Hockey Victoria and Scope receive inclusive Hockey grant

Scope and Hockey Victoria have been awarded $97,480 to develop an inclusive hockey program suitable for people with multiple and complex disabilities.

The Access for All Abilities grant, from Sports and Recreation Victoria, was announced on 5 April 2022 by The Hon. Ros Spence, Minister for Community Sport.

Renee Paarman, a Community Educator at Scope with her own lived experience of disability, said community participation in sport could be life-changing for people with disabilities who are all too often sidelined.

“In my life, sport played together has had a positive impact long after the whistle has blown,” Renee said.

“By playing sport with my friends and peers, it has grown a greater understanding of what true inclusion looks like.”

This pilot program will remedy concerning survey data collected from people with disability in 2020 which identified more than half of respondents (53 per cent) did not participate in any organised sport, despite wanting to.

The biggest detractor from inclusion and participation was found to be the lack of accessible sports and activities available for people with disabilities.

Scope and Hockey Victoria have adopted a collaborative approach to the design of the program, bringing together people with lived experience of disability to ensure it is truly inclusive and accessible to all.

The pilot program will be delivered in collaboration with Footscray Hockey Club and Altona Hockey Club, with an aim for state-wide expansion if successful.