Healthy Sporting Environments Demonstration Project
Kerryn O’Rourke, VicHealth
Linda Connor, Leisure Networks
Aims to reduce future burden of preventable disease
◦ by addressing a range of health risk factors in a single, large
geographic area in Victoria (G21)
◦ via 100 sports clubs
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Healthy eating
Reduced tobacco use
Responsible alcohol use
UV protection
Injury prevention and management
Safety, support and inclusion for women and girls, Indigenous
people and those from culturally diverse backgrounds
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VicHealth
Leisure Networks, Regional Sports Assembly
Program partners
Reference group
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Reach into the community
Behaviour and environment focus
Evidence building
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To determine what factors are required to instigate and
sustain healthy behaviour change within sporting
environments
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To determine what barriers impact on sporting environments’
capacity to instigate and sustain behavioural change, and
strategies to overcome them
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To make recommendations to inform future investments
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Healthy eating
Reduced tobacco use
Responsible alcohol use
UV protection
Injury prevention and management
Safety, support and inclusion for women and girls, Indigenous
people and those from culturally diverse backgrounds
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Achieve Good Sports level 2 accreditation
Not sell or provide alcohol before midday on match days
Display health promotion messaging of equal weighting to
branding and messaging provided by alcohol industry
sponsors
One of the following strategies:
◦ sell spirits at an additional 20% premium on 2009 prices,
and full-strength beer at an additional 10% premium on
2009 prices, or
◦ only serve beer and spirits with an alcohol content of not
more than 3.5%, and serve wine in 100ml glasses.
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Clubs selected using a number of different criteria,
including:
Those which have both senior and junior members
Those who hold their own canteen or bar licence
The all of club response to standards will help to re-enforce
and internalise messaging to young people about healthy
activities
Primary prevention approach
Planning & Establishment Phase (Aug 2010-March 2011)
— Reference groups with reps from G21 LGAs, partners and
stakeholders
— Briefing sessions with clubs (Aug-Oct)
— Summer Testing (6 clubs involved)
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Implementation Phase (March 2011-March 2013)
— 50 winter clubs/50 summer clubs
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Range of resources and support mechanisms
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Dedicated staff team
1 F/T Project Manager
2 P/T Project Workers
1 F/T Social Inclusion officer
1 P/T Sponsorship Officer
Evaluation/resources/training/manual
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Training from key partners - e.g. Violence Against Women, Racial
discrimination
Online resource manual
Ongoing partnerships - e.g. Quit, ADF, Heart Foundation
Organisational support - Leisure Networks and Vic Health
Mindful of...
— Volunteer-based
— Resource poor
— Changing membership
— Established cultures based on exclusion and inclusion
— Evaluation/resources/training/manual
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Behaviour change takes time
— 2- year period (2011-2013) gives clubs supported time for
implementation
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Evaluation process
Throughout the life of the project
Clubs will participate in focus groups, individual interviews
and surveys
Information will provide an evidence base around the
barriers, enablers and strategies that make healthy sporting
environments
Linda Connor
Manager, Healthy Sporting Environments Demonstration
Project
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Ph: 5224 9932
E: linda@leisurenetworks.org