Community Participation Funding Case Studies
Three Community Participation Funding Case Studies.
Beverley Youth Sports Project
Organisation: Shire of Beverley on behalf of the Beverley Youth Centre
Project: Beverley Ball Sports/Volunteer Lifeguard Training
Project cost: $5000
Project date: 1 February 2010 – 31 March 2011
Objective
To introduce Indigenous youth to non-traditional sports, not currently played in Beverley including water polo, floorball, tee-ball and basketball.
To upskill local Indigenous youth in CPR first aid through life guard clinics and encourage the use of these skills at the town’s pool.
What happened?
The variety of free sporting clinics being offered at the local youth centre attracted boys and girls of all ages.
The clinics were promoted through the local paper, the Beverley Bulletin, and the school newsletter, which resulted in good turnouts.
A total of 25 children form pre-primary to youth as well as eight adults participated in a floorball clinic, 30 children from pre-primary to year 7 participated in a tee-ball clinic and a further 25 children and youth participated in a basketball clinic run by a player from the East Perth Eagles.
The project also aimed to increase awareness of pool skills and worked with Surf Life Saving WA to run a first aid class for 20 children and 20 infant swimming classes for children under 5 years.
It was hoped that water polo and lifeguard clinics could also be held but due to unforeseen circumstances this was unable to be achieved. These sessions were replaced by a wheelchair basketball clinic supported by Wheel Chair Sports WA, which attracted 40 primary school-aged children, 25 Active After-school participants and 14 adults and youth.
Critical success factors
This project offered opportunities for children to participate in new sports not usually offered in the town. These sat outside of the usual football, cricket and netball and therefore reached children who did not normally play any sport. A lot of children gained confidence in their abilities, learnt new skills and just had fun participating. The wheelchair basketball session allowed everyone to play equally at the same level and increased awareness about people with disabilities.
Lessons learnt
By offering a variety of different activities there is always something for everyone and it is a fantastic way to involve all ages and for sporting clubs to get together and have fun with the local children. The support of local families allowed for community ownership of the project and we encouraged as many people as possible to come along. One of the features for the children was a 74 year-old grandmother who became involved and made soup every week the basketball clinic was on. The first thing asked by most when they first arrived was, “Is the ‘soup lady’ coming today?”.
Where to from here
The program sparked new interest in a range of different sports not typically offered in the town. Floorball and basketball have continued to be offered and are being played on a regular basis at the Beverley Youth Centre and through the Active After-school program. Everyone loved the challenge of the new sports and greater links have developed between the school, youth centre, Active After-school program and local sporting clubs. Some local children joined junior basketball competitions in York. The youth centre is working with parents to offer more classes for summer including tee-ball on Saturday mornings. We are also looking at finding more funding to have the Wheelchair Basketball Association come back in 2012 to both Beverley and York and run a competition between the two towns.
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Who to contact for further information
Lyn Kay
Youth Development Officer
Phone 9641 2233
Mobile 0411 355 811
Email youth@york.wa.gov.au
A Future in Lawn Bowls
Organisation: WA Deaf Recreation Association
Project: Play Bowls and Have Fun
Project cost: $1,150
Project date: 1 November 2009
Objective
To introduce deaf, hearing impaired or hard of hearing people, whatever their age, to the game of lawn bowls via coaching and fun games as well as raise awareness of the special needs of this group.
Background
In 2009 Deaf Lawn Bowls acknowledged it needed to recruit new players and expand its member base to young players.
What happened?
In late 2009, in the lead-up to the National Deaf Lawn Bowls Championships in Adelaide in April 2010, the WA Deaf Recreation Association, Deaf Lawn Bowls WA and Glen Forrest Sports Club held a fun day event for deaf or hard of hearing people, especially young people, who wanted to try lawn bowls.
The free lawn bowls fun day held at Glen Forrest Sports Club was promoted via a media release to community newspapers, The Sunday Times, The West Australian and community radio.
Information was also provided to bowling clubs and high schools to promote the game to young people. Two coaches were available on the day to help beginners with their skills and two Auslan interpreters also attended to assist communication.
Critical success factors
The event was promoted well ahead of the fun day through a variety of channels.
The relaxed and fun nature of the day attracted a wide variety of participants and meant that everyone enjoyed themselves.
The Glen Forrest Sports Club has a unique atmosphere and this added to the success of the day.
The coaches worked very hard on the day and were responsive to the needs of the group and more than happy to learn from their ‘students’.
The Auslan interpreters were on hand to bridge the communication gap between coaches and participants, ensuring that everyone felt included.
Lessons learnt
The most important lesson learnt by the parties involved was that more bowls days were needed in order to build up Deaf Lawn Bowls’ membership. There is a need for more work to be done on recruiting the younger deaf and hard of hearing and there is potential to hold future events with a focus on families to get everyone participating.
Where to from here
The event was successfully run with approximately 25 participants throughout the day. The two coaches learnt a lot from the deaf players and in turn the deaf players developed their skill and understanding of the game. Deaf Lawn Bowls WA gained a couple of new players and increased the awareness of lawn bowls as an activity for people to be involved in.
The event also raised the general awareness of deaf lawn bowls competition, which has continued to grow as WA, on behalf of Australia, hosted the 6th International Deaf Lawn Bowls Championships at Yokine Bowls Club in April 2011. Deaf Lawn Bowls WA has also been granted associate membership of Bowls WA so that in future, Bowls WA will be able to give more support to the Deaf Lawn Bowls group.
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Who to contact for further information
Anne Jeavons
Deaf Lawn Bowls WA
Email anne.jeavons67@gmail.com
Bounce Our Way to Success
Organisation: Riverlands Montessori School
Project: Bounce Our Way to Success – Basketball for Indigenous Youth
Project cost: $5000
Project date: June 2009 – June 2010
Objective
To encourage increased participation of Indigenous students in basketball in the local community.
What happened?
Riverlands Montessori School engaged the services of a basketball development coach for Indigenous students. Lizzy Falconbridge from Kalamunda Basketball Association ran introductory workshops in schools in the Swan Valley/Midland area for a 10-week period in 2009 and again in 2010.
The program encouraged more than 30 disadvantaged students aged 6–16 years to be involved, through advertising and promotions in the local community as well as through contacting local schools. It aimed to promote the health and fitness benefits of playing basketball as well as the opportunities to develop social skills and new friendships by playing sport in local
competitions. Students had opportunities to meet State Basketball League players and other basketball heroes including Luke Longley.
The program encouraged older, talented Indigenous youth to become trainee coaches and umpires for the younger teams. It also provided club membership and match fees for disadvantaged Indigenous students to join the Kalamunda Basketball Association to ensure they were linked to mainstream clubs.
Critical success factors
The program was linked to good school attendance and provided a strong incentive for many of the students to attend school more regularly. Under the guidance of an inspiring coach the students’ listening skills, teamwork and basketball skills improved exponentially and their speed and agility on the court quickly earned them the admiration of peers, coaches and parents. The coaches worked very hard throughout the program and were responsive to the needs of the group and more than happy to learn from their ‘students’.
Lessons learnt
Reliable transport is critical to a student’s long-term involvement in sport. A lot of effort was put into organising a team of transport volunteers to assist children who needed help to get to and from their games. This was a key factor in the success of the program.
Where to from here
Under coach Lizzy Falconbridge’s guidance, students from the program have been playing basketball regularly in local competitions. Three children have won best and fairest for their age group at the end of the 2010 season and one student won most improved player at his holiday basketball camp. The Thursday night boys’ team were successful in three grand finals at Division 1 level and the girls’ team also made their grand finals. A total of five students (three boys and two girls) were chosen to play at district level for the Eastern Suns WABL teams in 2009 and 2010. A team of boys won the Stirling Cup Primary Schools Competition, while the girls’ team was runner up. The participating students made a short multimedia presentation about their involvement in the program, which was shared with families and classmates. In addition to this five students have recently gained scholarships to private schools as a result of their well-developed sporting abilities nurtured in this program.
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Who to contact for further information
Ms Elizabeth Marcus
Academic Extension Teacher
Riverlands Montessori School
Telephone 9250 6444
Email liz@riverlands.wa.edu.au
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