Participation in community sport and active recreation (PICSAR)
What is PICSAR?
The Participation in Community Sport and Active Recreation (PICSAR) program at VicHealth comprises three levels of activity – state, regional and local. By coordinating the work undertaken across each level and working in partnership across different sectors, VicHealth aims to build a sport and active recreation sector that has healthy policies and environments and strong communities and organisations. This in turn will lead to increased participation and skills.
Which organisations are funded through PICSAR?
VicHealth supports many organisations through a range of funding schemes. (To keep informed about funding opportunities at VicHealth, you can subscribe to receive regular updates.)
State and Regional Grants - funding to State Sporting Associations, Regional Sports Assemblies and Peak Sport and Active Recreation Industry organisations to increase participation in community sport and active recreation for people with disabilities and those from low socio-economic, Indigenous and new arrival communities.
Active Participation Grants - funding to support initiatives to engage a range of local community groups, organisations and partnerships to undertake activities to increase physical activity amongst people with disabilities and those from low socio-economic, Indigenous and new arrival communities in rural and regional Victoria.
Active Clubs Grants - funding to community clubs/organisations for sports injury prevention equipment, essential sporting equipment, portable shade and volunteer training.
VicHealth supports organisations to work directly with particular population groups to increase participation in physical activity.
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PICSAR database (for funded organisations)
Funded organisations, please log-in here.
User guides
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What is community sport and active recreation?
Leisure time is highly valued by most people, with high participation rates by both children and adults in a wide range of sporting and recreational activities
What is sport?
Sport is physical activity that is competitive, organised, involves rules and may be participated in either individually or as a team. This definition refers primarily to those participating in sports as amateurs.
What is active recreation?
Active recreation is generally unstructured activity that individuals freely pursue in their uncommitted time (leisure time) for a personal sense of enjoyment that also benefits their physical, social or emotional wellbeing.
What do we know?
Australia has a reputation of being a strong sporting nation. As far back as the 1870s, comments were made that in Australia, sport appeared to be 'a national necessity'. Australia’s performances in international sporting competitions such as the Olympic and Commonwealth Games is evidence of the importance of sport in the cultural identity of the country.
Historically, Australians have fought hard for their right to leisure time. When, in 1856, Victorian stonemasons won the right to an 8-hour working day, this success was seen as a world first in the struggle for improved working conditions and the fair split between work, rest and play. Leisure time is now highly valued by most people, with high participation rates by both children and adults in a wide range of sporting and recreational activities.
Active participation is encouraged and underpinned by public policy such as the Commonwealth Government’s Healthy Active Australia, which encourages involvement in sport and active recreation activities, and the Victorian State Government’s 'Go For Your Life' strategy.
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Who is community sport and active recreation for?
Physical activity also reduces stress, anxiety and depression, and protects against obesity
It’s great for your health to be physically active. Regular physical activity not only protects against many illnesses, it also makes people mentally healthy, alert and resilient against the stresses of modern living.
Physically active communities are more likely to be healthier communities and active people are more likely to experience a better quality of life.
Increased participation is good for your community. It can:
- Decrease the social and economic cost of illness.
- Improve mental health and wellbeing in the community.
- Create involved, active communities – they are good places to live.
Physical activity, along with a change in dietary habits, and stopping smoking, can dramatically reduce your likelihood of developing conditions such as cardiovascular disease, colon cancer and type 2 diabetes. Physical activity also reduces stress, anxiety and depression, and protects against obesity. Levels of social connection also increase through participation in physical activity. Being socially connected is good for our mental health and wellbeing.
In Victoria, only 61.4% of adult males and 57.6% of adult females are sufficiently active to enjoy the health benefits of physical activity. Participation rates are even lower than the average amongst young people, Kooris, women, older adults and people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. [1]
Sporting clubs across Victoria are continually looking for new members to join and play their sport while a wide variety of health and community agencies are looking for physical activity options for groups of people they work with.
If your organisation…
- needs more members
- wants to provide physical activity opportunities
- has facilities that are underutilised
- wants to connect different groups in the community
- wants to be part of a healthier community
Or is involved with…
- local government
- a Primary Care Partnership
- the local pool
- a community health centre
- the local gym
- a neighbourhood house
- a sporting club
- a recreation organisation
- a school
Then a Regional Sports Assembly may be able to assist with the development of a project idea, make contact with suitable partners and help you source funding.
References
1. Department of Human Services 2003, Victorian Population Health Survey 2003 selected findings, Melbourne.
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Starting a community sport and active recreation program
Working with others is necessary if you’re in the business of creating active communities. Through PICSAR, Regional Sports Assemblies can be the central point for creating and promoting partnerships that will increase the likelihood of a more active community.
Regional Sports Assemblies can assist with the development of a project idea, make contact with suitable partners and help to source funding. When a group of new mums in the rural town of Hamilton wanted to get back into shape, for example, their RSA played a key role, working with the local gym to develop a new program called ‘Bounce Back with Babes’, which is now promoted through the maternal child health nurses.
If you have identified a need in your community, contact your Regional Sports Assembly and talk to their PICSAR project officer about:
- groups in your community who could benefit from being more physically active
- the issues and barriers to participation faced by your target groups
- identifying organisations in your community you could link up with to increase physical activity rates
Information about physical activity rates in your area are available from the Victorian Burden of Disease Study and the DHS Population Health Survey. Regional Sports Assemblies can also provide advice on community profiling.
Tips for creating a great community sport and active recreation program
If you understand your target group and the barriers they face to participation, you’ll have a better chance of developing a successful program. Click on a category below to download a pdf.