1 August
Kat Gourley
Melbourne, Victoria - Twelve of our associations will be delivering impactful programs aimed at increasing the participation of women and girls after receiving funding allocated from Basketball Victoria’s (BV) Play Our Way grant.
BV’s successful application for funding from the Federal Government’s Play Our Way initiative included the allocation of $80,000 to support grassroots initiatives facilitated by basketball associations around the state. This financial support is being delivered across four six-monthly periods until the funding period comes to an end in June 2027, with up to $2000 available per project. Twenty-three associations from all areas of Victoria submitted applications to deliver initiatives focussing on either coaching, officiating, or participation in this funding round.
Kat Gourley, BV’s Women and Girls Participation Manager is pleased to announce that twelve associations have been successful in their applications to deliver women and girls programs in 2025. The initiatives were developed by BV to provide simple and effective interventions to recruit and retain women and girls as coaches, officials, or players.
Here is the list of successful associations, who will be receiving a grant:
Women’s Coaching Mentoring Program
- Benalla Basketball Association
- Chelsea & District Basketball Association
- Keilor Basketball Association
- Lakes Entrance Amateur Basketball Association
- Warragul & District Basketball Association
All Girls / Women’s Beginner Refereeing Program
- Diamond Valley Basketball Association
All Girls Ford Aussie Hoops
- Western Port Basketball Association
- Ballarat Basketball Association
- Broadmeadows Basketball Association
- Riddells Creek Junior Mixed Basketball Association
- Pakenham and District Basketball Association
B-All-In Social Participation Program
- Wyndham Basketball Association
Diamond Valley Basketball Association will be using their funding to offer an All Girls/Women’s, Beginner Refereeing program in Term 3. They intention is to reach thirty participants, with the hope to boost the number of women and girls who referee their competitions.
Sarah Bradbury, Basketball Victoria, Technical Officials State Program Development Manager, is excited to support the delivery of all girls/women’s beginner schools, "Conducting all girls/women beginner schools is a great way of recruiting women and girls to officiating. It allows social bonds to form between the participants that can often lead to long lasting friendships and better retention of the officials long term. These schools can also empower participants to see that women and girls can excel at officiating and that there are pathways for them, to not only officiate locally, but into the elite pathways as they become more experienced."
Congratulations to the successful recipients in this round and keep an eye out for further opportunities aimed at recruiting and retaining women and girls in basketball.
For more information about BV's female participation programs, click below.
