Harvey Norman provides sponsorship for women’s and girls’ sport

TEAM Harvey Norman is an initiative providing 10 $5000 sponsorships for women’s and girls’ sport across Australia.

Not understanding the true disappear that local sporting clubs are in, the sponsorship offer received 1500 applications with the majority stating the need for uniforms and sporting equipment.

Evidence that junior girls sports teams are missing out is clear from data gathered by one of the few ­organisations that are dedicated to fixing the problem.

Harvey Norman CEO Katie Page said evidence that junior girls sports teams are missing out is clear and she was pleased to now have a snapshot of where grassroots funding should be focused.

“Team Harvey Junior has given us a local, state and national lens on where we can help and highlight to the government and other public companies that a real need exists,” Ms Page said.

“The aim was to identify 10 teams or clubs where we felt we could make a difference.

“However, we didn’t anticipate the level of interest or rather the extent of the need.

“We now know and have a much better picture of what sports young girls are at playing at different ages, whether they play at school or outside of school and what they need to continue to participate.”

New South Wales teams made up about a third of applicants, with netball the most popular sport, accounting for 53 percent of its applications.

Soccer was the second most popular (13 percent) followed by rugby league (9 percent) and basketball and AFL (8 percent).

Illawarra Basketball, one of four NSW winners, is an association with a strong female presence. It has nearly 400 registered female members as well as a plan to increase that number over the coming years.

The Team Harvey Junior grant will go towards its strategic plan and fund a push to win a national championship.

Original story by Daily Telegraph here