How to create healthy and welcoming environments
Why are healthy and welcoming environments important?
Healthy environments maximise the health impact of cultural and sporting activities and increase the appeal of clubs, organisations and activities to a wider range of potential participants.
Organisations with a policy to welcome and include potential participants are more likely to attract and retain them.
Likewise, smokefree environments and initiatives like a responsible alcohol management policy can play a significant role in creating a culture that encourages participation.
In this section are some things organisations can do to create a healthy environment.
Back to top
Helping people to feel included and valued
Social isolation and lack of participation in community life have been found to impact negatively on mental health and wellbeing. Development of organisations and activities which encourage participation and inclusion is vital to good mental health for individuals and communities.
Your organisation should ensure that:
- activities are not difficult to access due to cost or location
- people from a range of backgrounds are involved in planning and staging your activities
- information about your organisation and its activities is widely circulated
- people from a range of backgrounds feel comfortable participating in activities
- premises and activities are accessible to people with disabilities
Some ideas to help you create welcoming and inclusive activities:
- Adopt policies regarding the management of discrimination within your organisation, including racism, sexism, bullying
- Stage free or low cost activities to increase participation
- Conduct activities close to public transport
- Involve people from a range of backgrounds in planning and staging your activities
- Develop relationships with community-based organisations which may have an interest in your activities
- Distribute information about your activities in diverse forms through a range of mediums, eg fliers, community radio, local press, ethnic press
Participation and Inclusion PDF
Back to top
Preventing sport related injury
It is estimated that 30% to 40% of all sporting injuries are preventable. The risk of injury can interfere with the enjoyment of participating in sport and active recreation, and act as a barrier to that participation. Protection from sporting injury cannot be guaranteed but there are many helpful strategies which can minimise the risk.
Your organisation should:
- Ensure coaches and officials are trained in injury prevention
- Check the playing area and surrounding areas before activity
- Encourage participants to wear protective equipment
- Develop and implement modified games for juniors
- Provide first-aid equipment
Some ideas to help you prevent sports injury:
- Adopt a sports injury prevention policy
- Implement facts and safety tips
- Have officials qualified in first-aid attend activities
Preventing sport related injury PDF
Back to top
Promoting responsible alcohol management
Over 6500 Australians die each year from the effects of alcohol. Safe and responsible drinking means drinking alcohol in a way that does not harm the drinker or others.
Your organisation should:
- Provide low and non-alcoholic drinks at prices competitive with full-strength alcoholic drinks
- Provide water free of charge
- Ensure food is provided when alcohol is being served
- Ensure alcohol is not available to minors
- Comply with Liquor Licensing Victorian regulations
Some ideas to help you responsibly manage the serving of alcohol:
- Adopt a responsible Alcohol Management Policy
- Know your licensing requirements and ensure your staff members do also
- Provide alcohol-free events for your members and families
Responsible alcohol management PDF
Back to top
Supporting smokefree environments
There is strong community awareness of the risks associated with smoking and passive smoking, and increasing support for smokefree environments.
Implementing smoking control measures is a legally and socially responsible initiative for your organisation. VicHealth encourages you to make your organisation and activities you conduct smokefree.
Your organisation should:
- Ensure that all indoor areas are non-smoking areas
- Not sell cigarettes, including cigarettes from vending machines (this requirement may be waived if the funded organisation does not have direct control over cigarette sales or machines in the venue)
- Provide designated non-smoking outdoor areas
- Promote activities as smokefree
- Ensure that representation of the organisation or those acting in an official capacity refrain from smoking while performing these duties
Some ideas to help you create a smokefree environment:
- Adopt a smokefree policy
- Ensure all groups involved in running an activity are aware of the smokefree policy
- Display non-smoking signage at appropriate areas
Smokefree environments PDF
Back to top
Promoting healthy food choices
Victorians of all ages would benefit from eating more bread, cereal, rice, pasta, noodles, vegetables, legumes and fruit, and eating less fat. The people attending or participating in your activities should have a choice of these foods which are conducive to health.
The key is to provide a range of food choices so that all consumers participating in or attending activities can make a decision about the type of food they eat.
Your organisation should:
- Provide healthy food choices
- Ensure healthy foods are competitively priced
- Have healthy food choices attractively presented and prominently positioned
- Provide water free of charge
- Ensure safe food handling procedures are observed
Some ideas to encourage participants to eat healthy foods while at your activity:
- Contract caterers who are willing and able to provide healthy food options
- Ensure sufficient variety of healthy food to offer real choice, including fresh fruit and vegetables, breads, pasta and rice
- Include healthy choices for both hot and cold food
Healthy food choices PDF
Back to top
Preventing sunburn
Australia has one of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world. With so many activities occurring outdoors, exposure to ultra-violet radiation is a particular relevant health issue for Australians.
Your organisation should ensure that:
- Shade is provided
- Sunscreen is available
- Staff, volunteers and, where possible, participants wear sun-protective clothing, eg: wide-brimmed hats, shirts with long sleeves, sunglasses.
Some ideas to help you create a sun-protective environment:
- Provide shade structures, eg umbrellas, marquees, shade cloths, and encourage individuals to bring their own shade structures in areas where natural shade does not exist
- Make sunscreen and hats available for sale as part of any merchandising that does exist
- Schedule activities, when possible, so that they don’t occur between 11am and 3pm. The effects of ultra-violet radiation are at their highest during this time.
Sun protection PDF