The June Canavan Foundation: Breaking Ground, Breaking Barriers, and Empowering Women's Football in Australia

In the heart of Australia's sporting community, the legacy of Dr. June Canavan continues to blaze a trail of inspiration, support, and empowerment. Known for her remarkable contributions as a sports physician, her indomitable spirit lives on through the June Canavan Foundation, an organisation dedicated to championing the causes she was passionate about: sport, health, education, and conservation. Dr Canavan's tragic passing in 2009 spurred her friends, colleagues, and the wider community to establish the Foundation in 2010, ensuring her humanitarian ethos and commitment to making a difference would endure.

The June Canavan Foundation has meticulously crafted its Impact Framework for 2021-2031, focusing on maximising its influence by backing initiatives that are not just transformative but are also infused with the courage, potential, legacy, and collaboration June embodied. The Foundation's approach is refreshingly bold, favouring projects that dare to address tough challenges and have the potential to create ripple effects far beyond their immediate impact.

June's life was a testament to the power of dedication, compassion, and the belief that one person can make a significant difference. June's legacy is a beacon of hope and action, from her tireless work with athletes across Australia to her caring presence in the Sunshine Coast community and beyond. Her posthumous project, "Klocking up the Ks," aimed at raising funds for the School of St Jude in Tanzania, underscores her unwavering commitment to education and the well-being of others. In its quest to honour June's memory, the Foundation has continued this spirit of giving, amplifying its reach through strategic grants and investments.

The June Canavan Foundation's recent decision to award a financial grant to Women Onside is a significant milestone in this journey. Women Onside, with its unwavering dedication to advancing gender equality in football, represents the kind of initiative the Foundation aims to support. This grant is not just a financial boost; it's a statement of faith in the power of sport to foster social change, build communities, and empower women and girls across Australia and beyond.

This partnership between the June Canavan Foundation and Women Onside underscores a shared vision: a world where barriers to participation and leadership in sport are dismantled, where women's football is celebrated and supported at all levels, and where the legacy of trailblazers like Dr June Canavan inspires future generations to dream significant, break barriers, and create lasting change.

As Women Onside prepares to utilise this grant to further its mission, it does so with a deep sense of responsibility and gratitude. The Foundation's support is more than monetary; it's a beacon of hope and a catalyst for change, encouraging collaboration, bold action, and a steadfast commitment to making a difference in the lives of women and girls in sport. Together, the June Canavan Foundation and Women Onside are set to embark on a transformative journey that promises to break ground, break barriers, and build a legacy of empowerment and equality in Australian football and beyond.