If your sport organisation is seeking funding for a facility upgrade, or you are involved in development of a brand new facility, it is important to consider the following:
- A great way to ensure your facility meets the needs of Aboriginal people is to consult with community leaders or partner organisations during the design phase.
- Will the facility be accessible to all? A great way to ensure accessibility is to familiarise yourself with the principals of Universal Design in planning for sport.
- Another great resource is the Sport and Recreation Victoria: Female Friendly Sport Infrastructure Guidelines
Consider how you could make cost-effective changes to your existing buildings and spaces to promote a culturally safe and welcoming environment. If you acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history and culture through the physical space in which your sport is conducted, you will enable a more welcoming environment. This could mean:
- Installing a plaque which acknowledges the traditional owners of the land.
- Placing the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags somewhere visible to everyone. For more information about the Aboriginal flag, click here.
Proving a welcoming environment is also about the culture of your organisation. To find out more, refer to the Cultural Awareness Training information the Leadership section of this resource.
Not all sport facilities are dedicated buildings, and a key trend in the delivery of sport opportunities is to offer sporting activities in the environment in which your target population are based. During the State Sport Association Participation Program Canoeing Victoria delivered programs in two regions – Mildura and Gippsland, which were found to be an effective way of increasing participation through a locally based delivery program. Across the three year program, over 1,000 Aboriginal people participated in canoeing activities.