Partnerships

 

Inclusion rarely happens in isolation. For inclusion to work you need to have effective, mutually-beneficial partnerships.

You don’t need to tackle inclusion on your own. There will be other organisations in your community who share your inclusion goals and will work collaboratively with your club to achieve a common objective.

Get to know the make-up of your local community. Once you become aware of their needs and the barriers to participation in your sport then you can start to engage from a positive standpoint. Working with various groups or intermediaries to reach the key people within them and connect is crucial to the success of any kind of community engagement program.

Try making connections with a local migrant settlement service, Aboriginal community co-operative, multicultural youth centre, a disability group, aged care facility or charity. Sharing resources, experience, data and information will benefit all these partners.

Private corporations, not-for-profits, public agencies or government departments may also be looking to achieve similar goals for their members - getting people active and involved with a sporting club like yours might be a great fit.

Think of what is possible, and how your sport or club can be flexible and adaptive to meet the goals of these organisations to achieve joint outcomes. Remember though that successful partnerships must be open, honest and respectful and communication is paramount.

Watch the interview with Paul Oliver.