School sports facilities across Brimbank will be opened to the public in a bid to get residents active.
Brimbank council has forged partnerships with several local schools that will lead to their sports facilities opening to the wider community in out-of-school hours.
Brimbank administrators’ chairman, John Watson, said working with the local school community would introduce sports and activities to the community previously not widely available or catered for at all in Brimbank.
“By offering more opportunities for residents to become involved in sport and recreation, we are also providing more opportunities for residents to become involved in their community,” Mr Watson said.
St Peter’s Catholic Primary School in West Sunshine is one of the schools taking part.
The school, which recently received nearly $12,000 in council funding to line-mark its hall for badminton and volleyball, has made the hall available for a social badminton
competition on Sundays.
So far, 12 families have signed up for the competition.
St Peter’s Badminton Social Club organiser Catherine Lin said she and her family had been playing badminton for a number of years, but previously had to travel to other municipalities.
Ms Lin said being able to play in her local area was a great opportunity.
St Peter’s principal, Karen Bergin, said the sharing initiative was a way of building social capital.
“St Peter’s has great facilities and we’re happy to be able to provide them for wider community use,” she said. “It’s all about being connected with the community.”
Badminton has also been introduced at Cairnlea Park and St Albans Meadows primary schools.
Social badminton at St Peter’s Catholic Primary School will be held every Sunday from 2-4pm during the school term.
For more information, call Ms Lin on 0402 428 988 or St Peter’s Catholic Primary School on 9312 31477.
