Welcoming Clubs supports and delivers a number of community projects and activities that drive inclusion and embrace the power of sport as a vehicle for belonging. Our partners and supporters share our vision for creating sporting spaces that are safe and welcoming for all members of the community, regardless of their background.
Supporting children & young people from diverse backgrounds, living with a disability to access sport & recreation in their local community.
Welcome to the Game supporting individuals on a case by case basis as well as clubs and organisations who want to build their capacity for inclusion.
Our focus activities are basketball, football (soccer) and water safety.
Our mentoring project supports local sport and recreation clubs to establish and sustain All Abilities skill development programs for children with additional support needs.
Clubs received specialised training for coaches, delivery resources and the initial support to plan sessions and run programs.
Racism in sport at both elite and grassroots levels is all too common and limits participation by people from minority ethnic groups.
The STARS project emerged with the aim of co-developing an anti-racism intervention led by the University of Melbourne, in partnership with Welcoming Clubs, Merri Health and Merri-bek City Council and a number of sports clubs.
The Active Inclusion project worked with 90 sport and recreation clubs representing 22 codes and activities to introduce the Upstander Framework for responding to and preventing discrimination and racism in community sports clubs.
Fitzroy Lions Soccer Club is a welcoming and inclusive community-focused Soccer Club that is dedicated to excellence. At FLSC, the community always comes first, and the club is open to everyone, regardless of their background or origin.
‘Future Proofing Fitzroy’ is a partnership project building the capacity of the club through governance development, volunteer recruitment and implementing systems and structures to support financial sustainability.
The capacity building and governance support project is funded by the City of Yarra through the Investing in Communities Grants Program.
Councils have an important role to play in providing leadership and guidance for clubs to ensure their membership is reflective of their community.
Welcoming Clubs works closely with councils across Australia to design and deliver projects to support their community clubs to advance inclusive practice and promote welcome and inclusion.
Welcoming Cities has 84 member councils across Australia, representing 47% of the population. Member councils can access Welcoming Clubs resources and learning experiences through their state coordinator.
Welcoming Australia exists to cultivate a culture of welcome and create a future where people of all backgrounds have equal opportunity to belong contribute and thrive.
Welcoming Clubs is an initiative of Welcoming Australia, proudly supported by the Scanlon Foundation.
Our work is conducted on the stolen lands and waters of First Nations representing hundreds of clans and language groups. We acknowledge that our lives have benefitted from theft and dispossession and that we have a responsibility to support the efforts of Indigenous peoples as they work towards self-determination, sovereignty and land back. We pay our respects to Elders past and present.
Always was, always will be Aboriginal Land.
