Energy Safe Victoria makes footy club canteens safer

Energy Safe Victoria (ESV) is awarding more than $30,000 in Safer Canteens grants to help Victorian football and netball clubs buy safe and efficient electrical and gas appliances for their canteens.

The grants program, run in conjunction with AFL Victoria, will provide 32 Victorian grassroots clubs with grants of up to $1,000 to replace old, unsafe and energy inefficient fridges, bain maries, stoves, pie warmers, steamers and fryers.

This year’s program supports clubs as far west as Stawell, as far as north as Yarrawonga, east to Boisdale and south to Sorrento, while also helping clubs in metropolitan Melbourne.

>>> See full list of grant recipients below.

The Safer Canteens campaign has now delivered more than $150,000 over the past five years, helping 163 club canteens upgrade electrical and gas appliances.

ESV and AFL Victoria will shortly open nominations for clubs to celebrate their unsung Canteen Heroes – the canteen volunteers – between 2 and 30 August.

A $1000 grant will be awarded to the winner’s football club canteen for new gas appliances or electrical equipment.

Head of AFL Victoria Ben Kavenagh said: “Once again, we are proud to partner with Energy Safe Victoria on the Safer Canteen Grants program and thrilled to be able to deliver funding for another 32 clubs in 2022.”

“It’s now more than 150 clubs that Energy Safe Victoria have supported via the Safer Canteen Grants program since launching in 2018, leaving a really tangible impact on the creation of a safer working environment for so many of our volunteers.”

ESV Commissioner and Chairperson Marnie Williams said: “In most clubs, the canteen generates the most money but gets the least investment. It’s also the one place in a footy club where energy safety risks are most likely to be found.”

“In just five years, we have seen bain maries give volunteers a zap, 30-year-old pie warmers, urns leaking onto power cords and broken fridges. We’ve helped Victorian footy clubs, across the state, improve their canteen safety, protecting volunteers.”

2022 Successful Safer Canteens grant recipients

For more information about the ESV Safer Canteen Grants program, head to AFL Victoria | ESV Safer Canteens