A Program to support Cycling Clubs to be inclusivecycling

for all

Purpose of the toolkit

Cycling Victoria has identified a strategic aim to become a more inclusive and welcoming sport.

While we continue on our journey we now see the need to help support our clubs implementing this aim and becoming more inclusive themselves.

We have termed the program ‘Cycling for All’. This theme is in line with the UCI who have embraced all forms of cycling.

As such Cycling for All is a program to help support inclusion in your club. Our view is that by doing this, there will be benefits to your club, your

members and your community.

We look forward to working with clubs to implement this exciting and unique program for cycling.

Cycling has traditionally not been an inclusive sport. As

such we are seeking to work with our clubs to

enhance the sport as sport that is inclusive

to all.

Cycling Victoria acknowledge Vichealth ‘Everyone Wins’ program upon which the Cycling for All Toolkit has been based.

Cycling Victoria Cycling for All Toolkit2

How will being inclusive benefit my clubBeyond our traditional base of men between 18-35 cycling has traditionally had low participation numbers in our clubs and events.

As a result we have been unable to capture a huge sector of the market who may be interested in participating in the sport.

By reviewing our practices and creating welcoming and inclusive club environment has many advantages for clubs (as well as their members) including:

� More participants

� More volunteers

� Greater Membership

� A richer club environment where members learn from each others’ backgrounds and experiences

Factors thatwill influence

your participation in the program.Every cycling club is different – large, small

and focuses of your committee and support you have in the local community.

We are therefore committed to working with your club to help where necessary and make

changes to practices and culture that will help your club and your riders.

We are also aware that many clubs are doing great work. This program also acknowledges

that clubs may already have in place practices that support welcoming

and inclusive sporting environments. For those clubs you will receive

acknowledgement and support in areas where it fits best for you.

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Why is it important?Cycling is a great sport! It provides opportunities that are unmatched in virtually any other sport and lifelong participation in all forms. However the sport currently misses large sections of the community who do not participate in our club environment.

The program and associated actions help to take steps to ensure clubs are providing a welcoming environment to ensure they are able to recruit individuals from all areas of the community.

In every sport there are traditional factors that limit participation such as transport, cost and knowledge.

Our research has shown that the cycling environment, which has tended to be male Anglo-Australian, has a number of steps to take in order to ensure that less tangible barriers to participation are reduced or eliminated.

The program is designed to ensure that clubs take positive pro-active steps so that they can ensure individuals, no matter what their background, can participate in all forms of the sport. The program is designed to provide clubs with the momentum for change to become more inclusive and welcoming.

Everyone should be welcomed to cycling.

Cycling Victoria Cycling for All Toolkit4

Initiating change: the action areas

There are five key areas for action that can be addressed to help clubs create welcoming and inclusive environments

Aim of the action area Why is it important?

Champions of change are active

Change does not happen without leadership and commitment. Committee members are elected because people believe they are capable of influencing their club’s future. They are responsible for defining the club’s values and vision. But committee members need the support of others in working towards changing the club’s culture. These are ‘champions of change’, and play a vital role in the club. While they’re most likely to be club members, they may also be found in your local community – for example, community or business leaders or volunteers.

Expectations about behaviour are met

Determining what the club is known for and stands for should be clearly shown in a vision statement that is supported by a member protection policy (or your sport’s welfare policy) and a code of conduct. These should be developed and/or reviewed and distributed before the season starts to promote positive, respectful behaviours towards all members, including women, girls, Aboriginal people and people from culturally diverse communities.

Facilities and activities are accessible

Fair and respectful behaviour is really what sport is about, but for many people being able to be an active member comes down to practical issues such as cost and getting to and from games and training. Making your sport more affordable, having clean, safe club rooms and change rooms, and making sure equipment and other club facilities are shared equitably among members will have your club well on the way to being welcoming and inclusive.

Everyone participates

The first step towards increasing participation is to raise community awareness and encourage new and existing members to become involved in all aspects of club life. For women and girls this might mean focusing on increasing their representation in leadership positions (e.g. coaching or being a committee member). Emphasising the social aspects of your club contributes to everyone feeling more comfortable and welcome, regardless of their background. Forming partnerships with local groups and organisations is an important part of this process.

Commitment through ongoing action

Creating and distributing inclusive policies and codes of conduct at the beginning of the season demonstrates the club’s vision. But vision without action won’t bring about lasting change. To maintain a safe and inclusive environment, clubs need to walk the talk, address issues when they arise and to encourage members (and potential new members) to put forward their ideas and provide feedback on all aspects of the club’s environment. Recognising the achievements and contribution of all members contributes to developing a club environment where everyone is valued.

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Where to

Start KnoW your Club’s sTrEngThsYour club’s members, history and culture will offer you a lot of strengths that you can build on. Before you start on the actions, consider the following:

� Who can drive change in your club? Are there influential riders, coaches, committee members, parents or other people that can be involved?

� What’s your club’s culture? What strengths can you build on to increase inclusion?

� What’s your club’s size and capacity? Do you have resources or the opportunity to apply for funding so you can implement more targeted programs?

� What connections do you and your members have with the local community? Do you have access to or links with community groups, schools, workplaces, businesses or particular groups of people that can help you make this change, or access new members or resources?

� What are your links with Cycling Victoria, Regional Sports Assemblies, local and state government, and community services? Are there further resources that they have that can help your club become more inclusive?

� What’s your local community like? What are the major cultural groups, community strengths, and health, sport and wellbeing needs of your community? Use ‘Know your club and community members’ on the next page to think about this.

Cycling Victoria Cycling for All Toolkit6

KnoW your Club And CommuniTy mEmbErs

Try to get an idea of who’s currently in your club, and whether there are groups that are in your wider community that aren’t reflected in your membership at the moment.

Jot down some thoughts on the different aspects of your club and your local community – whether there is a large or small proportion of a group represented, or if there are particular factors that impact on people.

The table below gives some ideas on what to consider:

Good places to find out this information include http://vic.cycling.org.au/Get-Involved/Clubs/Club-Resources

Get in contact with your local council (see www.dpcd.vic.gov.au/localgovernment to find contact information) and consider meeting with a council rep to talk more about your community.

Community Indicators Victoria (www.communityindicators.net.au) is another useful resource for finding out who’s in your local area and what their strengths and needs are.

When you’re done, take a look at the results and see if there are particular groups under-represented – could you develop your club so that these groups are more likely to participate?

Particularly look at women, girls, people with a disability, Aboriginal people and people from culturally diverse communities, but also think about what might be stopping them from being involved. For example, is it because income levels are low in your community, so cost could be an issue? If lots of people speak a language other than English at home, could language be a barrier?

This will help you identify who you should target, but also how you should go about it – the results will give you an idea of which actions will be most important for your club and your community members.

Gender Age Geography Home

� There are many gender identities and expressions however, the most commonly recognised are male and female.

� Children

� Young people

� Older people

� Urban, regional or rural

� Access to services

� Marital/relationship

� Status

� Family structure

� Language spoken at home

Cultural background

Community Connections

Economic and learning

Health and wellbeing

� Aboriginal Culturally diverse

� New arrival and/or refugee

� Faith/religion

� Participation in community activities

� Social networks and supports

� Employment

� Housing

� Income level

� Level of education

� People with physical and/or mental illness

� People with a disability

� Level of physical activity

Where to

Start

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Know who can help you

make your club more

inclusive

Have a think about who will be important in leading or participating in making your club more inclusive.

You might have great administrators, coaches and members that are happy to be part of this. They will be important, as they’ll be your club champions, and many of the activities in the ‘Champions of change’ action area will involve them.

Remember to consider people that aren’t directly involved in the club. They might be riders’ friends, your local council, a community organisation that works under-represented groups. Also think about who’s already out there in the wider community that you could connect with to help drive change.

Think about what role they can play to help make your club more inclusive – they could be a club champion, or provide expert advice, links to the

community or material support.

The diagram above shows different people and organisations that could help.

Cycling Victoria Cycling for All Toolkit8

Making your club more inclusive is important to Cycling Victoria and we will recognized and reward those clubs who have completed the Action Guide in the Toolkit and received the designation of "Inclusive Club".

CV will also work closely with each club as they work through the toolkit and provide support and advice where it is useful.

On an annual basis CV will reward those clubs who have completed.

In addition clubs can also complete further focus area work sheets on Women and Girls, Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Communities, Aboriginal and Disability.

Club Recognition

InclusiveClub

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Making Cycling Inclusive for AllThis guide explains some actions that will help in becoming in a more inclusive club. The kits also provides you which tools and resources are available to help you and your club.

Your club might already be doing some of these – that’s great, tick them off and have a look for other actions that can build on those strengths. You can do any action area at any time, but try to move through the levels of each area in order.

Action guide:

Cycling Victoria Cycling for All Toolkit10

Look for actions that address the main barriers for inclusion in your club, or those actions that can use the current skills and knowledge in your club. As your club and your capacity grow, come back to this guide to see if there are more you can do.

In addition to the Inclusive Club Standard there are further work sheets to become inclusive clubs in key under-represented groups:

� Women and Girls

� Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Communities

� Aboriginal

� Disability

You can access these resources as electronic files or as external links or videos by clicking on the tool name or the resource weblink.

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Champions of Change are Active

Committee develops a vision statement reflecting a commitment to welcoming and inclusive sporting environments.

TOOL 1 – Statement of purpose and values

Australian Sports Commission’s Essence of Australian Sport resource (www.ausport.gov.au/about/essence_of_sport)

Welcoming officer is appointed. TOOL 2 – Role of a welcoming officer

The club President or others appointed by the Committee address issues and concerns.

Refer to your club’s policies.

More resources are available from the Play By the Rules website: Got an issue (www.playbytherules.net.au/got-anissue) and Dealing with complaints (www.playbytherules.net. au/about-complaints/dealing-with-complaints)

TOOL 3 – Dealing with issues and complaints

TOOL 4 – Got a problem? (Poster)

TOOL 5 – Tips for officials managing conflict

Committee conducts pre-season and end-of-season surveys of members to help develop welcoming and inclusive sporting environments.

TOOL 6 – Member survey

Committee adopts policies which are identified areas for improvement in developing a welcoming and inclusive environment.

TOOL 7 – Diversity Policy

Member Protection Information Officer is appointed.

TOOL 8 – Role of a member protection information officer

Member protection information officer video on the Play by the Rules website (www.playbytherules.net.au/resources)

Actions to make your Club more Welcoming and inclusive What resources can help you? Completed Evidence

Cycling Victoria Cycling for All Toolkit12

Commitment through Ongoing Action

All members, their partners and families are invited to social events.

TOOL 17 – Emphasising social activities

An action plan to make your commitment visible is developed, implemented and reviewed annually.

TOOL 19 – Action Plan

Expectations About Behaviour are Met

Member protection policy is adopted and placed on the club website.

TOOL 9 – Member Protection Policy

Code of conduct is adopted, placed on the club website and handed out on registration day.

TOOL 10 – Code of Conduct

Guidelines are adopted that support welcoming and inclusive sporting environments.

TOOL 11 – Spectator behaviour policy

TOOL 12 – Alcohol policy

TOOL 13 – Communication and new technology policy

Complaint resolution process is developed and communicated to members.

Complaint resolution process is developed and communicated to members.

Facilities and Activities are Accessible

Action is taken to adapt clubrooms to make them more safe and inclusive.

TOOL 14 – Making a visible commitment to inclusive sport

Action is taken to reduce the costs of participation.

TOOL 15 – Reducing the cost of participation

Everyone Participates

Promotional material is welcoming and inclusive and members are recruited broadly within the community.

TOOL 16 – Join our club flyer

Committee reflects club membership.

TOOL 18 – Diverse representation on management committees

Actions to make your Club more Welcoming and inclusive What resources can help you? Completed Evidence

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Expectations About Behaviour are Met

Guidelines to Support Women’s Participation are adopted.

TOOL 29 – CV Racing Guidelines

Women and girls are given information about where to go for help if they are victims of violence.

Victorian Government’s Enough campaign (www.familyviolence.vic.gov.au EnoughCampaign)

Guidelines are adopted that support safe and supportive environments for women and girls.

TOOL 27 – Coach and athlete relationships

Appropriate contact during demonstration of skills videoon the Play by the Rules website (www.playbytherules.net.au/resources)

Coaches and administrators complete online scenarios to increase their understanding about sex discrimination and harassment.

Complaint resolution process is developed and communicated to members.

Respect and responsibility policy is adopted and displayed on the club website.

TOOL 28 – Respect and Responsibility Policy

Champions of Change are Active

The Committee discusses best ways to ensure coaches demonstrate respectful behaviour between men and women with their club members and players.

TOOL 26 – Coaches: Respectful Behaviour

Action Plan Women

Actions to make your Club more Welcoming and inclusive What resources can help you? Completed Evidence

Cycling For All:

Cycling Victoria Cycling for All Toolkit14

Commitment through Ongoing Action

Messages about respect for women are promoted through the season.

TOOL 24 – Messages for club newsletters and websites

The club participates in White Ribbon Day, and/or International Women’s Day.

White Ribbon (www.whiteribbonday.org.au)

Facilities and Activities are Accessible

Equitable access is provided to facilities, equipment and grounds egardless of gender.

TOOL 20 – Making facilities and equipment accessible for women and girls

Everyone Participates

A Come and Try Day is held focusing on targeting participation of women and girls.

TOOL 21 – Holding a ‘Come and Try Day’

Coaches and administrators encourage and support increased participation and representation of women and girls in club activities.

TOOL 22 – Women and girls in leadership positions

TOOL 23 – Online interactive scenarios on the Play By the Rules

website: Girls playing in boys teams and Pregnancy and participation (www.playbytherules.net.au/interactive-scenarios)

Actions to make your Club more Welcoming and inclusive What resources can help you? Completed Evidence

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