Brimbank City Council, Victoria, has announced a new partnership with Reclink Australia aimed at improving access to Council’s leisure centres for the Brimbank community.
Under the umbrella partnership, leisure centre staff will undergo training to better understand and identify the barriers Brimbank residents face in accessing physical activity.
Through the partnership’s programming and support framework, staff will also be given the skills to develop solutions to improve access with a particular focus on disadvantaged groups across Brimbank.
Mayor, Ranka Rasic, said, “We’re very pleased to have established a partnership with Reclink that will help improve community access to our leisure centres.
“This is a tremendous initiative that has the best interests of the community at heart.”
Reclink Australia is a not-for-profit organisation that delivers sports and arts programs to disadvantaged Australians aimed at creating socially inclusive, life-changing opportunities.
They provide activities that are not only affordable and accessible but will generate positive health outcomes for participants.
“It is a very practical initiative that will empower those marginalised groups in Brimbank to achieve the kinds of outcomes that would have otherwise been denied to them.
“I’m delighted to say this program is already proving a success with over 45 hours of community access using this initiative in the first week alone.”
Under the program, registered participants who face financial hardship receive complimentary access to the swimming pool and/or gym on a casual basis between 10am and 2pm on weekdays.