The Orange and District Football Association Soccer, the Gnoo Blas Classic Car Club and the Orange Cycle and Triathlon Club are among 11 sporting groups in the Orange electorate to be approved for funding.

They will each receive about $1300 which will count as half the money needed to buy a defibrillator for their use.

It will be the second unit for the Football Association which will now have a facility available in both canteens across Sir Jack Brabham Park.

Car Club president Denis Gregory said the portable unit would be placed in a vehicle when they went on car rallies and it would also be available for car shows.

He said with a higher proportion of older members, where people were more susceptible to a heart attack, it was a potential life-saving move.

“It’s good news for us. It’s a classic car club and most of our members are classic,” he said.

Mr Gregory said when they were on road trips they could be long distances from the nearest hospital which made a portable device crucial for the safety of members.

Parliamentary secretary for Western NSW Rick Colless said defibrillators could save lives.

“Having access to a defibrillator in the first eight minutes after a cardiac arrest is vital to give people the best chances of survival so I recommend all the clubs in this area to apply to this program, [the state government’s Local Sports Defibrillator Program],” he said.

“We need to make sport as safe as possible.”

Orange mayor Reg Kidd said the announcement was particularly relevant for Orange sporting clubs after Orange City Lions rugby coach Steve Hamson suffered a heart attack at Pride Park last year and was saved with the use of a defibrillator at the ground.

“We would have lost a fantastic football coach here in Orange if there hadn’t been a defibrillator out at Waratahs,” Cr Kidd said.