Valley Sport eNews - July 2025

Hey there! It’s been a month of progress and connection at Valley Sport! From launching exciting new partnerships and securing major funding wins, to championing inclusion and showcasing Valley Sport on a national stage - we’ve been busy building the future of community sport across our region.

As always, thank you to our incredible club volunteers, partners, and community members who help make sport more inclusive, resilient, and accessible.

Let’s keep the momentum going – read on to find out what’s happening in your region and how your club can get involved!

Valley Sport Partners with SALT to Strengthen Community Sport

We’re thrilled to announce a new partnership with Sport and Life Training (SALT) — now the preferred education partner of Valley Sport!

SALT is nationally recognised for delivering engaging, real-world education sessions that promote wellbeing, leadership, positive culture, and inclusion in community sport. Through this partnership, we will be rolling out tailored workshops and training opportunities to help local clubs grow stronger - both on and off the field.

This collaboration is a key part of our commitment to building safer, healthier, and more connected sporting communities across the region.

💡 Want to learn more about SALT and the impact of their programs?
Visit: www.sportandlifetraining.com.au

We can’t wait to bring this exciting partnership to life in clubs across our seven shires - stay tuned!

SALT Education Session Winner Announced - Thank You for Sharing Your Club’s Voice!

Thank you to everyone who took the time to complete our recent Club Support Survey in partnership with our seven local councils. Your input is helping us better understand the challenges facing local clubs and how we can deliver more targeted tools, training, and resources to support you.

We’re excited to announce that the winner of the FREE SALT (Sport and Life Training) Education Session is:

🎉 Nathalia Lawn Tennis Club 🎉
Congratulations!

This club will receive a fully funded, tailored session from SALT, with access to topics like Wellbeing & Mental Health, Positive Coaching, Clubs with Heart, Equality is the Game, and more.

📊 What’s next?
Stay tuned — we’ll be sharing key survey findings soon, including the areas local clubs want the most support in. Your feedback is already shaping our future directions.

Once again, thank you for helping us build stronger, more inclusive, and better-supported clubs across our region.

Workshop Opportunity: Building Safe, Respectful and Inclusive Clubs in Mitchell Shire

Respect in Sport 101 Workshop - Mitchell Shire
We're inviting local sporting clubs to take part in an exclusive training workshop designed to build stronger, more inclusive and sustainable clubs.

This free workshop will equip community sport volunteers and club leaders with the skills and knowledge to embed a lasting culture of safety, respect and equality—on and off the field.

What you'll gain:

• Tools to foster a welcoming and inclusive environment

• Strategies to support the Fair Access commitment

• Ways to drive respectful behaviour and positive club culture

• Leadership skills to champion gender equality in sport

• Insights into preventing violence and disrespect in club settings

• Support to increase participation opportunities for women and girls

This opportunity is available exclusively to sporting clubs and selected community groups within Mitchell Shire Council, with limited spots available.

📅 Date: Monday 21 July 2025 🕡 Time: 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM
📍 Location: Harley Hammond Reserve (Netball/Tennis Pavilion),
Hamilton Street, Broadford VIC 3658

👉 Only one booking per club is permitted.
Register now to secure your club’s place and be part of driving positive change in community sport.

Valley Sport is proud to help spread the word about Benalla’s Come and Try Day 2025, led by our friends at Tomorrow Today.

This is a fantastic opportunity for local clubs to showcase their sport or activity, connect with families, and inspire the next generation of participants in a fun and welcoming environment.

🗓 When: Sunday 14 September 2025
🕙 Time: 10:00am – 1:00pm
📍 Where: Benalla Indoor Recreation Centre & All Blacks Oval

There’s no cost to take part, and all marketing and promotion will be covered — you just need to show up and offer a fun, hands-on activity for young people to try!

👉 Clubs can register now by completing the Expression of Interest form here: [click here]

🗓 EOIs close Friday 15 August 2025

Let’s work together to create a vibrant, inclusive event that brings our community together through sport and activity.

For more information, contact:
Alex Ross – Youth Engagement Coordinator, Tomorrow Today
📞 03 5762 1211 | 📱 0417 870 009
✉️ [email protected]

Funding Success Fuels Exciting Projects Ahead!

We’re excited to share that Valley Sport has recently secured several major grants that will allow us to expand our impact, support more clubs, and deliver inclusive and future-focused initiatives across our region.

Power 2 Pedal: Inclusive Riding Program Funded!
Our Power 2 Pedal pilot program has received funding through the Regional All Abilities Participation Grants! Designed especially for children and teens with autism, this fun and inclusive bike riding initiative builds skills, confidence, and connection — all while having a blast.

Thanks to the support of Sport and Recreation Victoria, we’ll be delivering this program in Shepparton and Mansfield.

👀 Stay tuned for how you can get involved!

Building Resilient Sporting Clubs
Following the 2022 floods, it's never been clearer how essential sporting clubs are to community recovery. That’s why we’re proud to have received funding from The Foundation for Rural Regional Renewal (FRRR) to launch our new project: Building Future Resilience and Preventative Planning for Sporting Clubs.

Over the next 12 months, we’ll be:

• Hosting disaster preparedness workshops with emergency services

• Helping clubs create emergency response plans and risk registers

• Sharing practical tools and resources to reduce risk and build resilience

Because when disaster strikes, strong clubs become lifelines for our communities.

Together More Active: Ongoing Support for Regional Sport
We’re also thrilled to have been funded under the Together More Active: Sector Capability Building program, supporting the vital work of Victoria’s nine Regional Sports Assemblies (RSAs) - including Valley Sport in the Goulburn Valley.

This two-year investment means we can continue to:

• Deliver training and education for club volunteers

• Build inclusive, safe, and sustainable clubs

• Support communities across Benalla, Shepparton, Mitchell, Moira, Murrindindi, Mansfield, and Strathbogie

A huge thank you to Sport and Recreation Victoria, our partner councils, and the many clubs and volunteers who make this work possible.

We can’t wait to roll out these exciting projects. Stay tuned — there’s plenty more to come!

Valley Sport at NSC25: Showcasing Collaboration in Sport

We were proud to see Valley Sport represented on the stage at the National Sports & Physical Activity Convention (NSC25), held during June at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Our Executive Officer, Megan, featured in the Play Well stream as both a presenter and panelist in the session titled Challenge and Solutions: Collaboration Across the Sector session. She was joined by industry leaders Shaun McEachin (Squash Australia), Adam Bishop (Australian Athletics), and Heidi Auricht-Doyle (Play Well Implementation and Australian Sports Commission) for a thought-provoking discussion on how cross-sector collaboration can drive positive change in sport and physical activity.

During the session, Megan also highlighted the valuable work of the Sport Volunteer Coalition – a national initiative dedicated to strengthening, supporting, and celebrating the vital role of volunteers in sport across Australia.

It was an inspiring opportunity to share insights, connect with leaders across the sector, and contribute to the ongoing conversation about the future of sport and participation.

We’re incredibly proud of Megan’s contribution and of Valley Sport’s growing role in shaping a more inclusive, connected, and sustainable sporting landscape.

Let Them Play Wraps Up in Yarrawonga!

Our 8-week Let Them Play program has officially wrapped up in Yarrawonga – and what an incredible journey it’s been!

This inclusive program provided more than just sport – it created a safe, structured space for children with autism to build confidence, teamwork, social skills, and a growing love for physical activity. With consistent routines and supportive debriefs, each session helped participants grow both physically and socially in a way that felt familiar and empowering.

We were honoured to welcome VicHealth representatives, including CEO Professor Anna Peeters AM, PhD, and Dean Duncan, Manager of First Nations Health Promotion, to see the program in action and witness the positive impact firsthand.

🙌 A massive thank you to our amazing program partners who helped bring Let Them Play to life: Skillzone Sports Pty Ltd, Yarrawonga Health, The Play Project, and VicHealth.

Interested in bringing Let Them Play to your club or community?
📩 Get in touch at [email protected] – we’d love to help you make it happen!

If you have any questions or would like assistance applying for any of the above grants, please don’t hesitate to get in contact.

Follow the Valley Sport Facebook page to keep up to date with resources and tips that will be useful for you and your club. We encourage you to share our posts with your members.

Valley Sport are always here to support your club and you can reach us via the platforms below:

Email: [email protected]
Valley Sport Website: https://valleysport.net.au/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ValleySport.GVSA/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/valleysport.gvsa/
LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/company/valleysportgvsa

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