ARMIDALE City Bowling Club donated thousands of dollars to several local community organisations on Friday night.
The club distributed more than $105,000 in the last financial year to sporting groups, community groups and families in need - a record high. Donations on the night included $11,600 for BackTrack, $10,632 for Camp Quality and $5500 for the Armidale Men’s Shed.
Northern Tablelands MP Richard Torbay presented the donations and said the club made an outstanding contribution to the local community.
“Our clubs are a significant part of the social fabric of local communities, particularly in regional areas,” he said. “Not only do they provide sporting and social facilities for members, but they contribute generously to other sporting groups, community organisations and individuals and families in need.”
Senior executive officer Phil Wheaton said the club was proud to support local organisations.
“Armidale is a great place with a lot of generous people, and the funds through the community grant are going into
worthy local projects,” he said.
He reserved special praise for the team behind BackTrack, claiming the program was an overwhelming success.
“It was great being able to single out some of the boys on Friday night and hearing how much confidence they had after entering the program; it’s good for them and for the community as a whole,” he said.
“They’ve received the grant from Canberra now, which means the program will continue to help develop Armidale youth in a more positive direction than they probably would otherwise have done.”
Mr Wheaton thanked Mr Torbay and other members of the community for bringing worthy causes to the club’s
attention.
“Richard has helped identify community groups that would normally go under the radar,” he said. “BackTrack is a
perfect example of that, as is the New England Conservatorium of Music. We’re looking at taking the funding to different, wider areas for worthy projects.”
The club is expected to donate more than $280,000 this financial year to the community through bowls, in-kind
services and monetary funding.
- Stephen Jeffery