FFA partners with Australian Red Cross

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Football Federation Australia (FFA) has announced a partnership with the Australian Red Cross to support those who are most vulnerable to the COVID-19 pandemic across Australia.

FFA will use its platforms to connect its network and profile to assist the Red Cross in their efforts to respond to the effect the outbreak has had on community wellbeing.

FFA CEO James Johnson said: “We are very glad to be working with Australian Red Cross on this important initiative.

“We will work together connecting people online to share essential tools and tips to give all Australians practical ways to support each other, maintain their wellbeing, and stay safely connected.

“We will ask younger people across our network to promote the importance of practicing social distancing, washing hands and staying at home to help slow the spread of COVID-19.

“Finally, we may, as this situation evolves, be called upon to help Red Cross with critical volunteering gaps in essential services and to scale their response to COVID-19 as necessary. We look forward to contributing to this important work.

“The strength of our game lies in our community and our job will be to provide our participants with a link to the Australian Red Cross to contribute online and in other digital ways to support vulnerable Australians under the guidance of an expert partner in this field. We are delighted that football, in a whole of game effort, can commit this platform to Australian Red Cross and support them in their campaign to help Australians in need.”

“We are fortunate to have some of Australian football’s most respected people supporting this initiative, and we would like to thank Tara Rushton, Lucy Zelic, Mel McLaughlin, Mark Bosnich, Jade North, and Craig Foster for their contributions to date. The initiative also has the support of our State and Territory Member Federations, and I would especially like to acknowledge Football NSW Chairman Anter Isaac and Football Victoria CEO Peter Filopoulos for their contributions,” he said.

Working with the Australian Federal and State Governments, the Australian Red Cross are helping the mental health of those most susceptible to the pandemic.

Australian Red Cross Director of Volunteering Penny Harrison said: “As we all work to flatten the curve, as a community we must look out for each other, and especially those who are most isolated and vulnerable during this unprecedented time.

“Working with FFA means we can tap into the power of football and work with its amazing and diverse community of members and fans to support more Australians who are facing this crisis alone. This is the power of humanity in action.”

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Female Football Week kicks off across Northern NSW

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Female Football Week has officially begun across Northern NSW, with a program of gala days, networking events and awards ceremonies running until Sunday May 17, marking a ten-day celebration that organisers say reflects both the growth of women’s football in the region and the work still required to sustain it.

The national initiative, now a fixture on the football calendar, provides a dedicated period of visibility for female participants across all levels of the game from players, coaches, referees to volunteers, whose contributions have historically received less recognition than their male counterparts.

NNSWF Participation and Women’s Football Officer Serena Carter said the week offered something for everyone connected to women’s football in the region.

“Female Football Week provides a fantastic chance to highlight the dedication and skill of female players, coaches, referees and volunteers across the northern NSW community,” Carter said. “There’s something for everyone to enjoy, from grassroots participants to elite competitors.”

Women’s football in northern NSW spans remote and regional communities where clubs operate on limited resources, alongside more established metropolitan programs with clearer development pathways. Female Football Week creates a moment of shared recognition across that spectrum and acknowledges the role volunteers play, from running the canteen to progressing through the pathway.

Northern NSW Football has recorded some of its strongest participation numbers in women’s and girls’ football in recent seasons, a trend that has placed increasing pressure on clubs and facilities to keep pace. The week’s events offer clubs an opportunity to showcase their commitment to diversity and inclusion at a time when that commitment is being tested by growth.

Football NNSW Releases Infrastructure Strategies as Participation Growth Outpaces Facilities

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Northern NSW Football has unveiled bespoke infrastructure strategies for each of its seven member zones, providing an evidence-based roadmap for facility investment across the region as continued participation growth exposes critical gaps in the sporting infrastructure available to support it.

The Member Zone Infrastructure Strategies draw on data across participation rates, population growth and existing facility conditions to map what each zone has, what it needs and where investment will have the greatest impact. Identified gaps include drainage, lighting and inclusive changerooms – the foundational infrastructure that determines whether facilities are functional, safe and accessible year-round.

NNSWF Government Relations Manager Gary Fisher said the strategies represented a significant step toward smarter, more targeted investment across the region.

“By bringing together key data on participation, population growth and existing infrastructure, these strategies give us a stronger understanding of where the needs are greatest and where investment will have the most impact,” Fisher said. “Ultimately we want to create more inclusive and accessible environments for everyone involved in the game while building stronger, more sustainable clubs and communities for the future.”

Northern NSW Football has previously noted that participation across the region is at record levels and still rising, with women’s and girls’ football a significant driver of that growth. Infrastructure that was built for a smaller and less diverse participation base is increasingly unable to meet current demand, let alone accommodate future growth.

The strategies are also designed to strengthen NNSWF’s alignment with government funding priorities, providing the evidence base needed to support grant applications and long-term facility planning across all seven zones.

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