The Ministry of Housing and Social Development has announced that Sunshine Coast groups will receive $175,700 in gaming grants targeting youth and disabled sports programs, plus $630 for arts and culture grants for the 2010/11 year.
The Ministry made gaming grant announcements in August for three grant sectors - youth and disabled sports, arts and culture, and human and social services. The Ministry announced the sports grants, totaling approximately $9.2 million for 457 provincial recipient groups, Aug. 14.
Two Gibsons groups were named as grant recipients: the Sunshine Coast Skating Club, receiving $36,700; and the Sunshine Coast Girls Softball Association, receiving $5,500.
Six Sechelt groups were named as grant recipients: the Sechelt Minor Softball Association, receiving $12,400; the Special Olympics British Columbia Society - Sunshine Coast (Gibsons), $8,100; the Sunshine Coast Central Baseball League, $7,600; the Sunshine Coast Lacrosse Association, $1,300; the Sunshine Coast Minor Hockey Association, $40,900; and the Sunshine Coast Youth Soccer Association, $63,200.
The Ministry announced the first round of human and social services grants, totaling approximately $24.9 million for 814 groups, Aug. 27. No Coast groups were named as recipients; however, the Ministry said that further recipients in that category will be announced in late February.
No further sports and arts grants are expected for the 2010/11 year.
The Ministry announced arts and culture grants, totaling approximately $2.8 million for 175 groups, Sept. 3. The sole Coast recipient of a grant in this category was the Sunshine Coast Community Orchestra Association, which will receive $630.
The Ministry did not provide information to Coast Reporter about how many Sunshine Coast applications it had received in each category, citing lengthy research time, but stated that any group that meets the Ministry's criteria in a certain category will receive at least some grant money.
To date, the province has allocated approximately $57 million in gaming grants of the $120 million it has budgeted for the 2010-2011 year.
