About Sports Without Borders

 

Sports Without Borders expands into NSW


Sports Without Borders is expanding its operation into NSW to continue its objective of providing support to young people from migrant and refugee backgrounds integrate into their local communities through sport. Marielle Latour is the SWB representative in Sydney. She will be developing and identifying opportunities to implement within NSW the SWB programs that have been successful in Victoria.

 

Changes to SWB Direct Grants Program

As from May 2011, Sports Without Borders' funding support will focus on developing leadership qualities in newly arrived young migrants, rather than on making direct grants for Club registrations, sporting gear, etc.  This change in direction comes as a requirement under an agreement with our major funding partner  The Department of Planning and Community Development Victoria (DPCD).

In 2011 funding under the joint DPCD/SWB program will be directed to delivering leadership training to newly arrived young people interested in sport and living in 6 selected Local Government Areas (LGAs).  These LGAs are :

  • Melbourne City Council
  • Moonee Valley City Council
  • Monash City Council
  • Greater Bendigo City Council
  • Greater Dandenong City Council
  • Greater Shepparton City Council

SWB continues to actively seek other philanthropic funding and as funds become available, calls for Applications will be advertised on this site.

SWB also encourages young people to consider making applications to other organisations which have funding available to encourage young people into sport.

 

What we sponsor

  • Leadership Programs
  • Community Sporting and Mass Particpation events within the 24 local government areas (LGA's)
  • Direct grants that relate to the community sporting and mass participation events within the local government areas mentioned.
  • Direct grants outside the DPCD program which are provided by private philanthropists and business organisations. These grants are dependent on funds available.

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About

Sports Without Borders is a not for profit organisation which is dedicated to providing support for young people from migrant and refugee backgrounds who are involved or want to get involved in sport.

Sport has played a vital role in multicultural Australia, empowering many newly-arrived Australians to develop an identity and sense of active belonging. Sports Without Borders will foster this process by providing funding and services to young people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. 

SWB is auspiced by the Australian Multicultural Foundation (AMF).  


Foundation Objectives

 The Sports Without Borders Foundation aims to foster accessible, multilingual resources and services, (more) funding pathways, direct financial support, training/mentorship programs and sponsorship contacts to refugee and migrant communities by:

  • Developing an understanding of particular barriers to participation in sport experienced by refugee youth in Australian society;
  • Developing and implementing innovative platforms and initiatives to help overcome those barriers by highlighting the messages and opportunities arising through sport;
  •  Developing linkages, associations and agreements with public, private and community organisations and funding bodies to increase support for these objectives;
  •  Raising community awareness of issues relevant to the activities of the Foundation;
  •  Pursuing associated educational and research activities and opportunities;
  •  Providing support for and opportunities to students and academics studying and working in fields conducive to the attainment of these objectives.
  • Creating, publishing and disseminating information in connection with these objectives;
  •  Soliciting grants, donations, gifts and bequests to the Foundation for the purpose of achieving the objectives.

 

Sports Without Borders Advisory Committee

  • James Demetriou - Chair

  • Dr Hass Dellal (OAM) 

  • Anne King, Deputy Chair

  • John Stafford

  • Lisa Gye 

  • Danny Pearson

Profiles will be made available soon...

 

Multilingual Internet Access

SWB has an established website that is the major form of communication with community sporting clubs and organisations. The internet is a cost effective way of providing multilingual resources and information to sporting organisations, local clubs and individuals. The DPCD grant enables all key information to be translated into seven community languages - Arabic, Chinese, Somali, Turkish, Vietnamese and Dari.


SWB Model

SWB was formed in 2006 in response to the key findings of the Australian Bureau of Statistics report on sport participation that found that people from Non English speaking backgrounds were two thirds less likely to participate in organised sport.

This contention was again highlighted just one month ago with the release of businessman David Crawford’s Report into Australian Sport. The Report suggests more funding should go to mass participation "lifetime" sports which lead to a healthier society, such as netball, cricket, tennis, golf, the various football codes and surfing.

SWB’s direct grants model overcomes identified barriers to participation and opens up participation pathways by providing accessible, multilingual resources and services, training/mentorship programs, sponsorship contacts direct financial support for equipment, registration fees, hire of training venues, specialist coaching and participation in sports tours and clinics.

The aim of the foundation is to assist young people from newly arrived refugee and first and second generation migrant backgrounds to integrate into their local communities by facilitating their participation in sport. Sport has played a vital role in multicultural Australia, empowering many newly-arrived Australians to develop an identity and sense of active belonging.

Please feel free to contact us.

 

Municipal Association of Victoria

SWB has initiated major projects in the City of Hume and City of Moonee Valley with grants from the Victorian Government through the provision of a Victorian Community Support Grant from the Community Support Fund and the Scanlon Foundation.

SWB is now working with the Municipal Association of Victoria to introduce these programs to 20 Councils
around Victoria wherethere are significant newly arrived populations. In September 2010 the
Department of Planning and Community Development (“DPCD”) awarded SWB a major grant to rollout the above model across 24 local governement areas (LGA's).