Upgrading sports clubs to include everyone

ONE of the most fulfilling parts of my role as a Councillor is advocating for funding for many worthwhile projects across the Bellarine.

Last week, I was delighted to see Wallington Reserve receive $1 million in funding from the State Government’s Regional Community Sports Infrastructure Fund.

This is on top of the $3.25 million that the City of Greater Geelong allocated in its 2024-25 budget to redevelop the all-abilities pavilion at Wallington Reserve.

Inclusivity is a vital component of any community.

And with one in five Australians having a disability, we must ensure our grassroots sports clubs are equipped to include everyone.

Council prides itself on providing places and spaces that bring the community together, and this upgrade will go a long way towards ensuring Bellarine sporting facilities are world-class and inclusive.

The upgrade of Wallington Reserve will include extending the pavilion to accommodate two compliant change rooms, a shared canteen, social space with internal toilets and additional storage.

The reserve is home to Wallington Cricket Club and Bellarine Bears Baseball Club, which both run highly successful all-abilities programs.

The previous clubrooms were built in 1987 and are in urgent need of upgrading.

The redevelopment will address accessibility issues within the existing building and include the installation of all-gender accessible and ambulant toilets, rectifying narrow doorways and walkways, and eliminating steps.

The project will also include relocating the existing non-compliant public toilets and improving car parking and access roads.

An additional $50,000 from the Victorian Government has been granted to support the initiatives of Wallington Cricket Club’s and Bellarine Bears Baseball Club’s all-abilities programs, which aim to boost broader community participation at the upgraded facilities.

Ensuring all community members can participate in their chosen sport is essential to a healthy, vibrant and active community.

And providing residents with equitable access to facilities, regardless of where they live, is very important, especially in a region as fast-growing as ours.

All-abilities programs provide a powerful way to build a sense of community, and organisers see participants thrive during the programs.

The Bellarine Bears Baseball all-abilities program has three Saturdays remaining for this season.

The program will run from 10.30 – 11.30am on August 3, 10 and 17 at Wallington Reserve.

Starting in term four, Wallington Cricket Club will run their all-abilities cricket program on Sunday mornings.

For more information on either program, you can follow facebook.com/WallingtonCC or facebook.com/bellarine.bears

Further, if your sporting club is interested in more information on how you can make your club more inclusive, the City of Greater Geelong has partnered with the Sport4All program.

We were one of the first Local Government Areas to partner with Sport4All, which aims to build the confidence and capability of clubs and schools to welcome and include people with disability in their sporting operations.

For more information on the program, please see www.geelongaustralia.com.au/sport4all.

As always, I value your support and input. If you would like to address any issues, please email me at [email protected]

Elise Wilkinson

Bellarine Ward, City of Greater Geelong