Sport
7 August, 2026
Sports clubs urged to apply for lifesaving defibrillator grants
Community sporting organisations across Southern NSW can now apply for funding to install lifesaving defibrillators, with the NSW Government opening applications for the 2026 Local Sport Defibrillator Grant Program.
Community sporting organisations across Southern NSW can now apply for funding to install lifesaving defibrillators, with the NSW Government opening applications for the 2026 Local Sport Defibrillator Grant Program.
$500,000 has been committed to the program, with eligible sporting organisations able to apply for grants of up to $3,000 to purchase, install and maintain an Automated External Defibrillator (AED), as well as provide training.
The funding is designed to help clubs overcome the cost of purchasing and maintaining the devices, with priority to be given to organisations in disadvantaged communities and those experiencing financial hardship.
Cardiac arrest can occur without warning, and every minute without defibrillation significantly reduces a person's chance of survival.
Since the program began in 2017, more than 2,500 AEDs have been installed at community sport and recreation facilities across New South Wales.
All defibrillators funded through this year's program will also be registered on the GoodSAM AED Registry, allowing members of the public and emergency responders to quickly locate the nearest device during an emergency.
Professor Jamie Vandenberg, Co-Deputy Director of the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, said early access to a defibrillator could dramatically improve survival rates.
"Being able to access a defibrillator quickly and easily could be the difference between life and death for someone suffering a sudden cardiac arrest," he said.
"Survival rates can more than double if a defibrillator is used in the first few minutes of a cardiac arrest.
"Currently less than one in 10 people who have a sudden cardiac arrest outside of hospital will survive.
"This is a sobering statistic but it's one we can change for the better by installing more of these lifesaving devices in sports clubs across the state."
Applications close on 7 October 2026, or earlier if the available funding is exhausted. Eligible sporting organisations are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.
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