Dear [[NAME]],

Using the Return to Sport Toolkit

On Sunday, 24 May 2020, the Federal Minister for Youth and Sport, the Hon Richard Colbeck MP, launched a toolkit to help guide the return of community sport.

The Return to Sport Toolkit, developed by Sport Australia and the Australian Institute of Sport, contains checklists providing practical and progressive steps such as relevant government and national sporting organisation approvals, facility management, training behaviours, hygiene protocols and appropriate communication with members.

Please note that the nationwide Return to Sport Toolkit is not currently endorsed by the NSW Government or the NSW Office of Sport, but its release has been acknowledged as providing general guidance for a return to sport and a useful 'planning base'.

As noted in the Minister's release, "The States and Territories will be responsible for sport and recreation resumption decisions, both at the professional and community level and will determine progression through the phases, taking account of local epidemiology, risk mitigation strategies and public health capability."

Additionally, within the Toolkit, it is noted, "Important note: State and Territory governments and their public health authorities are responsible for decisions about the resumption of sporting activities in each jurisdiction, both at the professional and community sport level."

The Return to Sport Toolkit includes resources that may be used by all levels of Australian sport to assist in planning and preparation for the recommencement of training, competitions and programs; and for participation programs and competitive sport (training and competition) conducted at local club and association level.

In NSW, there is still the requirement for State Sporting Organisations (SSOs) and SSOs for people with a Disability (SSODs) to comply with current Public Health Orders. If a sport requires an exemption to the Public Health Orders, then an application requesting an exemption is required. Please see the Sport NSW Release dated 22 May 2020 for further information.

For further information and updates, please refer to the NSW Office of Sport and NSW Government.

Sport NSW, the Australian College of Physical Education and the NSW Office of Sport have collaborated to create Timeout Talks - #unitedforsports webinar series. The webinar series is a free resource for the industry that aims to keep our sporting community connected and united so we can return as one.

Paddling towards Tokyo 2021

Tuesday, 26 May: 6.00pm - 7.00pm

With the postponement of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games until 2021, this webinar will provide an insight as to how our athletes and coaches are approaching the 2021 Tokyo Games. Join us to hear from two of our Paddle athletes and their coach on the impact of COVID-19, the impact and innovation on training, resilience and what the next 12 months looks like.

Speakers for this webinar include:

• Jake Michael - NSWIS High Performance Coach
• Jo Brigden-Jones - Australian Kayaker
• Dylan Littlehales - Paralympic Canoeist

To register for this Timeout Talk, please click here.

Return to train: Effective coaching with the COVID-19 restrictions

Tuesday, 2 June: 6.00pm - 7.00pm

The focus of this webinar is on how to engage and challenge young participants in productive training sessions while we transition back to full competitions. Join us for advice, tips and the opportunity to discuss the issues you face as a community sports coach when returning to training with your young athletes, with fellow coaches. Speakers for this webinar will be announced soon.

To register for this Timeout Talk, please click here.

Community Clubs in a COVID-19 World

Thursday, 4 June: 6.00pm - 7.00pm

What does it look like in club land when you open your doors for training in a COVID-19 environment? With new guidelines and special requirements in place, converting the theory to practice can be a daunting task for the local volunteer. This webinar will explore case studies on how clubs are responding and what they have learnt. Speakers for the webinar will be announced soon.

To register for this Timeout Talk, please click here.

It's time to recognise your NSW Sport Volunteers!

If you know of any outstanding efforts and achivements by volunteers in your organisation, please nominate them for the 2020 NSW Community Sports Awards.

The NSW Community Sports Awards recognise outstanding achievements and contributions to community sport in NSW. These awards are focused on community and grassroots sport and provide State Sporting Organisations and State Sporting Organisations with a Disability an opportunity to recognise the efforts and achievements of their dedicated volunteers.

This year, nominations are invited for ten categories plus the Distinguished Long Service Awards for those who have given exceptional service to their sport for over 25 years. To assist with your nominations, please download the 2020 NSW Community Sports Awards Guidelines to see the conditions of entry and criteria for each award category.

The nomination period has been further extended and nominations will now close at midnight on Friday, 17 July 2020. To nominate, please click here.

For any futher information about nominations or the event, please visit the 2020 NSW Community Sports Awards event page or contact Sport NSW on (02) 8736 1239 or info@sportnsw.com.au.

As you face the challenge of overseeing your sport in a post COVID-19 world, it has never been more important than it is now to ensure you are on top of your governance.

The Australian Institute of Company Directors provides tailored governance training and skills-building for boards and leaders of sporting organisations.

Visit the AICD website for more information on their services and how they can help you.

While there is a lot of infromation about COVID-19 available online, Play by the Rules have developed a free mini-course to help people gain a basic understanding of the virus and what you can do to prevent its spread. This course should only take 10-15 minutes to complete and is a good baseline awareness program for volunteers and others involved with local sporting clubs and associations.

This course focuses on what COVID-19 is, how it spreads, what the symptoms are, who is at risk and the key actions and preventative measures you can take to prevent youself and the community. As restrictions start to ease and the return to sport begins, it is crucial that people understand COVID-19 and what can be done to prevent it disrupting community sport again.

For more information and to access the free course, please click here.

The impact of COVID-19 is devastating Australian sport—particularly community and club sports that rely on membership fees and local sponsorships to keep the lights on. The Australian Sports Foundation are an organisation who work to raise money for sport, and they have recently launched a national campaign to help community clubs and organisations access funds to recover, but to do this they need your help.

The Australian Sports Foundation have created a survey to understand the impact on your club and the funding needed to help it recover. They want to hear your story, how you have been impacted and what the road ahead looks like. The survey will close at 5.00pm on Friday, 5 June 2020.

For more information on what they are hoping to achieve, please click here and to fill out the survey, please click here.

The COVIDSafe app has been developed by the Australian Government as part of their work to slow the spread of COVID-19. The app is designed to help find and contain outbreaks quickly, meaning governments can start to ease restrictions while still keeping Australians safe.

The COVIDSafe app helps find close contacts of COVID-19 cases. The app helps state and territory health officials to quickly contact people who may have been exposed to COVID-19. This reduces the chances of you passing on the virus to your family, friends and other people in the community.

Sport NSW is supporting the government and encouraging the sporting community to download the COVIDSafe app. Downloading the app is completely voluntary, however we hope it will assist in the easing of restrictions and help keep our community safer as we start to return to sport and other activities.

For all the information on the COVIDSafe app, please click here.

The Sport Access Foundation have recently opened their 2020 Grants Program, offering grants that are focussed on the mental health and well-being of young Australians. Young Australians living with a disability are often more isolated due to pre-existing medical conditions and will be experiencing many emotions, particularly as opportunities to stay active and play sport have been impacted.

There following grants available this year and applications close on Friday, 21 August 2020.

• BlueScope Building Up Grants - to assist young Australians living with a disability invest in their overall education, physical and mental well-being.
• PICA Group Kick Start Grants - to ensure as many young children living with a disability can rejoin their sporting club when sport recommences.
• SAF Pathway to Paralympics Grants - to help potential future Paralympians with some of the additional costs incurred when competing at the highest level.
• SAF No Barriers Grants - to help individuals with a disability overcome the initial start-up to particpating in sport.

Please click here for more information or to apply.

The Sport NSW Sporting Grants Summary monitors available Grants (returning and new) from around NSW. 

Sunsuper's Dreams for a Better World Community Grants
To assist not-for-profit organisations or community groups that dream of helping to create brighter futures for Australians or a more active community or support others to live better. The three rounds for 2020 are Better Living, Brighter Futures and Active Community with a total of $150,000 available. Applications close on Friday, 26 June 2020. Click here for more information or to apply.

Emergency Bushfire Response Grants
To provide immediate relief to eligible small businesses and non-profit organisations for clean-up and restoration costs in the aftermath of the recent bushfires in NSW. Applications are now open and close at different times depending on your location. To see the full guidelines for small business and not-for-profit organisations, please click here.

For a full list - Download the Sport NSW Sporting Grants Summary.

Interested in a career in sport? or Looking for the latest volunteering opportunities?

For the latest sport and recreation jobs visit the Sport NSW Jobs Board available on our website.

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