Good Sports award
A“In recent years our club has sadly been touched multiple times by the road toll. We’ve made road safety everyone’s business” – Katrina Fraser
commitment to member’s road safety has earned Natimuk United Football Netball Club a national honour.
The club was runner-up for the Good Sports Awards ‘national safe transport award’, announced at a ceremony at Parliament House in Canberra last month.
The awards celebrate outstanding sporting clubs and volunteers across Australia, for their commitment to building healthy and inclusive club environments and their work with the Alcohol and Drug Foundation’s Good Sports program in tackling topics such as alcohol, illicit drugs, smoking, mental health and safe transport.
Natimuk United has developed and implemented a range of safe transport practices.
Committee member Katrina Fraser said the main message integral to the club’s recent road safety initiatives was – ‘If we all make it home safely, then everyone wins’.
“In recent years our club has sadly been touched multiple times by the road toll,” she said.
“We’ve made road safety everyone’s business.
“The types of initiatives our club has introduced include participating in road safety programs, promoting road safety messages in our newsletters and social media pages, restricting speed limits around the grounds, plus engaging with a local driver training school as a junior incentive sponsor.
“We have a new designated in and out entrance at our club, that is at the furthest point from foot traffic. “We encourage car-pooling as much as possible and we organise transport to and from events.”
The club is a gold-level accredited Good Sports club, which means it has policies that address alcohol and tobacco management, illegal drugs, mental health and safe transport.
It is the club’s second Good Sports Award. It received a ‘staying connected award’ in 2021 for its commitment to keeping its members connected through the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing lockdowns.
Working with more than 10,000 community sports clubs across Australia, including more than 3000 in Victoria, Good Sports is Australia’s largest community health sports program.
In Victoria, Good Sports is funded by the Australian Government and managed by the Alcohol and Drug Foundation.