WATER POLO AUSTRALIA EMBARKS ON MISSION TO DRIVE POSITIVE IMPACT IN THE COMMUNITY

Water Polo Australia has embarked on a mission to drive positive impact in the community, beyond simply the sporting arena by influencing the thinking and behaviour of our members. 

Identifying how sport intersects with the Australian communities, the environments in which sport is conducted as well as people that engage at all levels of the sport, Water Polo Australia has looked at how the issues facing society can be addressed within and through the sporting community. 

The Starting Line Report shows that 93% of Australians believe that sport plays an important role in addressing the issues society faces with 57% of Australians believing that Sporting Organisations have an obligation to use sport to address societal issues. 

Water Polo Australia CEO, Richard McInnes, said the Water Polo community together with independent experts and water polo members, have come together to look at social impact strategies the sport can adopt to drive meaningful change. 

“Sport is a vehicle that binds communities and Water Polo Australia recognises its role to be able to influence the attitude and behaviour of our community through a range of social impact initiatives. 

“WPA's mission is to make our sport, your sport and in order to deliver on that, we must ensure we recognise and celebrate our diverse communities, cultures and the environment in which we operate.

“Our social impact work will initially look at key four strategies to drive meaningful change including Inclusion, Diversity & Equity, Climate Action, Reconciliation and Culture Innovation. 

“These work areas are supported and shaped by a collection of expert working panels supporting WPA and our Social Impact Framework ensures each individual project doesn’t exist in isolation. 

“The success of the projects will be based on the thinking and behaviour of our community members, across the sport, to ensure we can create transformational change.

“While Water Polo is an Olympic sport, our role and our community is far broader. Our intent is genuine and authentic, providing a values alignment for our partners, participants and WPA employees. Water polo then becomes a workplace and sport of choice, because of its inclusive and welcoming environment, commitment to supporting our people as well as our work in climate change. 

“The circles of influence and impact that water polo has extends beyond our teams and competitions onto the people in our community, their respective communities and the world around us. 

“WPA is building upon this and partnering with community and representative bodies to ensure sincere representation of and engagement with a diverse range of existing and new water polo participants.  

“This is outlined in our National Strategic Framework where as a sport we strive to empower, play, develop, perform and prosper, our societal impact underpins our ability to succeed today in these ambitions but also be sustainable for the future,” he said. 

Water Polo Australia will unveil a series of strategies, action plans and partnerships over the coming weeks across the areas of:

(i) Inclusion, Diversity and Equity 

(ii) Climate Action  

(iii) Reconciliation; and 

(iv) Culture Innovation.