NSW Ports has helped Daceyville Public School students, parents and friends to get on their bikes and stay active with funding for a custom-built bicycle shed in an upcycled shipping container.
The $18,000 NSW Ports Community Grant will encourage more children to ride or scooter to school and learn about road and bike safety, keeping them fit, healthy and happy.
Local community groups who use the school grounds will also be able to store bicycles in the converted 40-foot container, which was officially opened today to mark National Ride2School Day. The project also received funding from the office of Kingsford Smith MP Matt Thistlethwaite.
Photo: NSW Ports CEO Marika Calfas, Kingsford Smith MP Matt Thistlethwaite, and Daceyville Public School P&C Representative Nathan Brown alongside teachers and students at Daceyville Public School celebrating the official opening of the new bike shed.
NSW Ports CEO Marika Calfas said the Daceyville Public School P&C Association was one of 17 recipients of the 2022 Community Grants program. The annual initiative supports organisations that make a difference in the areas surrounding NSW Ports’ sites.
“NSW Ports is an active member of the communities within which we operate and Port Botany plays a key role in delivering jobs, trade, sponsorships and support to the people of Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs and beyond,” she said.
“We’re proud to help kids and community members get active and learn more about staying safe when riding their bikes or scooters in the great outdoors.”
Environmental projects, multicultural and First Nations initiatives, social services and local sport and school programs were among the 2022 NSW Ports Community Grants recipients.
Daceyville Public School Parents and Citizens' Association representative Nathan Brown said the new bike storage shed will bring social and health benefits to children and the broader community.
“We hope to encourage everyone who uses our school grounds to try an alternative option of travelling to school, rather than driving,” he said.
“On behalf of the school community, I would like to thank NSW Ports and the Federal Government for helping us turn this ambition into a reality with our new, custom-built bike storage shed.”
Applications are now open for the 2023 NSW Ports Community Grants program, to help local groups, not-for-profit organisations and schools build thriving communities around Port Botany, Port Kembla and the Enfield and Cooks River intermodal centres. For more information or to apply for a one-off grant worth up to $25,000, visit nswports.com.au/grants.
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