Building Inclusive Clubs Together in Denmark, WA
Roger D'Souza
Inclusion Coach - Great Southern WA
Earlier this month, I had the pleasure of hosting a Sport4All group learning session at the Denmark Riverside Club, bringing together 10 sporting clubs and 25 participants from Denmark, Mount Barker, and Albany.
For a small regional town, it was an incredible turnout, and a powerful reminder that the appetite for inclusion in sport is growing stronger every year across the Great Southern region.
We kicked things off with a friendly game of lawn bowls, which proved to be the perfect way to break the ice. The laughter and friendly competition reminded everyone why we were there, because sport has the power to bring people together.
Learning through sport and connection
After the game, we moved inside for a group learning workshop where participants worked through the Sport4All online learning modules as a team.
The energy in the room was fantastic. People from different clubs, from local footy and cricket committees to small community groups, came together to talk about what inclusion means in their context. The conversations were open, honest, and often deeply personal.
Over dinner, the discussions grew even more engaging. People shared ideas, asked questions, and talked about the small, practical things they could do to make their clubs more inclusive – from adjusting training drills to improving communication with new members and families.
"The event was both inspiring and energising, marking an important step in helping Great Southern sporting clubs begin their journey towards greater disability inclusion."
The Sport4All inclusion journey
Our session guided participants through the Sport4All three-step inclusion journey – the same process available to every sporting club across Australia through the Sport4All online learning platform.
- Step 1 – Check-in: Clubs start with a simple 3-minute inclusion survey to understand where they’re at and what they can improve.
- Step 2 – Learn: The online learning modules (and group discussions like ours) explore real examples and strategies to make sport more inclusive.
- Step 3 -Act: Each club then develops a Sport4All Inclusion Action Plan (SIAP) – setting achievable goals to make inclusion part of everyday club culture.
This simple framework helps turn ideas into action. It’s not about ticking boxes -it’s about giving clubs the tools and confidence to create environments where everyone feels welcome.
A step forward for the Great Southern - WA
Seeing clubs from Denmark, Mount Barker, and Albany come together reminded me how much potential exists in regional communities. When people are given the right support and space to learn together, inclusion becomes more than an idea – it becomes part of how we operate.
This session was just one step in a much bigger journey, but it showed that change is already happening in the Great Southern. Clubs are taking ownership of inclusion, sharing ideas, and supporting each other along the way.
Related Blogs
More than 150 students from across Northern Tasmania came together for what is believed to be Launceston's largest All Abilities Sports Day, creating opportunities for students with disability to participate, connect and enjoy sport.
Sport4All has officially launched in the City of Bayswater, bringing dedicated disability inclusion support to local clubs, schools and community organisations through a new partnership and Inclusion Coach.
Sport4All Inclusion Coach Shiv Wheeler has been recognised as a finalist in the Victorian Disability Sport and Recreation Awards, highlighting the impact of disability inclusion work with sporting clubs across Gippsland.
