Empowering more women and girls as players and leaders in community sport

Applications are now open for the 2024-25 Change Our Game Community Activation Grants Program, to empower more women and girls as players and leaders in community sport and active recreation.

Eligible organisations with community level initiatives to benefit women and girls, including community sporting clubs and associations, regional sports assemblies, state sporting associations and local governments, can apply.

The grants will enable participation, build capabilities and develop community leaders to benefit women and girls in community sport and active recreation. There are 3 streams available, with grants of up to $10,000:

• Stream 1 – Participation

• Stream 2 – Capability

• Stream 3 – Community Leaders

The program also supports the Victorian Government’s Fair Access Policy Roadmap by providing grants for education and training initiatives for clubs to implement actions from their local councils’ policies to enable gender-equitable access to community sport infrastructure.

Over the past 7 years the program has awarded more than $2.9 million to community sport and active recreation clubs and organisations across the state. One Ball Inc benefitted from a Community Activation Grant to boost soccer participation among 25 young Muslim girls in Cranbourne. The program encouraged the young girls to learn new skills, gain confidence and provide culturally sensitive clothing to ensure the participants felt comfortable playing sport. It was promoted through a local school and ran twice a week for 20 weeks, helping break down cultural and financial barriers.

This is just one of the 580 examples of initiatives by clubs and other organisations having a positive impact for women and girls in their community through the program.