On Monday 28 September, the Spata–Artemida Sports Club ‘GAIA’ received 5,000 euros from the Municipality of Spata–Artemida. This is the tenth grant to a sports club paid by the municipality this year, bringing the total for the nine months to 80,480 euros.
Of this amount, 54,560 euros — almost seven out of every ten euros — went to two football clubs. A.P.O. Aittitos Spata received 27,280 euros on 30 April and A.O. Artemis another 27,280 euros on 15 May. Next came the Artemida–Spata Nautical Club with 5,000 euros on 3 August and ‘GAIA’ with a further 5,000.
A total of 14,920 euros was distributed to cultural associations: 3,000 euros to the ‘7 March’ Union of Dodecanese Islanders (29 July), to the Artemida Association of Cretans (5 August) and to the ‘Agios Nikolaos’ Cultural and Beautification Association (28 August), €2,970 to the Artemida Association of Peloponnesians ‘O Morias’ and €2,950 to the Prophet Elias Cultural Association – Agia Paraskevi – Venia – Makrya Lachidia – Mesovarda. Only one grant was awarded outside the fields of sport and culture: 1,000 euros to the organisation ‘The Smile of the Child’, on 11 June.
WHAT HAS CHANGED SINCE LAST YEAR?
In 2025, the council had allocated 77,580 euros to twelve clubs — slightly less money, but distributed amongst more recipients. The big difference lies in football: last year the two teams received €38,680, which was half the total. Aittitos received €15,000 and this year €27,280, an increase of 82 per cent. A.O. Artemis had received 15,000 euros in May and a further 8,680 in November, totalling 23,680, and this year 27,280 in a single payment.
At the same time, eight clubs that received grants last year had not received any funds as of 30 September: the Spata Basketball Club (€6,000 in 2025), the E.A.O.S. and the ‘Helios’ sports club (€5,000 each), the Spata Theatre Workshop ‘Skynovates’, the ‘Ypapanti’ Beautification Society, the Artemides–Spata Dance Group, the Municipal Employees’ Association (3,000 each) and the Artemida Women’s Association ‘Solidarity’ (2,900). Last year, however, half of these payments were made in the final quarter, and 36,440 euros of the year’s total of 116,920 euros remain unallocated in the relevant budget line.
HOW AN ASSOCIATION APPLIES FOR A GRANT
The law allows the municipality to award grants only to cultural and sports clubs based within its boundaries (Article 202 of the Code of Municipalities and Communities). The process is clearly set out in the documents: the club submits an application stating the amount and the activity to be funded — ‘Aittitos’ submitted its application on 31 March, requesting exactly 27,280 euros to organise a football tournament. The application is accompanied by the club’s articles of association, a certificate from the Court of First Instance, the minutes of the board meeting setting out the budget for the initiative, the approved accounts for the previous year, a certificate confirming compliance with the grant limit, and a copy of the bank account statement. The Municipal Committee approved the allocation of the funds — unanimously, on 21 April, in the case of Aittitos — followed by the commitment decision and the payment order.
Source: Diafania, payment orders and decisions of the Municipal Committee of the Municipality of Spata–Artemida, 2025–2026 (last updated 29/09/2026).
