Clontarf receives $30m in government funding

The state government today announced it will provide $30 million in funding over five years to the Clontarf Foundation, allowing the sports academy to operate in 30 Western Australian schools as of 2020.

Founded in 2000, Clontarf Foundation operates a series of football academies for around 2,900 Aboriginal students in 55 schools across WA, Northern Territory, Victoria and NSW.

With Wesfarmers and Woodside Petroleum among its corporate sponsors, the foundation received $47 million in revenue in 2018, making it the 10^th largest charitable organisation in WA, according to BNiQ.

The government's funding will help expand the foundation’s academies into Ellenbrook Secondary College, Belmont City College, Collie Senior High School and Narrogin Senior High School, with up to 200 additional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children benefiting as a result.

Clontarf chief executive Gerard Neesham said he was delighted with the government’s decision to fund the academy’s expansion.

“This partnership is now delivering programs to over 2,200 WA Aboriginal young men with excellent results in attendance, year 12 completion and entry into employment and further training,” he said.

“We are very excited about the new locations and are looking forward to getting down to work with the new schools to establish these programs during 2020.”

Education and Training Minister Sue Ellery said Clontarf’s efforts to provide education, life and leadership skills to Aboriginal people was a vitally important endeavour.

“I was pleased to secure this funding for the Clontarf Foundation to run and expand on its programs, reaching more students - and spurring them on to persevere, be resilient and succeed,” she said.

Aboriginal Affairs Minister Ben Wyatt echoed those comments, saying the funding would provide young Aboriginal men with the foundations for success.

“The value of this program is not only to the individual but also to the broader community which is an ethos strongly supported by the McGowan government,” he said.