Sport and Community

Sport & Community

In February 1958, The Bankstown District Cricket Association took the initiative and passed a motion to call a meeting to discuss the idea of a community club with other interested sporting bodies. Delegates met for the first time on April 23, and born out of that meeting was a decision to officially register Bankstown District Sports Club Ltd under the Companies Act in August 1958.

At inception, the Club’s charter was to sponsor sports and foster it. It was a prerequisite that members and their children be actively involved in sport, the intention being that members’ children go on to become members themselves, carrying on the tradition of promoting sports in the area and nurturing the community spirit that developed.

Today, the strength of this community spirit remains core to the DNA of Bankstown Sports who are proud to be supporting over 35 different sporting clubs and investing much needed funds to each of the nominated clubs.

Community sports has been majorly impacted by the global pandemic experienced over the last couple of years. However, the strength and desire of the club, and it’s team of staff to continue providing the community with a trusted backbone of traditional values has seen some incredible success during a period of severe challenge. Of note:

• Bankstown Sports Athletics Club saw glory as

Eleanor Patterson was crowned World High Jump

Champion by winning the Gold Medal in the

Women’s High Jump at the 2022 World Athletics

Championships. The reigning World Indoor Silver

Medallist was ranked world number 5 heading into the Championships before she cleared the winning 2.02m which equaled the Australian and

Oceania records. • In January 2021, Bankstown Sports Group contributed $1 million of a $1.5 million to the

Canterbury - Bankstown community, securing the future of local community sport with the major facility upgrade of the Mark & Steve Waugh

Pavilion at Canterbury Bankstown’s Memorial Oval. • The upgrade will not only focus on refurbishing the pavilion itself, but also improving female amenities and disability access. The redevelopment will also ensure greater accessibility to the wider

Bankstown community by updating external and internal pathways as well as providing improved lighting to the ground to allow for night matches and community events.

Critical to the continued success of Bankstown Sports is that the Club’s charter has always been supportive of grassroots junior sport and continues to strive to provide low-cost opportunities to both Bankstown and Hills Shire participants.

Critical to the continued success of Bankstown Sports is that our club remains committed to these sporting clubs and the extended community. Physical health, social inclusion and mental wellbeing are key, and the Club is here to help support these goals in our community, starting at a grassroots sporting level.

• Bankstown Sports Group supports over 35 grass roots clubs • 11,000 sport club participants • In excess of 1,000 volunteers • $1.75 million in funds supporting community sport • Current major projects include electronic scoreboards, Junior development programs, infrastructure developments and improved facilities