“Squash Canada is thrilled to receive confirmation of a new $312,000 contribution from Sport Canada and the Honourable Pascale St-Onge as part of the new Community Sport for All Initiative funding,” said Sandra Thompson, President of Squash Canada. “Squash is a sport for life, and has numerous social, physical, and psychological benefits that enhances the life of Canadians from coast to coast to coast. Squash Canada is committed to strengthen our sport culture to be more inclusive, diverse, equitable and accessible (as outlined in our IDEA Strategic Plan) and with this funding, squash will have an opportunity to reach more under-represented groups to participate in our sport.”
Squash Canada will distribute the funding through two identified projects:
-IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility) Encouragement Fund, which will include the creation of application guidelines, program templates, and report forms with the goal to distribute over 100 grants to eligible community organizations for targeted programming.
-Urban Squash Centres, which will include two aspects: (1) research and development of a community programming pilot handbook to provide organizations with information on job descriptions, program curriculum, policies, and procedures and more; and (2) disburse funding to three to five target communities to establish new Urban Squash Centres (similar to the Urban Squash Toronto concept) to acquire equipment, hire local employees, and deliver programming.
Squash Canada will provide more information soon on how community organizations can apply to be part of this initiative to make squash more inclusive, diverse, equitable and accessible.