Sporting Club Grants help more Victorians take part
The latest Sporting Club Grants continue to help community groups create more ways for Victorians to take part in sport and active recreation.
Equipment that keeps communities active
The right equipment can make it easier and more affordable for people to join in.
The Melbourne Smashers Badminton Club has over 300 members. They run 3 social sessions weekly and help LGBTQIA+ people across Melbourne feel welcome, play badminton and connect.
The club keeps session fees low, despite shuttlecocks now being much more expensive. The cost has gone from $35 a tube to $70 because of a global shortage linked to avian influenza.
The Sporting Club Grants Program will help the club buy 30 tubes of shuttlecocks. This means regular sessions can continue without extra costs for players.
“Funding like this helps us keep badminton affordable, fun and accessible for everyone. We want people spending their energy on smashing shuttlecocks, making new friends and having a laugh, not worrying about the cost of getting on court.”
Simon Lynch, President, Melbourne Smashers
For AAA Diving Lab, a new soft jump box set for training will help young divers build skills and feel more confident before they get in the pool.
Purchased with a Sporting Club Grant, the new equipment will help with safe take-offs and landings. Coaches can also change the box height to suit different ages, abilities and confidence levels.
AAA Diving Lab Secretary, Martin Guan notes, 'Diving is a fantastic sport that helps children build confidence, courage and resilience while having fun. We welcome beginners and encourage families to give diving a try. Every great diver starts with a first jump!'
Making the first step easier
Trying a new sport can feel like a big step.
With support from the Sporting Club Grants Program, Hidden Valley Equestrian is delivering a Junior Equestrian Come and Try Day in November 2026.
Children aged 3 to 16 will learn about horse safety, ground-pole activities and riding. Activities will suit their age, confidence and experience.
Funding will also provide shared helmets and body protectors for the club. This means children can take part without families needing to buy safety gear first.
Hidden Valley Equestrian re-opened in May 2026. They will also use the day to reconnect with the local community and welcome children and families back to the club.
Glamourhead Sharks Aquatics Club will invite LGBTQIA+ people to try squad swimming. Funded through the Sporting Club Grants Program, the welcoming session is planned for February 2027.
The session will help participants build confidence and take their first steps into squad swimming.
Building confidence on and off the field
Sporting Club Grants also help clubs and associations reduce barriers for women and girls by building skills, confidence and stronger connections through community sport.
The Ballarat Cricket Association will use funding to run a 10-week program for up to 12 emerging female cricket coaches.
Running from October to December 2026, the program will include workshops, mentoring and hands-on coaching. Participants will also work towards Cricket Australia community coaching accreditation.
As women’s and girls’ cricket grows across Ballarat, the program will build a stronger network of qualified coaches to support players and clubs.
“As women’s and girls’ cricket continues to grow across Ballarat, it is important that our coaching capability grows with it. We want more women to see coaching as a genuine pathway within cricket and for our female players to increasingly see women coaching and leading the game.”
David Nichols, President, Ballarat Cricket Association
A Sporting Club Grant is also helping the Colac and District Cricket Association make representative cricket easier to access for women and girls. The funding will support shared uniforms and help reduce costs for players.
With around 200 women and girls playing cricket across the district last season, the project will help more players represent Colac with pride and keep playing cricket.
Colac and District Coordinator Jaccob Rodda said, 'It’s important that our girls and women feel proud to represent the Colac district. Representative cricket is about more than competing against other regions. It’s also about building friendships, creating a sense of belonging and celebrating the talent we have across our clubs. This grant will help provide quality uniforms that give players confidence and a strong sense of team identity.'
Together, these projects show how small grants can make a real difference. They help clubs lower costs, welcome new people and create stronger pathways in community sport.
For more information about our Sporting Club Grants and the latest recipients visit the Sporting Club Grants Program.