Pretoria - The time has arrived for South Africans to reap the benefits of successfully hosting the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
This follows an announcement by the 2010 FIFA World Cup Legacy Trust on Wednesday that the first applications for the funding of the Trust will open on Friday and will remain open for two months.
The Legacy Trust, which became operational in April, will support a wide range of public initiatives in the areas of football development, education, health and humanitarian activity, using the game as a tool in South Africa.
The Trust will be disbursing a total of R40 million of the R450 million received from FIFA as a legacy of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
The Trust is an entity established by FIFA and the South African Football Association (Safa) at the end of the 2010 FIFA World Cup to promote and extend the development and the reach of the game of football within South Africa.
The Fund focuses primarily on interventions that fall within the ambit of Safa's National Development Framework.
The Trust will have a deliberate bias towards strategic national programmes that aim to enhance football development in the country.
It will consider funding applications for football development programmes, including courses for referees, coaches, administrators and players, facility improvement and development, equipment and academies. This includes two categories of funding one category for projects exceeding R10 000 that will require business plans, financial statement and regular reporting.
The second category is for funding less than R10 000 where the only requirements would be the application form, a constitution and a letter of support from the Local Football Association (LFA) or Region.
Strategic national, provincial and regional football development programmes which aim to improve the quality of football along the development continuum will enjoy priority.
Education, including Bursaries for football players, coaches, referees and administrators (professionals included) as well as funding for None-governmental organisations that use football as a vehicle for community development through Life skills, leadership and other relevant programmes.
Relevant football research projects will also be considered under this category. Health including Healthy lifestyle through football programmes, Research and development on football related health matters as well Training of specialist medical personnel for football teams.
On humanitarian causes the Trust will fund football communities struck by disaster or tragedy. Those who are eligible to apply for funding are Safa regions, its local association as well as associate members, amateur teams, schools and universities as well as supporters clubs registered with Safa.
Again, even Non-governmental organisations (NGO's) that primarily use football as a vehicle for community development, NGO's hosting the 20 Centres for 2010 and other suitable structures that have a connection with football are eligible for applying for funding.
In total, R450 million has been transferred by FIFA into the Legacy Trust accounts that will be administered by international auditors Ernst and Young. A further R700 million was allocated by FIFA as a legacy of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
