Blue Ribbon Clubs program
Did you know there are over 100 sport and recreation clubs using recreation reserves and facilities across the City of Swan?
As part of the Club Development Scheme, run in partnership with the City of Swan, City of Bayswater and the Department of Sport and Recreation, all clubs have access to the Blue Ribbon Clubs program.
The program rewards clubs and assists them to deliver sport and recreation to the community. The program develops and strengthens governance practices for clubs through the following:
- increases club profiles and development opportunities
- improves self management of clubs through training
- provides club support and networking opportunities
- strengthens relationships between the City and clubs
- assists in club sustainability
- provides clubs with grants and funding opportunities
Get involved
The Blue Ribbon Clubs program encourages local sporting clubs to adopt policies and practices that contribute to their long term success.
By participating in the initiative, sports clubs are better able to plan for the future, access funding and increase their membership. Ultimately, Blue Ribbon accreditation will become synonymous with a high degree of professionalism and a resilient, progressive sporting club with a strong community focus.
Clubs who participate submit documentation covering the many aspects of club management and administration including job descriptions, code of conduct, management plans, child protection policies and club protection policies. Once clubs have achieved green, red or blue ribbon status they receive many rewards and access to exclusive Blue Ribbon logos and stickers.
To find out more about becoming part of the program contact the City's club development officer at swan@swan.wa.gov.au
Planning
For many clubs, planning can often be a daunting topic. A new Club Health Checklist developed by the Australian Sport Commission has been developed and is now available to all clubs. The checklist is an initial step to planning and provides clubs with an overview of their club and how it is tracking. The output report provides:
- Action plan: six priority areas, as determined from the answers provided in the checklist, are identified in an action plan along with resources to assist in improving these areas. An action plan template has been designed to facilitate discussion and guide planning for the club committee. It is strongly recommended that the committee or a working group address each of the items in this report. This plan should also form part of the ongoing discussions for the committee.
- Summary report: the summary report provides data on how clubs have scored in the areas identified as important to their future success. An outline of all of the results and general information on each key area, and related resources to assist with improvement, is also provided in this section.
- Summary of priority responses: the summary of priority responses provides a copy of all the questions answered, along with the responses and subsequent priority level. This information can give further background to committee discussions and future actions.
Fair sport
Clubs have a responsibility to provide a safe, inclusive, fair sport and to be equipped to deal with issues including team selection, harassment and unfair treatment. Managing risk for everyone within a club and handling complaints is an integral part of a club’s viability. Clubs also need to know their legal requirements and ensure they are complying. The Play By the Rules program has been developed to assist clubs with all of the above situations.