A Victorian-first program to provide vouchers of up to $200 each for sporting equipment, uniforms and memberships will open within days, providing a major boost to the budgets of thousands of families.

Minister for Community Sport Ros Spence today confirmed that applications for the Get Active Kids program will open at 10am on Monday, 1 March, with the first of up to 100,000 vouchers to be made available.

The Andrews Labor Government provided $21 million for the program in the Victorian Budget 2020/21, supporting not only families but alsosports clubs and active recreation to broaden their memberships and provide them with additional revenue to help them recover from a tough 2020.

The vouchers are available for children aged four to 18 who reside in Victoria, are named on a current Australian Government Health Care Card or Pensioner Concession Card and also named on a valid Australian Government Medicare Card.

Second-hand equipment and uniforms purchased that meet the eligibility criteria can be claimed as part of the program, in addition to new equipment and uniforms.

Get Active Kids complements the Andrews Labor Government’s record investment in the Sporting Club Grants initiative, which opened this month with up to $6 million available for clubs and associations to pay for equipment and uniforms, boost administrative skills and improve operations.

Get Active Kids is part of the Get Active Victoria initiative, which is helping families to move more every day with ideas, tips and tools such as guided workout videos, articles and a free activity tracker. Get Active Victoria has something for everyone, regardless of their current level of activity or fitness.

Applications for vouchers in round one of Get Active Kids will close on 11 April 2021. To apply or to obtain more information, visit getactive.vic.gov.au/vouchers.