Reclink Australia’s national program provides sport and recreation opportunities to the most hard to reach people in our community, including:
- Culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds (CALD)
- People with a disability
- Individuals with at-risk behaviours (such as drug and alcohol abuse, gambling etc)
- Homeless
- Youth offenders
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations
Underpinning the program is our hub and spoke model whereby we collaborate with community groups, participant providers, and organisations who can support sport programs. These include representatives from community support groups, police, local council, health providers, alcohol and drug rehabilitation program providers, and youth justice.
Sport organisations include representatives from state sport associations, community sport clubs, facility managers, and local government.
La Trobe University research shows that there was no other organisation in Australia that provides the reach, diversity, and outcomes achieved for those hard to reach people in the community which Reclink does, and that if Reclink did not exist, in all likelihood these opportunities would cease to be delivered.
Reclink’s demonstrated capacity to develop and deliver programs for participants who were not served through any other sport or recreation offering, and who benefit so greatly from these opportunities, is unique across Australia for two main reasons:
- Community and participant development
- Unique and efficient bridge between community, sport and government
La Trobe’s research also found Reclink has the potential to create stronger community networks and deliver more sport and recreation opportunities to more participants in need.
The Reclink National Program, which is funded by the Department of Health, Preventative Health and Chronic Disease Support, and is being delivered in 25 of the most disadvantaged communities across Australia.