In September 2021, the Planning Authority announced the ‘Restore the Club’ scheme for all local clubs and clubs to help finance the restoration of their building, following financial difficulties. suffered during the pandemic. Through this scheme, 72 clubs are benefiting from a maximum of €5,000 in order to carry out maintenance work on the building.
In the locality of Żejtun, the Minister for Public Works and Planning Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi visited three clubs that benefited from this scheme. He explained that although the clubs that applied were mainly local band clubs, a number of submissions were received from local football clubs, ball clubs, political party clubs and other voluntary organizations.
Minister Zrinzo Azzopardi explained that for this scheme there were around € 250,000 funds allocated, with works ranging from restoration of the facade of the club, including wooden balconies and openings, waterproofing, internal renovation works and upgrading of various facilities.
Authority Executive Chairman Martin Saliba said, “We should not underestimate the importance of our clubs – apart from the cultural heritage that these organizations have within Maltese society, they serve as places that unite people of ‘different ages and views.’ He explained that today the culture of the clubs is changing rapidly and becoming more inclusive, especially when it comes to the participation of women who not only attend but are at the forefront of these social centers.
Minister Zrinzo Azzopardi added that through this initiative, support was given to these voluntary organizations to alleviate the financial burden they had to face during the pandemic. This is due to the fact that the maintenance of these buildings is an ongoing one regardless of whether the club is open or closed.
