Work is expected to start early next year on the construction of a $150,000 obstacle course at The Glen, a drug and alcohol residential rehabilitation centre at Chittaway Point.
The Glen, which provides a culturally safe environment for both indigenous and non-indigenous men and women to recover from addiction, is among the 35 community groups sharing $6.1M in funding under the latest round of the NSW Government’s Clubgrants Category 3 Infrastructure Grants Program.
While the 20-obstacle course is aimed at promoting fitness and healthy living for residents at The Glen, it will also be open for community groups to use.
The Glen CEO Alex Lee said the course would be a new community, cultural and sporting facility for the Central Coast.
He said the construction certificate had been granted and work was expected to start early next year.
“We have partnered with Ward Civil and have a local builder ready to go,” Lee said.
“It is highly engineered and designed to be very safe.
“This is about more than just a physical challenge as it will encourage attendees to break down cultural and socio-economic barriers to achieve their goals.
“Each obstacle will include a unique story, and all attendees will be invited to learn about The Glen and its history.”
Member for Wyong David Harris, who is also Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Treaty, Minister for Gaming and Racing and Minister for the Central Coast, said that while the space would be used regularly by clients of The Glen to achieve their physical goals, it would also promote social skills such as communication, leadership and teamwork.
“The facility will be an asset that generates funds that will be reinvested into The Glen’s program to support people suffering from addiction for years to come,” Harris said.
The Clubgrants Category 3 Infrastructure Grants Program is operated under the Gaming Machine Tax Act 2001 and administered by the Office of Responsible Gambling.
The fund reinvests 0.4 per cent of gaming machine profits over $1M from registered clubs back into community infrastructure projects.
Infrastructure Grants are open to not-for-profit community organisations and local councils and delivered across four categories: arts and culture, community infrastructure, sport and recreation and disaster readiness.
“While we review the wider program, the NSW Government is proud to deliver this support to enable critical projects that will boost local economies and foster community spirit across the state,” Harris said.
Since 2013, the program has provided more than $130M to support 750 local council and not-for-profit community projects.
Two grant rounds are offered each year under Category 3, with 2023-24 funding for this category committed prior to the decision to review the broader Clubgrants program.
Applications for the next round are now open and will close on December18.
To find out more or to apply visit https://www.nsw.gov.au/grants-and-funding/responsible-gambling-grants