Grants
Friday, November 29, 2024
In the year of the Paris 2024 Paralympics, SAF is provided $39,000 in funding, and over 37 grants to young Australians with disability aged 7-17 years and sporting clubs.
Katie Kelly said “we had over 130 applicants from across Australia, in sports including Wheelchair Basketball, Blind Cricket, Para-athletics, Swimming, Para-triathlon and Gymnastics. The applications highlighted the continual need to close the inequity gap that exists for young Australians to access sport.
You can view the 2024 Honour Roll here.
Katie also emphasised the importance of Sport Access Foundation to remove barriers to sport for people with disability.
“We know that people with disability want to play sport, and only 1 in 4 people with disability participate in sport*.
The intersectionality of disability and sport participation with gender, remains an area we need to invest with 19% of women with disability playing sport compared to 34% women without disability*.
Further, with First Nations People with disability, experience significant disadvantage and barriers to participate in sport. They do not participate in sport at the same levels as other groups in the community and are under-represented in all areas of disability sport**.
Sport Access Foundation encourage all of us to play our role in galvanising the community around us to step up, to change their systematic ways, to close the inequity gap and ensure equality in people with disability, women with disability and First Nations with disability in sport, and the right of everyone to access sport. We all need to continue to activate and continue to step up to improve inclusion in sport.” said Katie.
The impact of these grants has resulted in Sport Access Foundation’s honour roll members going on to achieve the highest representation in their sport including 5 x Paralympians, Commonwealth Games representatives including the Junior Commonwealth Games and World Championships across sports including Athletics, Swimming, Boccia, Wheelchair Tennis and Wheelchair Table Tennis.
This year’s record grant funding was made possible with the investment of the Waratah Education Foundation.
1. Pathway to Paralympics Grant
Total: $4,000 - $2,000 x 2
2. BlueScope Sporting Club Grant
Total: $10,000 - $2,000 x 5
3. Kick Start Grant
Supported by Waratah Education Foundation
Total: $20,000 - $1,000 x 20
4. No Barriers Grant
Supported by Waratah Education Foundation
Total: $5,000 - $500 x 10
SAF provides annual grants to support 7-17 year-olds with disability to access and further develop their chosen sporting pathways. The aim is to improve the participation rate of young Australians with a disability to sport, and ensure there is no barrier to their participation alongside their able bodied sporting mates.
Katie Kelly OAM PLY founded Sport Access Foundation in 2017 after winning the first-ever Paratriathlon Gold Medal for Australia at the Rio2016 Paralympics. Through her experience of being hearing and sight-impaired, Katie saw the need to provide assistance to young Australians living with a disability keen to participate in sport. Watch this video here of Katie talking about the impact of Sport Access Foundation.
The grants are funded through donations, and foundation grant support. The funding grant awarded to recipients can go towards the cost of their sport, including modified equipment, carer costs, transport and fees.
Sport Access Foundation is grateful for the support of our founding partner BlueScope.
*Beyond the Paralympics: where to for disability sport in Australia?
**Dr Paul Oliver, https://www.paralympic.org.au/community/programs/indigenous-pwd-sport/research-paper/
Get Involved
Your donation will go towards providing financial assistance and support to enable children with a disability to participate in sporting activities. Every dollar goes direct to the grant recipients to help with the cost of their sport, including modified equipment, carer costs, transport and fees.
