- Cook Government invests $832,292 into True Sport initiative
- Program to be delivered by SportWest after significant research and community engagement across the sport sector
- Will provide free access to best-practice e-learning training, face-to-face workshops, eToolkits and resources
A best practice behaviour change program will be funded by the Cook Government to support the sporting sector in creating safe and welcoming environments throughout community sport, including specific initiatives addressing sideline behaviour, child safeguarding and mental health and wellbeing.
True Sport, a nation leading program developed through significant research and stakeholder engagement across the sports sector, will be delivered through SportWest and made available free of charge to sports administrators, coaches, volunteers, participants, officials as well as club and community representatives.
The funding will enable the development of a new website that will become the central hub for all sporting organisations to access tools and resources to support the industry. It will also support an industry Employee Assistance Program to support administrators to deal with difficult and confronting situations, as well as a Volunteer Assistance Program that will respond to local sporting clubs facing critical incidents, providing counselling support on the ground when needed.
It is expected that the roll-out of the program will result in increased participation and retention of community sport participants, including volunteers, as well as increased integrity and management of child safeguarding across the sporting sector.
State sporting associations and their affiliated organisations will receive support to navigate the complicated and specialised areas of mental health, sideline behaviour and child safety.
As stated by Sport and Recreation Minister David Templeman:
“I am absolutely delighted to be able to announce funding of $832,292 to this program, which will help improve behaviour on the sporting field.
“True Sport is about being your best, but it is also about fostering a culture of inclusion, support and positive mental health. There are currently more than 700,000 people participating in community sport every year in Western Australia.
“As we welcome more women, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, people with disabilities and other minority groups to our sporting groups, we also need to ensure that they are able to participate in a way that keeps them safe.
“This program will ensure that everyone involved in community sport has the training and resources to support participants.”
