Support for clubs to tackle Fair Access

Stepping through Fair Access as a club

Taking action on gender equality can seem difficult if you don't know where to start. To help with this, the City of Greater Bendigo has developed a five-step process to help clubs and recreational organisations create their own Gender Equality Action Plan. The five steps, along with supportive templates and tools, are summarised below:

Step 1: Club Community Survey

Action
Review and adapt the 8-question survey template as needed, before distributed to club community. 
SurveyMonkey or Google Forms are recommended for online distribution.

Who should undertake this?
The Fair Access subcommittee*or the club committee with assistance from members of the club community.
Club community includes: board/committee members, players, coaches, referees, team managers, parents, and spectators.

Try to include diverse perspectives.

Template
Fair Access Community Survey Template

Estimated time to complete
30-60 minutes

**Note: It is suggested but not necessary for clubs create a Fair Access subcommittee to complete some of these steps. Including people from the broader club community will capture diverse experiences and opinions (e.g. people of different genders, ages, cultural backgrounds, abilities, religions and sexual orientations). This will make the final results more representative of the wider organisation.

 

 

Fair Access Self-Assessment Sheet

Action
Complete a checklist covering 5 areas of the club. Identified areas of improvement will be carried over into the Action Plan.

Who should undertake this?
The Fair Access subcommittee or the committee with assistance from members of the club community.

It is best undertaken separately by individuals before coming together to discuss.

Template
Fair Access Self-Assessment Sheet

Estimated time to complete
30 minutes individually followed by a 90-minute discussion together

 

 

Step 3: Gender Equality Action Plan

Action
Review the results of community survey (step 1). Special consideration should be given to unexpected feedback, new opinions or areas that opportunity forimprovements.

This combined feedback informs the Gender Equality Action Plan, which outlines your club's vision, guiding principles and actions.

Actions need to specific and include when they will be delivered and by who.

Who should undertake this?
The Fair Access subcommittee or the committee with assistance from members of the club community.

Best undertaken separately by individuals before coming together to discuss.

Template
Fair Access Action Plan Template

Estimated time to complete
Two hours

 

Step 4: Seek endorsement of Action Plan

Endorsement
 Share the findings of your subcommittee with your organisation’s committee/ board, and seek endorsement for your plan to be adopted for the organisation.

Who should undertake this?
A representative from the Fair Access subcommittee or relevant club member.

Template
NA

Estimated time to complete
NA

Step 5: Share Fair Access Action Plan with community

Promotion
 Sharing your organisation’s Action Plan publicly will very clearly set the intent and values of the organisation for all members. This should be in simple English and easily accessible on your website or notice boards.

Who should undertake this step?
As determined by the Fair Access subcommittee or committee

Template
NA

Estimated time to complete
NA

 

These same five steps are the backbone to the Respect in Sport workshops detailed below.

Maryborough Basketball Association

In July 2025, the Maryborough Basketball Association (MBA) completed Sports Focus's Respect in Sport workshops that were funded through a VicHealth grant. Through the five-step process the MBA discussed barriers to women, girls and gender diverse people participating in sport, explored how to make their club more welcoming, and gathered important feedback from their club community. Guidance from Sports Focus and knowledge gathered in the workshops supported MBA to develop their own Gender Equality Action Plan, outlining actions that promote inclusion for all.

“Our goal is to create supportive pathways for females to engage in basketball, from grassroots involvement to competitive play. This initiative underscores our commitment to inclusivity and the belief that everyone deserves an equal opportunity to participate and thrive in our sport. By prioritising gender equity, we are paving the way for a more diverse and connected basketball community in the future.”
- President of the MBA

Sports Focus MBA.jpg

If you are a member of a sporting organisation and want to know more about how gender equality action can benefit your club, reach out to your local sports assembly or speak to the Community Recreation Officer at Council.

 

 

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