St Pauls will benefit from a $200,000 upgrade of McKinnon Reserve pavilion, which will provide much needed female facilities to the Glen Eira Region.
Member for Bentleigh Nick Staikos yesterday announced that the Andrews Labor Government will be contributing $100,000 towards the project, delivered in partnership with Glen Eira Council. The project will redevelop the existing change rooms and amenities to provide facilities for women and girls.
McKinnon Reserve is not only home to the Doggies, but also its junior affiliate, St Paul’s McKinnon Junior Football Club, and the McKinnon Cricket Club, both of which have a growing number of female participants.
St Pauls President Mike Lloyd was delighted with the announcement, which he says will be terrific for the future of the club as it looks to establish its inaugural senior women's team in the coming years.
"What it will do is attract girls to the junior football club, and hopefully they will progress to seniors in the years to come. So that's a great thing for the future of the club, to attract girls at an early age and hopefully they will remain at the club and progress through, like the boys, to the senior club," Lloyd explained.
"When you go into the change rooms, it's all sort of boys' (amenities) and they've been there since the club rooms were built - I think early 70s, 1967 or something when they were built - and haven't been touched since, so its a good upgrade. And it's because of (the increase in) female participation we were able to make some inroads and upgrade the facilities."
Mr Staikos has been a tremendous supporter of grassroots sporting clubs in the region, and has worked diligently to deliver modern, accessible and safe facilities to facilitate increased participation in community sport.
“We’re working hard to give more locals the opportunity to play the sports they love, and embrace a more active and healthy lifestyle,” he said.
“The clubs at McKinnon Reserve each have female players and will now have better facilities to accommodate them.”
