Big box update
Bunnings grants for women's football
General interest magazine Reader's Digest has proclaimed Bunnings as "Australia's Most Trusted Iconic Brand"
Thu Apr 29 2021
The Bunnings Helping Hand program is giving one community AFL club from each state and territory in Australia the opportunity to access grants worth $30,000 to help upgrade their facilities to be more user-friendly for female footballers. (Applications for the program close on June 9, 2021).
Since the establishment of a national competition in 2016, the number of girls and women playing football has increased from 194,952 to 586,422, according to the Bunnings Helping Hand website.
With such rapid growth, sporting facilities at community clubs are struggling to meet demand; in fact, a recent audit of facilities showed less than 30 per cent were considered female-friendly. So the inaugural provision of Bunnings Helping Hand grants will be entirely dedicated to the build and upgrade of infrastructure for female footballers.
AFL executive general manager of customer and commercial, Kylie Rogers, said the support and investment is significant in helping the future of the game.
Bunnings' support of female football has been significant, not only at the elite level with its sponsorship of the NAB AFLW competition, but at the grassroots level through its new Bunnings Helping Hands initiative.
Through the introduction of new female football initiatives like the Bunnings Helping Hands program, we hope more women and girls feel inspired to get involved in our game and be part of the continued growth of the NAB AFLW competition for many years to come.
Bunnings managing director, Michael Schneider, said:
We know the important role local footy clubs play in bringing communities together and through our partnership and support of the NAB AFLW competition, we hope to demonstrate our commitment to women and girls in sport and make a meaningful difference to the wider community.
Achieving change requires commitment from many and as a proud AFLW partner it's just a small way we can lend a hand.
Melbourne AFLW captain and Bunnings Helping Hands ambassador, Daisy Pearce, said this program is chance for community clubs to show their inclusivity and appeal more to female footballers.
Grassroots football clubs are the heartbeat of local communities everywhere and the place where I first developed my passion for the game, so I'd encourage all community football clubs to apply for the Bunnings Helping Hand program to make their clubs more inclusive of the next generation of female football stars.
The AFLW's popularity continues to grow with its fifth season selling out 13 matches and reaching a record number of 24,423 memberships, according to the Ministry of Sport.
Brand status
Bunnings has topped the list of "trusted iconic brands" in Australia, based on information collated by Reader's Digest Asia Pacific. Its report said:
With over 300 outlets, and employing tens of thousands of locals, Bunnings is part of Australian culture.
According to Harvard Business School professor Douglas Holt, few brand marketers know how to secure their brand that illusive iconic status. Why? "Because icons are built according to principles entirely different from those of conventional marketing."
Iconic brands like Bunnings, as well as Vegemite, the Royal Flying Doctor Service, WeetBix, Qantas, Bega, AVJennings and Victa are Australian icons with deep connections to our culture and lifestyles. They each enjoy culture share, as well as market share, and are tethered by history and symbolism that states what the brand stands for, not just how it performs.
Among the winning trusted brands in 2021, our iconic brands stand out in the market because of their place in Australian history - they are trusted icons as well as a source of national pride.
