Rewards for road safety advocacy

A NUMBER of the region’s football netball clubs are being supported through an annual funding program from the Transport Accident Commission and the State Government.

North Ballarat, Sebastopol, Ballarat, and Lake Wendouree football netball clubs alongside the Ballarat Football Umpires Association are among the groups sharing in $600,000 through the latest round of the TAC Club Rewards program.

The local clubs are among 233 grassroots sporting groups across the state to share in the funding due to their advocating for road safety.

Sebastopol FNC received $4450, and the club’s social media and grants supporter Janine Lyon said campaigning against road trauma is an important cause for the team.

“We’ve been involved in the program for about four years,” she said.

“The program’s around building people’s capacity on and off the field and making sure they abide by driving rules. The club will decide where the funds will sit best early in the year.

“This year we had someone from the TAC come and talk to our under 17s about the fatality rate on the road.

“We also filmed an ad for TAC this year, where one of our bar staff, who lost a daughter years ago, was on that for them. A lot of people in the club didn’t know she’d experienced that so it was impactful to feel that so close to home.”

The rewards program is part of a more-than-30-year relationship between TAC and AFL Victoria.

About 40 per cent of the program’s recipients this year are based in regional and rural communities.

Successful clubs in the program can use the funds for things like new equipment, facility upgrades, and educational programs.

“The TAC Club Rewards Program is one of the most important initiatives for community football clubs across the state,” said AFL Victoria head Greg Madigan.

“[It’s] providing a fantastic avenue for clubs to actively contribute to the safety of their community and generate valuable funding in the process.”