Cranebrook Little Athletes Sarah Galea, Charlotte Harrison and Ram Nidharsana. Photo supplied by Cranebrook Little A’s.

CRANEBROOK Little Athletics is jumping into the new season with a $3,700 grant from Coles to support aspiring athletes and community volunteers.

Cranebrook was one of 72 grassroots Little Athletics Centres across Australia, recently announced as a successful recipient of the 2025 Coles Little Athletics Community Fund, which will share in $250,000 to purchase much-needed sports, safety and volunteer equipment.

Cranebrook Little Athletics will use their grant to buy a new electronic starting gun and scissor mat which President Damian Griggs said will help volunteers to deliver a fun, safe and quality program to young athletes.

“Most of our funding comes directly from registrations and a small number of sponsors supporting us, that’s why grants like these are so important to help ease the financial pressure our club face each season,” he said.

“Our current scissor jump mats are nearly 10 years old, and in a poor condition, which limits our ability to deliver this event in a safe and structured way. Replacing these mats will not only restore safety and compliance but also allow us to run our program as planned and on time, thus improving the experience for all involved.

“Additionally, the new starting gun will greatly enhance the efficiency of our track program. By covering these key equipment needs with the Coles grant, we can redirect the limited sponsorship funds we receive toward other vital areas such as athlete development, volunteer support, and ongoing facility maintenance.”

Cranebrook Little Athletics’ grant comes as Little Athletics Australia revealed a 16% jump in participation over the past 12 months, with the biggest increase recorded in the Little Athletics Tiny Tots program for 3 to 5-year-old children, which rose by 33%. In the past five seasons, Little Athletics has grown by more than 40% to over 96,000 Aussie kids and a further 74,000 community volunteers, coaches and officials, making it one of the most participated junior sports programs in Australia.

A significant contributor to this surge in participation was Australia’s success at the Paris Olympics, which represented the third-highest post-Olympics growth in the past 40 years (behind London 2012 and Sydney 2000). And now, with a home Olympic Games on the horizon, Coles is backing Little Athletics for a further three years by renewing its partnership with the iconic Australian sporting program.

Little Athletics Australia CEO Myles Foreman said Little Athletics is well positioned to maintain its growth with recent successes on and off the track and field.

“Grassroots Little Athletics Centres are the heartbeat of our sport. The sustained upward trend in participation over the past five years is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our 74,000 volunteers across the country, as well as the ongoing efforts of our State and Territory Member Associations, which deliver quality programs to thousands of young athletes,” he said.

“Our partnership extension with Coles for a further three years will also help Little Athletics to continue this momentum with resources and opportunities for children of all ages, including our youngest athletes through the Coles Little Athletics Tiny Tots program.”

Coles Acting Group Corporate and Indigenous Affairs Officer Jace Armstrong said Coles is extremely proud of its long-standing partnership with Little Athletics.

“Coles’ partnership with Little Athletics is built on mutual values and goals to help kids and local communities thrive and grow. Since 2017, Coles has donated more than 6 million bananas and over $2.8 million in sports equipment grants to help kids stay fit and be active. We’re excited to play a role in fostering the next generation of Australian athletes for another three years,” he said.

In addition to providing equipment grants to grassroots centres, Coles is also raising funds for Little Athletics through its annual Banana A-Peel, a national fundraiser whereby 5 cents from every kilo of Cavendish bananas sold at Coles until 21 October will be donated to Little Athletics.