The May Federal Budget has delivered some good news for communities involved in the Australian Government’s Active After-school Communities (AASC) program, announcing the program will continue throughout 2013.

The Australian Government has provided more than $300 million in ongoing funding support for sport in the 2012-13 Budget, announcing $39.2 million in ongoing funding for the program throughout 2013. The funding is largely focused on grassroots participation and high performance programs. Read the Minister for Sport’s statement about the Budget announcement. 

This funding and support for the AASC program is a great result for sport in Australia as well as the schools, after-school care centre and communities involved.

The ASC welcomed the Budget announcement, which confirms the Australian Government’s commitment to getting more children out of the lounge rooms and onto sporting fields - recognising the benefits of physical activity for healthy growth and development of our kids.

It also recognises the valuable work of the AASC program along with community coaches, local sporting clubs and sites that support the program to provide free access to sport and physical activity for children who otherwise who otherwise may not be active in sport.

The AASC program also strengthens links between children, their families and their local sporting clubs—inspiring and supporting community involvement, active lifestyles and ongoing participation. The program also offers pathway opportunities for children to learn about news sports and join a sporting club.

Since it began in 2005, the AASC Program has successfully delivered free sport and other activity program to more than 400,000 children across remote, regional and metropolitan Australia. In addition, about 54,000 community coaches have been trained through the Community Coach Training Program.

In addition to funding for the AASC program, Australia’s elite athletes will also benefit from the Australian Government’s continued commitment to high performance sport with approximately $170 million in the 2012-13 Budget to ensure Australia can continue to pursue sporting excellence.