NEWS RELEASE
BARRIE SOCCER CLUB
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In 2021, the Barrie Soccer Club received a $50,100 Resilient Communities Fund grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation to help the Club rebuild and recover from the impacts of COVID-19 and continue building a healthy, vibrant soccer community.
This grant project was completed in December 2021 and gives the soccer community improved access to programs, strengthened educational resources, and a new website. It has also supported full digitization of the club’s operations, enabling employees to work from anywhere and maximizing service delivery to the membership.
“With the values of team spirit, sportsmanship and respect, the Barrie Soccer Club holds a valued place in our community,” said Doug Downey, MPP for Barrie-Springwater-Oro-Medonte. “This grant has thankfully helped the club through difficult times, and I’m very glad to see them continue to grow and succeed.”
“Soccer has long been a healthy driver of community, building connections through shared experiences and passion,” said Barrie-Innisfil MPP Andrea Khanjin. “I am pleased that the Barrie Soccer Club has received funds from the OTF and has been putting it to good use to get kids and adults back to playing soccer. Having grown up playing soccer, I have seen first-hand the positive impact that sports can have on youth, teaching them valuable skills such as discipline, teamwork and commitment.”
In addition to elevating the knowledge base of coaches, improving program delivery and supporting efficient operations, this investment from OTF provided PPE and regular sanitation of the club. This ensured the safety of athletes, coaches, volunteers and employees, which couldn’t be more critical during a global pandemic.
"The impact of this Ontario Trillium Foundation grant cannot be underestimated,” said Will Devellis, president of the Barrie Soccer Club. “This grant has provided much needed resources during a time when the Club was in financial distress due to low registration numbers from the COVID-19 pandemic. We take pride in our fundamental role of enabling an environment of inclusivity and bringing the soccer community together. It is a role we wish to assume with the highest of standards, particularly from a health and safety perspective.”
The Barrie Soccer Club is a not-for-profit organization that was established in 1968, whose objective is to provide members with an opportunity to enhance their appreciation of the game of soccer. We offer recreational soccer opportunities within the house league, developmental and competitive programs. The Barrie Soccer Club also offers skills development programs, a soccer school, men’s/co-ed recreational programs and winter, summer and March Break camps. We provide services to nearly 2,000 individuals a year. We also take pride in our community engagement activities through school communities and other organizations to introduce soccer and contribute to the development of healthy and responsible citizens.
The Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) is an agency of the Government of Ontario, and one of Canada’s leading granting foundations. Last year, nearly $112M was invested into 1,384 community projects and partnerships to build healthy and vibrant communities and strengthen the impact of Ontario’s non- profit sector. In 2020/21, OTF supported Ontario’s economic recovery by helping non-profit organizations rebuild and recover from the impacts of COVID-19. Visit here to learn more.
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