Allowing community use of school facilities after hours is a practical step by the government, given the growing population in Perth’s south east corridor, says Kelmscott Senior High School (KSHS) corporate services manager Kerry Date.
“They can’t keep building new ovals and other facilities when our facilities are unused after school,” she said.
KSHS was one of 33 schools across the state which shared a $1.4 million grant from the state government to improve its sports facilities, according to an announcement last week.
The state government said the program aimed to encourage participation in local sport and develop community connection.
Ms Date said she was jumping up and down with excitement when she heard the news KSHS was selected for the state funding.
“It’s great to see we’re getting some much-needed improvement to our grounds because we tend to be forgotten out here at Kelmscott,” she said.
“Trying to improve the facilities here with limited funding is quite challenging.
“So, when the community use funding availability came up, we pursued it quite hard in terms of liaising with local sporting groups, what was the need in the area for facilities and then what could we do to fix ours to match that.”
Ms Date said KSHS would be receiving about $90,000 to support its partnership with WA Cricket and Rossmoyne Volleyball Club as part of the program.
“Our oval needs vertimowing, coring and extra fertilising and watering,” she said.
“So, Cricket WA are now coming in for their junior cricket program in the afternoon.
Ms Date said the school was recently given a new sports hall by the Department of Education but it didn’t meet the needs of the volleyball club.
“It only has one volleyball net going long ways across the court so we’re going to flip it the other way and introduce a new (line) colour to have three courts,” she said.
“The funding will (also) pay for new posts and new nets.”
Ms Date said the cricket and volleyball leases would generate income for the school which in turn would be used to improve the quality of education for students.
“Everyone’s a winner,” she said.
