Supporting safer, stronger community sport across Churchlands: True Sport

Community sport is the heart of Churchlands. It brings neighbours together, backs our volunteers and helps keep the WA community healthy, in body and mind.

Recently Basil met with SportWest at SportHQ to talk about the sporting landscape across the electorate. The conversation covered how local clubs can get the support they need, and one program stood out: True Sport.

True Sport is a statewide initiative funded by the Western Australian Government and delivered by SportWest. Its goal is simple: safer, more inclusive and more sustainable sport for everyone.

Built for the WA sporting landscape, it gives clubs, volunteers, officials and sporting organisations practical, evidence-based education and support. It brings expert advice, best-practice resources and referral pathways together in one easy-to-access place.

What’s on offer for local clubs?

True Sport has a range of free resources, including:

• Mental health support: Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and Volunteer Assistance Program (VAP) resources, with up to six free counselling sessions available in person, online and in regional and remote communities.
• Sideline behaviour materials: posters and hero videos for clear, consistent messaging.
• Respectful Relationships resources: including bystander action in sport, family and domestic violence, and recognising the signs.
• Cultural education: support for culturally safe sport for First Nations people and anti-racism in sport.
• Child safeguarding resources: aligned with WA legislation and best-practice implementation.
• Dispute resolution: access to mediators, investigators and other professionals to help manage grievances and disputes.

Clubs can also tap into workshops and webinars, online learning and eLearning modules, governance guides and templates, direct access to subject matter experts, and WA-specific referral pathways and support services.

An independent evaluation by UWA covering 2023 to 2026 found True Sport is making a real difference:

• 100% of participating State Sporting Associations reported increased confidence in addressing integrity, safety and wellbeing issues
• 92% of administrators reported improved mental health awareness, knowledge and confidence
• 73% of organisations strengthened their child safeguarding practices
• More than 80% of organisations reported greater confidence in addressing poor sideline behaviour

In 2025, the True Sport Online Resource Hub recorded more than 19,000 interactions. True Sport also engaged with 64 State Sporting Associations, representing more than one million participants, members and volunteers across WA.

Many clubs and volunteers may not know this support exists. If you’re part of a local club, a committee member, a coach or an official, please share these resources with your networks.

Greater awareness means stronger volunteer wellbeing, better governance and safer, more inclusive sport for everyone in our community.

To find out more about True Sport, visit SportWest.

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