The Southland Softball Association has received a major boost to the development of its proposed new regional facility in Surrey Park with the confirmation today of a $250,0000 grant from the Lottery Grants Board Community Facilities Fund.
Southland Softball president Rata Hopa said ‘Our association has found the community funding environment to develop regional facilities like softball’s is much more challenging than ever before’
With this funding injection added to the $750,000 donated to the project earlier this year by the ILT Foundation and the Invercargill Licensing Trust and a commitment by the softball community itself of $300,000, the Southland Softball Association believes that that the $1.8m project target is now within reach.
“The support given to our association by the Invercargill Licensing Trust, the Invercargill City Council and now the Lottery Grants Board has encouraged our facility development committee not to compromise on the vision to build a quality modern, multifunctional facility that will meet the needs of this and future generations of Southlander softballers”
Depending on the response to applications to other community funding agencies early next year to secure the balance of funds required, it is anticipated that construction of the new facility will commence at the end of next winter.
‘The support given to our association by the Invercargill Licensing Trust, the Invercargill City Council and now the Lottery Grants Board has encouraged our facility development committee not to compromise on the vision to build a quality modern, multifunctional facility that will meet the needs of this and future generations of Southlander softballers’
‘We are now confident that there is light at the end of the tunnel to allow us to complete our project’