The Allan Labor Government is backing more women and girls in Bellarine from all backgrounds to get involved in the sport they love.

Member for Bellarine Alison Marchant today announced three successful local recipients for the 2023-24 Change Our Game Community Activation Grants program.

Grants of up to $10,000 were available to support community sport and recreation clubs or organisations to increase participation, build capability, promote gender equity and support the professional development of women volunteering and working in community sport.

• Ocean Grove Soccer Club were granted $5,000 to support specialised training sessions tailored to introducing newer female players to soccer as well as investing in more suitable, inclusive uniforms for female players.
• Portarlington Bowls Club were successful in receiving $1,450 to assist with an introduction to bowls for women and girls, enabling a supportive environment for socialising and participating in bowls.
• Queenscliff Football and Netball Club Inc were granted $3,250 to assist with undertaking a Female Participation Program to identify way to grow participation in female football by adopting, and then implementing, best practice initiatives to the club.

In this round of the program there was a strong focus on supporting club or organisation initiatives that encourage the equitable inclusion of women and girls from all backgrounds and experiences.

The program is part of the Government’s Change Our Game initiative, working to make sport more accessible, increasing local participation and providing opportunities for all Victorians to be leaders in their local sporting community.

Now in its seventh year, the Change Our Game Community Activation Grants program has provided more than $2.2 million towards 461 grants that have benefitted community sport and active recreation clubs and organisations across the state.

Together with the Fair Access Policy, launched by the Labor Government in August 2022, Change Our Game Community Activation Grants provides a great opportunity for clubs and organisations to extend equitable access to, and use of, community sports infrastructure, and build participants’ skills and knowledge. 

These grants are part of the Allan Labor Government’s $1.9 billion investment in community sport and active recreation since 2014.

For more information about Change Our Game programs visit changeourgame.vic.gov.au.

Quotes attributable to Member for Bellarine Alison Marchant

“The Change Our Game Community Activation Grants program is a fantastic opportunity for our Bellarine community sport and active recreation clubs to extend resources and build skills and knowledge to support the inclusion of women and girls.”