The Wests Tigers’ community work off the field to deliver outreach programs for people in Western Sydney has doubled in less than a year, following its successful partnership with the Sydney Motorway Corporation (SMC).
Sydney Motorway Corporation (SMC) CEO Dennis Cliche said the organisation had teamed up with the Wests Tigers as a community partner one year ago.
“SMC is proud to partner with the Wests Tigers, widely regarded as a leader within the NRL, to help the club achieve its goal of increasing participation and interaction in its community programs and initiatives, and tackle some of the biggest issues facing communities in the west,” Mr Cliche said.
“We hold a shared commitment to make a meaningful difference and deliver a lasting positive legacy.
“We’re delighted that through our partnership the number of world class programs delivered by the club has doubled to 50, targeting a range of important issues such as health, education, social cohesion, leadership and youth employment.
“At SMC, we’re committed to connecting communities and helping to achieve positive outcomes for local groups and residents and our association with the Wests Tigers has significantly increased these opportunities.”
Wests Tigers CEO Justin Pascoe said the partnership had enabled the club to increase its resourcing capabilities to keep up with the demand and delivery of new programs to create positive social change.
“This year we’ve had a significantly greater impact in the local community, with the partnership integral to the rollout of new programs which has directly benefited more than 100,000 people across Western Sydney,” Mr Pascoe said.
“Our association with SMC has also seen us develop new relationships with local community groups including We Help Ourselves, an organisation based in Rozelle which provides programs aimed at achieving recovery from alcohol and other drug dependencies.
“We saw an opportunity to offer assistance and developed a targeted program for residents to help tackle their physical and mental health issues. It’s proved incredibly popular and is now attended by around 80 people each week.”
Mr Cliche said SMC was pleased to be continuing its partnership with the Wests Tigers for a further two years.
“After seeing what has been achieved in less than 12 months, we’re excited to see what next year holds for the Wests Tigers and for Western Sydney communities,” Mr Cliche said.
“While WestConnex will help unlock Sydney’s potential with more jobs and less congestion, we want to deliver positive outcomes for the community during construction and beyond.”
For more information about the Community Connections Program visit www.sydneymotorway.com.au/community.
