VicHealth and La Trobe University’s Centre for Sport and Social Impact have drawn on years of experience to develop six key principles to guide the design and delivery of sport-based programs that target less-active people. 

This highlights these six principles and provides high-level guidance to build the capacity of the sports sector to create participation opportunities for all Victorians. 

The six principles are designed to support organisations through the four phases of implementing a new social sport participation opportunity or adapting an existing one. 

Download: Designing and delivering sport to engage people who are less active (PDF, 3.9 MB)

Download: A guide for sports clubs (PDF, 1.6 MB)

Download:Active Club Grants (2016–18) Program Summary (PDF, 1.2 MB)

 
Download:Female Sport Program (2015–17) Summary (PDF, 5.8 MB)
 
 
Download:Regional Sport Program (2015–18) Summary (PDF, 3.3 MB)

 
Download:State Sport Program (2015–18) Evaluation Summary (PDF, 2.5 MB)

Download:Count Me In Research Summary (PDF, 2 MB) and Tips for Sports Clubs(PDF, 88 KB)

‘Less active’ people are those who don’t meet Australian physical activity and sedentary behaviour guidelines, with respect to minutes of cardiovascular activity per week. 
In the programs informing the above documents, adults who are less active are people over 18 who do less than 30 minutes of physical activity at least 5 days a week. Children who are less active are people under 18 who haven’t participated in organised sport (outside school) in the past 3 months. 

People might be less active because they have dropped out of sport or decreased their activity levels as their life circumstances changed, or they may never have been active enough. 

Some people may not like sport, or might have had bad experiences in the past. 

Some people from particular target populations (e.g. from low socioeconomic areas, with disability, women, culturally and linguistically diverse, Aboriginal) may face particular barriers that prevent them from being active. People from these populations may be more likely than the general population to be less active.

Between 2015 and 2018, VicHealth has supported Victorians who are less active to become more active through sport. 

VicHealth has invested heavily in a broad range of sport organisations to help them ensure their ongoing viability and engage Victorians who are less active. Many initiatives have assisted local clubs and regional, state and national sport organisations to build more welcoming and flexible approaches to sport participation. 

These programs have helped more Victorians become active, keeping them healthy, happy and well. 

The new opportunities developed through these initiatives include: 
• social sport programs that make activities fun, social and local 
• introductory programs for newcomers to a sport 
• programs specifically designed for under-represented groups (e.g. women, people with disability or newly arrived Victorians) 
• programs designed to retain participants or cater to people who are returning to sport following a gap. 

These programs emphasise fun, social interaction and enjoyment more than performance, results and competition. 

When sport organisations do sport differently, they: 
• attract larger and more diverse audiences 
• provide opportunities for people at different stages of their lives 
• increase the number of participants, volunteers and administrators 
• improve their brand 
• see their sport thrive into the future 
• positively influence the health of Victorians. 

Doing sport differently requires rethinking when, where and how sport is delivered, and who delivers it. It may also require new systems, processes and ways of working. It needs patience and a commitment to a new direction.