Perth Hills United Football Club hope new changerooms will encourage more female players

A LOCAL soccer club hopes separate female change rooms will encourage more women to be active in the sport.

Shire of Mundaring was recently successful in attracting funding from the Department of Sport and Recreation for female change rooms at Harry Riseborough Oval in Mundaring.

Shire President David Lavell said two transportable change rooms and an accessible ablution would be constructed near the existing facilities.

The transportables will create separate male and female change rooms and each transportable unit will contain showers, toilets, lockers and bench seating.

“Perth Hills United Football Club is the main user of the oval and has increasing numbers of female players,” Cr Lavell said.

“With the current facilities this causes some difficulties in catering for both males and females when concurrent games are played.

“The Shire is proud to support this project to encourage residents to be active and allow the club to grow.”

The total cost of the project is $340,000; Department of Sport and Recreation is contributing $102,000 towards the upgrades through a grant, with Perth Hills United Football Club contributing $8000.

Perth Hills United Football Club secretary Phil Lindsay said the upgrades were expected to assist the club host tournaments and finals, and possibly increase the number of female teams.

“With the improvements at Harry Riseborough Oval we hope to be able to offer a much more enjoyable playing experience for all teams that visit Mundaring, as well as provide better facilities for our own members,” he said.

The project is expected to be completed in time for the 2017 season.