News, Sportsview, Industry

Victoria, please help more kids Access Sport


A coalition of sporting and social groups is calling on the Victorian Government to make sport more affordable for children from disadvantaged families.

In Victoria, more than 75% of kids from well-off families play weekend sport, compared to just 50% from poorer families. Fees, uniforms, equipment and travel costs make it too expensive for many.
These children also miss out on the well-established benefits of organised sport, including to their health, wellbeing, self-esteem and levels of social engagement.
The coalition includes Vicsport, the Victorian Council of Social Service, the National Union of Workers, the Salvation Army and the Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare.
VCOSS CEO Emma King said Victoria should adopt a targeted sports subsidy scheme for struggling families.
"We believe every child should be able to play weekend sport, no matter their financial circumstances. Cost shouldn’t be a barrier."
Currently in Victoria, individual clubs and councils are called on to assist families struggling to cover sporting costs. But this is ad hoc at best, and families are sometimes too embarrassed to ask for help.
Vicsport CEO Mark McAllion said a variety of schemes already exist in other states.
“We encourage the Victorian Government to adopt some kind of rebate or concession scheme to help more kids engage in sport.”


Photo: Mark McAllion (Vicsport CEO), Emma King (VCOSS CEO), The Hon. Martin Foley MP (Acting Minister for Sport) & Josh Beaver (Australian Swimmer)


Credit: Victorian Council of Social Services (VCOSS)

You may also be interested in...

Event, Governance, Industry, Policy, Professional Development, Research

Panellists Announced for Vicsport Member Forum

Professor David Shilbury is the Foundation Chair in Sport Management and a former Head of the School of Management and Marketing (2002-07) at Deakin University

Read more...

Sportsview, Industry

Welcoming Aboriginal people to your sport

Vicsport recently launched brand new content on the Vicsport website aimed at helping sporting organisations become more welcoming to Aboriginal Victorians.

Read more...

Sportsview, News, Industry

One Month at a Time - December

In this edition of Sportsview, Acting CEO Meghan Mayman, reiterates Vicsport's commitment to helping sports conform to the new Child Safe Standards coming into effect as on 1 January, 2017. We have also been given the gift of data this Christmas with 2 major data sets being released this month with both the AusPlay Survey and the Sport and Recreation Spatial Results out.

Read more...


Government Partners

Preferred Suppliers