Resource Hub for Sport and Recreation Clubs

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This Girl Can

This Girl Can is about celebrating women getting active, regardless of age, background, ability or body shape. Each year Manningham Council works with sport and recreation clubs to offer free activities for women and girls to encourage them to get active and have some fun in a supported and friendly environment.

Every woman’s journey and experience with sport and physical activity is different. This Girl Can have created visual journey maps to better demonstrate and help others understand a women’s experience with sport and physical activity throughout the lifespan.

Creating a Place for Women in Sport

Manningham, Yarra Ranges, Maroondah, Knox Council, Inspiro and EACH, are providing resources for sporting clubs to achieve gender equality. The Creating a Place for Women in Sport self-assessment is a practical tool for community sport and recreation clubs to identify strengths and opportunities to promote equality. The tool aims to support clubs to look at different areas of their environment, and recognise their progress in achieving gender equality at their club.

There are no right or wrong answers; the tool is an internal resource to be used as a ‘temperature check’ at a moment in time. It provides an opportunity for clubs to learn and discuss ways it can create environments where women and men can equally participate.

Once clubs have completed the self-assessment tool, we encourage clubs to complete the Gender Equity Action Plan Template in order to drive change moving forward. Council's Recreation Participation Officer can work with clubs to complete the self assessment tool and the action plan.

• Pre-Tool Survey - The pre tool survey is shared with the broader membership base for greater feedback.
• Self Assessment Tool - Review and discuss the six different areas of the self assessment tool and create your personalized club action plan for gender equity.
• Gender Equity Action Plan template
• Club Evaluation survey - complete the club survey to evaluate the implementation of the self assessment tool and the action plan.

Change our Game

Change our Game is an initiative of Victorian Government. In 2015, the Government released a report from the independent Inquiry into Women and Girls in Sport and Active Recreation. The report shed light on gender inequality in Victorian sports and recreation. The report outlined a way forward, helping change and improve sport and recreation for all involved

Change our game provide a range of grants and funding to support women and girls at all levels in sport and recreation in Victoria each year

Resources to assist your club in becoming more inclusive of women and girls

• Clearing House for Sport: Covers a range of topics on women and sport, from governance, factors influencing female participation, data and statistics and provides a number of successful case studies.

• Inclusive Sport Design: Provides tips around program design, for including women and girls in community sport.
• Womens Sport and Fitness Foundation: Discusses the barriers to sports participation for women and girls.
• Vic Health: Present evidence on female participation in sport & physical activity

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People with disability face a number of societal barriers and discrimination, which can lead to exclusion from participating in sports and other physical activity opportunities. There is proof that sport can make a difference, reduce stigma and discrimination and empower people with disability.

Resources and websites to help your club better engage with people with disability.

• AAA Play: Operated by Reclink Australia, Access for All Abilities (AAA Play) provides Australia's only dedicated referral and connection service for people with a disability to sports and recreational opportunities in Victoria. As a sport and recreation club you can promote or list your business online at AAA Play to reach a wider audience. AAA Play also host a number of information sessions, webinars and create a number of resources that include tips and other information on how to be more inclusive.
  
  
• Disability Sport and Recreation: Provide and promote positive health outcomes for people with disability, through meaningful engagement in sport and active recreation. They assist people with disability to find a sport or activity they enjoy, work with sports clubs, program providers and venues to offer opportunities for people with disabilities, raise awareness in schools about disability and how to be more inclusive and ensure that the voice of people with disability is of heard. DSR also offer a number of free resources via their website.
  
  
• International Day of People with A Disability (IDPwD): (IDPwD) is held on 3 December each year. Visit their website to how you can get involved (as an individual or organisation) and learn how to break down barriers for people with disability.
  
  
• Clearing House for Sport: Provides a number of resources on sport and people with disabilities.
  
  
• Disability Sports Australia (DSA): Is Australia’s peak national body representing athletes with a physical disability.
  
  
• Vic Sport: Considers approaches clubs should use when looking to increase participation amongst people with disabilities.
  
  
• City of Darebin: Have created a guide that provides advice, ideas and practical ways that your club can become more inclusive of people with a disability.
  
  
• Special Olympics: Online learning platform SOA Learn helps students grow and enhance skills and abilities to mentor people with intellectual disabilities and autism, and provide them with greater sporting opportunities.
  
  
• Blind Sports and Recreation Victoria (BSRV): enhances the lives of people throughout Victoria who are blind or vision impaired through sport and recreation. Supporting more than 1,200 members, BSRV encourage people with no or low vision of all ages and backgrounds to lead more healthy and active lifestyles.
  
  
• Deaf Sports Vic: Is the state parent sporting body in Victoria representing the deaf and hard of hearing community. DSRV is a non for profit organisation that also manages Victorian representatives of Australian deaf sports teams competing in local competitions. DSRV plays a role in putting deaf and hard of hearing Victorians in touch with various sporting clubs and keeping the community informed of events and opportunities for meeting new and like-minded people.

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The following links will support your club in creating a club environment that welcomes the LGBTQI+ community.

• Proud 2 Play: Focuses on increasing LGBTIQ+ engagement in sport, exercise and active recreation by working with all levels of the sport community - individual and grassroots communities, to state and national sporting organisations. Proud 2 Play encourage LGBTIQ+ people to participate and engage in sport and exercise by providing structured opportunities and pathways for them to do so.
• Proud 2 Play resource hub
• Pride in Sport: Assists sporting organisations of all levels with the inclusion of employees, players, coaches, volunteers and spectators with diverse sexualities and genders. The world-first Pride in Sport Index (PSI) benchmarks and assesses the inclusion of LGBTQ people across all sporting contexts.
• Days of significance
• Vic Sport: Discuss why LGBTIQ+ inclusion is important and provide a range of resources to help you increase LGBTQI+ inclusion at your club
• Sport Australia: Have created guidelines for the inclusion of transgender and gender diverse people in sport
• LGBTIQ+ Inclusive Language Guide: The State Governmnet have created a LGBTIQ+ inclusive language guide. The guide explains how to use language respectfully and inclusively when working with and referring to lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and gender diverse, intersex, and queer and questioning people.
• Community Health Pride LGBTIQ+ resources: A toolkit of LGBTIQ+ resources support community health services in inclusive service planning and practices.

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Make your club more accessible to people from multicultural backgrounds by breaking down barriers to participation. Common barriers can include things like equipment, uniforms and costs associated to the program or activity. Adapt or modify your program design and delivery to make it more accessible to people from a variety of cultural backgrounds.

Useful links and resources to assist your club in attracting people from multicultural backgrounds

• Vic Sport - Welcoming people from multicultural backgrounds: Vic Sport provide some great tips on how to welcome people from multicultural backgrounds into your club. In particular, they breakdown barriers such as equipment, cost and transport
  
  
• Vic Sport - Activities and programs
  
  
• NT Government: Have created a document that outlines the benefits of becoming an inclusive club as well as practical strategies to assist you in attracting people from multicultural backgrounds into your clubs
  
  
• Centre for Multicultural Youth: Is a not-for-profit organisation based in Victoria, providing specialist knowledge and support to young people from migrant and refugee backgrounds.

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Governance is how a sports committee or board, goes about it's business. It includes the processes and systems put in place to achieve a specific purpose, as well as practices to ensure safe sport, inclusion and fair play.

Governance directly impacts:

• decision making
• strategic goals and direction
• how a board monitors performance in relation to goals, systems and legal regulations
• ensuring that the board acts in the best interests of it's club members

Why is good governance important?

Having good governance means that your club is well run and supports growth and development. A well run club will be more attractive to new members and funding agencies, potential sponsors and government bodies all look favourably to well managed sport clubs. Good governance also reduces risks and helps identify new opportunities. It is important to note that good governance in sport is never static, it is constantly adapting and improving.

Looking for downloadable templates and info sheets on the topic of governance? Check out the below websites:

• Club Help: is a ‘one stop shop’ for sport and recreation clubs. Driven by Leisure Networks this site includes a range of templates, info sheets and other resources on a number of topics related to sport such as: club management, marketing, volunteers, financial management. All the resources on this page are FREE.

• Sports Community: Sports Community provide training and knowledge to clubs and their volunteers through webinars, workshop, checklists, templates, how to articles and share resources via their digital newsletter. They provide a range of free and paid resources online.

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The following websites and links can assist your club with any queries around governance in sport and recreation.

• Vic Sport: has collated a collection of resources, services and links on the topic of governance, for the use of Victorian sport associations and sport and recreation clubs.
• Sport Australia: have developed the Sport Governance Principles to help sport clubs and organisations achieve good governance and deliver postitive sport experiences.
• Victoria State government website: includes information on the ‘Community Sector Governance Capability Framework’ which describes the broad capabilities required by people on boards or committees of management in the community sector. This site also list a range of other organisatision that can assist with governance at the community level.
• Play by the Rules: Play by the Rules provides information on how to achieve good governance, tips for committee and board members and advice on how to run a successful annual general meeting.
• Sport and Recreation Victoria: Sport and Rec Victoria have collated a list of every state sport association in Victoria. These can be altered and used across a number of different sports.

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Fundraising takes time and it can sometimes be quite challenging to think of new and innovative ways to raise money for your club. However, fundraising plays a vital role and should be considered as part of your clubs governance plan.

The websites listed below provide a range of tips on fundraising ideas and other things to consider when planning a fundraiser for your club.

• Australian Sports Foundation: has been helping sporting clubs and organisations fundraise for over 30 years. Visit their website to access a number of resources and tips on how to fundraise within a sporting club context.
• Consumer Affairs Victoria: includes important information on incorporated associations, fundraisers, patriotic funds and funded services and grants.
• Good Sports: suggests some quick and easy fundraising ideas for sport and recreation clubs.
• Funding Centre: has created the seven pillars of fundraising to support not for profit organisations in finding success through fundraising.

Other ways to raise money for your club;

• Club events
• Sponsorship
• Hire out your facilities
• Grant funding
• Donations

More resources;

• Good Sports - Fundraising toolkit

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Financial management involves the distribution and protection of club finances, financial sustainability and reporting of club finances.

The following links and documents will support your club in achieving responsible financial management.

• Club Help: Provides a range of resources and tip sheets on fundraising, sponsorship and financial management.

Sports Community provides a range of downloadable templates on the topic of financial management as well as providing advice on club memberships and memberships sale strategies.

• Sports Community website - membership information
• Sports Community website - information for club treasurers

The AFL, in conjunction with the Australian Sports Commission, developed the AFL club management program aimed at supporting community football through providing an education program for club administrators. This document can be used and altered to suit sports other than AFL.

• AFL club management program

Cricket Victoria have provided a range of templates you can use to assist in the ongoing management and reporting of your clubs finances

• Cricket Victoria financial templates

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Manningham’s Grant Finder system can help your club keep up to date with what grants are currently available in Victoria and Australia. You’ll receive regular email alerts on grants that are relevant to your club, as well as be able to prioritise grants, keep track of opening and closing dates and track your application stage.

Manningham Council is also committed to developing and fostering partnerships with not for profit groups through our Community Grants Program; which include both large and small grants.

There are also a number of external organisations that offer grants and funding opportunities to community sport and recreation clubs.

• Sport and Recreation Victoria
• Sport Australia
• Australian Sports Foundation
• Victorian State Government
• Federal Government
• Vic Health
• Vic Sport

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The following websites provide advice and tips on how to write a successful grant application.

• Club Help: Identify commonly used grant terminology and criteria, as well as providing information on how to write a successful grant and key things to consider when preparing to apply for a grant.
• Valley Sport: Provide grant writing tips.
• Sports Community: Provide information on how to write and win grant applications.
• Funding Centre: Provides examples and answers to common questions you'll find on grant applications.
• The Grants Hub: Provides application tips and advice on turning ideas into ‘projects’, applying for government grants, budget development, relationship building, grant terminology & more.
• Manningham's Community Training Program: Manningham Council provides free training sessions for not for profit community organisations to build their skills on a range of topics. For more information contact the Community Grants Team.