Inclusive Communities Program
The Inclusive Communities Program is a federally-funded program administered by Football Federation Australia nationally. Football Queensland delivers the Queensland program, working with Welcome to the Game and Access Community Services to assist us as the program managers.
The program’s aim is to involve new and emerging communities in ALDI MiniRoos Kick-Off Programs, connect new Queenslanders with a local football club and give each participant a Hyundai A-League experience through our connection with Brisbane Roar FC.
The Inclusive Communities Program builds social cohesion and decreases barriers to football participation, giving opportunities to recently-arrived communities through a range of participation and fan football activities.
The program also identifies potential coaches and referees from local multicultural communities and assists them to enrol in relevant accredited coaching and refereeing courses, and provides them with casual work in the project.
Welcoming Tournaments
Beginning in February 2019, Welcoming Tournaments have been introduced to engage Queensland’s multicultural communities in a year-round program of sporting activities in a variety of locations across Brisbane, Logan, the Gold Coast, Ipswich and Toowoomba.
Football Queensland will sanction the tournaments and will be the tournament organisers. While the Welcoming Tournaments will initially have mostly a football focus, we are working with like-minded partners and community groups on introducing a multi-sport approach.
Welcoming Tournaments will focus on the development of community members in coaching, refereeing and competition administration with the aim of equal representation of men, women and children.
Kick Start Inala and Acacia Ridge
A collaborative project between Football Queensland, Inala Community House, Welcome to the Game, Brisbane City Council, Multicultural Development Australia (MDA), Queensland Program of Assistance for Survivors of Torture and Trauma (QPASTT) and PCYC, Kick Start Inala provided a structured football program for Year 5 and 6 students in Inala primary schools who do not have access to formal football club memberships.
The students involved in the program were given the opportunity to play in a free, structured football program run by accredited coaches, as well as gain experience playing in a tournament and finals.
The Kick Start Collaborative have also focused on work developing a junior based program in Brisbane’s Acacia Ridge, including ALDI Mini Roos Kick Off programs in local schools, school holiday programs and the creation of a Saturday Sandshoe Soccer program at Acacia Ridge FC.
In 2019, Brisbane Jaguars Football Club at the Spanish Centre in Acacia Ridge will join forces with Acacia Ridge FC and the Kick Start Collaborative to create the Acacia Ridge Junior Jets.
With the financial support of the Archerfield Airport Corporation, a junior program will be initiated at both the Spanish Centre and Acacia Ridge FC three days per week, catering for local kids between the ages of 4 and 16.
