Building Inclusive Communities WA

With the support of Lotterywest, Inclusion Solutions is inviting nine local government authorities (LGAs) and peak bodies from across Western Australia to be a part of the Building Inclusive Communities WA (BICWA) project in 2022.

Now in its second year, The BICWA project will assist LGAs and peak bodies through capacity building, mentoring and a range of practical supports to ensure all people, regardless of ability, race, ethnicity, gender or sexual orientation, feel a sense of belonging, can actively participate in community life and have a valued role to play.

The Opportunity

Each and every day, communities all around Australia are becoming more culturally, linguistically, and religiously diverse than ever before. With these changes, comes an ever increasing need to ensure communities have the skills and capacity to embrace and support all people, regardless of their background.

Reduced funding and a shift away from direct service delivery by many LGAs, coupled with the increased isolation due to the COVID-19 health pandemic have highlighted the increased need for social inclusion.

This presents an exciting opportunity for LGAs and peak bodies to be at the forefront of this movement, to position themselves as leaders in this space and to begin or continue their journey in creating more inclusive, vibrant and connected communities.

For $26,000 worth of value, each LGA or peak body will only be required to contribute $3,200 to be a part of the BICWA project – a saving of 87.7% of the full cost.

Applications to be part of the BICWA project are due 2:00pm, Friday 4 February 2022.

The City of Bayswater have received fantastic feedback from all our clubs, associations and staff members who were involved with the BICWA program during 2021. All the seminars, webinars, team meetings and real life examples really made the learning and cross sharing experience natural and organic. I would highly recommend to any LGA in signing up for the BICWA Program by Inclusion Solutions. We all want our sporting clubs and associations to thrive and cater to the diverse community we all live in, it is important that our clubs cater to all people in the community and create ongoing opportunities for all Australians.

Brendan Frawley
Project Officer and Club Development Officer

What’s Involved in the Project

• A Supportive Partnership
  By working together, supporting one another, and keeping in regular contact, greater project outcomes can be achieved.
• Community Workshops
  Workshops provide an interactive learning experience combining both theory and practical examples to help clubs and community groups to identify barriers to participation, start conversations and identify challenges and opportunities specific to their group.
• Club Renovation Toolkit
  This 8-week online module series gives community groups, sporting and recreational clubs the skills to build and strengthen their groups, attract new members and promote social inclusion.
• Community Development Toolkit
  This 4-week online series provides Club and Community Development staff with practical tools and resources to support clubs and community groups to create inclusive experiences for all people.
• Community Webinars
  This 4-week webinar series allows clubs and community groups to learn about social inclusion from the comfort of their own home or office. Covering a range of topics, each webinar provides participants with practical skills and resources to give them the confidence to strengthen their club or community group.
• Club Mentoring 
  Our mentoring process supports clubs and community groups to increase connection with the wider community, increase membership and volunteerism and become more socially inclusive. Mentoring is an ongoing process throughout the year of the project where we build a strong relationship with a club or group, identify their goals and work together in ways that best work for them.
• Professional Development
  Professional development sessions are tailored and interactive opportunities for staff within local government to learn about social inclusion and how it directly relates to their position and work.

Ready to start your inclusion journey?

Both metropolitan and regional, local and state, we’ve been working with government authorities for over two decades to support them to better support and understand their communities.

Learn more