A new partnership between Mid West members of parliament and former West Coast Eagles footballer Josh Kennedy’s JK Foundation is set to strengthen support for young Mid West athletes when participating in high-level sport. 

Lara Dalton MLA, Member for Geraldton and Sandra Carr MLC, Member for the Agricultural Region, have partnered with the JK Foundation’s ‘Sports Assistance Scholarship Program’, to make ongoing contributions to support young athletes from across Geraldton and the Mid West. 

Funding will go towards the costs young athletes face when participating in high-level sports, and can include costs such as player registration fees, uniforms, equipment, and travel. 

Established as a pilot in early 2023, the partnership has already seen support flow through to young athletes including Tae Kwon Do superstar Khyan Townsend, who was recently represented Australia at the ITF Taekwondo World Championships in Astana, Kazakhstan. 

Comments attributed to Lara Dalton, Member for Geraldton: 

“This partnership will provide incredible value for young athletes in Geraldton. 

“The JK Foundation provides a holistic approach to support our young athletes. It goes beyond a donation of money, it creates a partnership between the athlete and the JK Foundation, and brings along the family, school, and extended community.” 

“This partnership with the ‘Sports Assistance Scholarship Program’ will be leveraged by other partners of the JK Foundation, so what starts as a small donation will grow under the Foundation’s ambitious leadership.” 

Comments attributed to Sandra Carr MLC, Member for the Agricultural Region: 

“Our young regional athletes face additional challenges when striving to compete and train at higher levels. 

“Meeting the requests for support I receive has been challenging. Partnering with the JK Foundation allows us to contribute in a targeted manner, ensuring support goes where it is most needed, and will amplify the benefits for our young athletes and our region. 

“It means we can support more young athletes to access opportunities that may otherwise have been beyond reach.” 

Comments attributed to Kent Morgan, Manager of JK Foundation: 

“The JK Foundation exists to enrich regional communities by providing youth with the opportunity to realise their potential through improved access to sporting, education, health and wellbeing resources. 

“The Sports Assistance Program is an integral part of this, helping regional athletes overcome the costs and barriers associated with pursuing sporting opportunities.  

“We are so excited about the partnership with Lara and Sandra which will provide increased opportunity to young people across the region, through growth in our programs which work to build character, resilience, and leadership skills. 

“This support will see talented athletes have access to development pathways and enable them to showcase their skills on both a national and international stage.”  

Image caption L-R: JK Foundation Manager Kent Morgan, Hon. Sandra Carr MLC, JK Foundation founder Josh Kennedy and Lara Dalton MLA, Member for Geraldton.