, Bell Park can make the work of those volunteers a little easier.

“Getting assistance from a company that wants to get involved and help out, it helps you because it's not easy, it’s a big job and a lot of people give up a lot of time,” Dillon said.

Those volunteers give up their time so that as many children in their local area can have the opportunity to play community sport.

With the funding they have received they can work towards making that possible.

“I want every kid to play and every kid should be able to play,” Dillon said.

Over at the Ocean Grove Cobras Junior Football Club, that is a narrative they can resonate with.

The grants will be put to good use by the Cobras.

Families who may be experiencing financial difficulties will be assisted by help with registration fees, playing apparel and other participation costs such as mouthguards.

“It means we can continue to ensure that no child misses out on playing football because of financial circumstances,” Ocean Grove Cobras President Suze McLeish said.

At the Cobras, they know that junior football has many positives, both in the game and outside of it.

“We know the benefits of junior football extend far beyond the game itself.”

“Every child deserves the opportunity to experience those benefits,” McLeish said.

At Geelong West, the grant is helping keep more families at the club.  

For Geelong West Official Bethany Putland, the grant has helped to reduce barriers that prevent children from participating in community sport at the club.

“It has enabled us to continue investing in our junior programs, supporting player development and creating positive experiences that keep children engaged in sport,” Putland said.

Putland thanked Marathon Foods for its support of grassroots sport.

“Thank you for believing in the value of grassroots sport and for helping us provide opportunities that will have a lasting impact on the next generation,” Putland said.

And at St Albans Football Netball Club, the grant has allowed St Albans to invest valuable resources in their volunteers, easing the burden on important members of the club.

“It has allowed us to reduce some of the pressure on our volunteers,” St Albans Player Wellbeing Officer Grace Waterson said.

Thanks to Marathon Foods, the grant has also eased some of the everyday financial pressures associated with running a community sporting club.

“Like many community sporting clubs, the cost of simply getting a club up and running each week continues to increase,” Waterson said.

These costs have been partially helped thanks to the support of Marathon Foods and St Albans have been particularly appreciative of that support.

“We are incredibly grateful for the support which has made a genuine difference to the way our club operates both on and off the field,” Waterson said.

At a time when so many people are having to give up the things they love due to financial pressures, Marathon Foods is ensuring that children don’t have to give up community sport.