In late 2015 Sport Minister John Eren announced a financial boost for sport and community organisations from the Supporting Victoria Sport and Recreation Program in Victorian Labor Government funding.
The Supporting Victoria Sport and Recreation Program (SVSRP) is a Victorian government initiative coordinated by Sport and Recreation Victoria (SRV). The program objective is to deliver initiatives that increase community participation in sport and active recreation by building a more sustainable, equitable and inclusive sector.
The new SVSRP Program reflects the Victorian government’s commitment to ‘put people first’. All Victorians should feel welcome, encouraged and supported in their sporting endeavours and recreational pursuits. Increasing participation and diversity in clubs and other sport and recreation organisations will have great benefits for communities.
Recently Baseball Victoria was delighted to receive news from SRV that our organization had been successful in receiving significant funding from the Victoria State government with a $350,000 commitment over three years.
Baseball Victoria General Manager Ashley Blair welcomed the news as a strong indication of the government’s confidence in baseball's ability to contribute to the community.
"Baseball Victoria recognises that one of our primary roles and responsibilities is in providing direct opportunities for increased and inclusive participation in sport and recreation activities,” said Blair. “This funding will assist to provide sustainable increases in participation, build the capacity and skills within our sport and continue to develop programs that promote equitable, diverse and inclusive ways to increase participation by underrepresented groups. All these things will make baseball sustainable and equitable into the future."
"This funding commitment is significant as it provides a strong financial base from which Baseball Victoria can fund and pursue significant strategies that will make a positive long-term difference to the sport of baseball across summer and winter throughout Victoria ,” said Myles Foreman, president of Baseball Victoria. “This funding links directly to Baseball Victoria’s strategic commitment to ‘gain, train and retain.’
“The vision for Baseball Victoria is that we will provide every Victorian with the opportunity to participate in baseball. As the peak body for Baseball in Victoria, this funding assists in making this vision possible.”
The Victorian government recognises that not all Victorians have the same opportunity to participate in organised sporting activities, and believes that sport should be inclusive and accessible, regardless of socio-economic background. This is not only important for social inclusion, but also in creating a healthy society with high levels of wellbeing.
Participation in sport and recreation at the local level is a crucial aspect of healthy and happy communities. Local volunteers spend countless hours at their local sporting club, which is often a major source of social connection for people of all ages and backgrounds.
Through this program the Victorian government will work with state sporting associations and sport and recreation bodies that are striving to make a real difference when it comes to encouraging greater diversity, making sport and recreation more inclusive and building their overall capacity.
Baseball Victoria applauds the long term approach to sport funding adopted by the Victoria government under the Supporting Victorian Sport and Recreation Program. It provides sporting organisations certainty around the funding it receives to design programs and activities that will ensure that outcomes are both positive for the sport and the community.