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The Big Give is an event supporting central Victorian community groups. The Bendigo Advertiser will be profiling several of the registered campaigns each week until the initiative ends with a 24-hour giving day on September 1.
Bendigo Blaze Inline Hockey Club has experienced a surge in memberships.
President Mel Beames said it had grown to become one of the largest clubs in Victoria, with almost 100 members.
She said the club had about 60 members two years ago.
Miss Beames attributed some of that growth to an increasing number of females getting involved in the sport, in a range of age groups and divisions.
The club has delighted in its rising popularity and adapted to the increased numbers.
One of the ways in which it has done so has been to address the need for additional change rooms.
Bendigo Blaze Inline Hockey Club is based at The Zone in East Bendigo.
“We have a really good relationship with Ben Janssen, the owner of The Zone,” Miss Beames said.
“He has been really great in supporting us.”
When demand for female change rooms outstripped supply, Miss Beames said Mr Janssen made an additional space available, separate to the general change room.
But she said the supplementary area lacked seating and storage space.
The club has launched a Big Give campaign to fund improvements to the change rooms.
It aims to raise $8000 for additional storage space and seating.
The female change rooms also need a fresh coat of paint, and the male change rooms need curtain railings for privacy.
Miss Beames said the money would also help pay for an upgrade to safety equipment, which would support new and visiting members to the club.
She said there might be scope to consider expanding the change rooms in future.
The Big Give fundraising page is called Change for Change.
“Many of our club members and their families and friends have helped out in whatever way they can to build seating and other things, but the funds required to do what is required would be a big hit on the club,” the page states.
The Big Give ends with a community giving day on September 1 – now less than two weeks away.
More than 60 causes have registered for the initiative.
They stand to win a share in a $30,000 prize pool based on funds raised during the community giving day.
The Bendigo Blaze Inline Hockey Club started in 2007.
“We are a family orientated club,” Miss Beames said.
“Cousins come along and siblings start playing.”