Kindergym is the nursery of all sport and movement and getting your child involved in kindergym at Gungahlin Gymnastics will greatly assist in their overall development physically, socially and emotionally.
Megan – Gungahlin Gymnastics
Sport is a critical part of our society. It plays a huge role in out physical, social, and emotional wellbeing. Gymnastics, especially kindergym and gymnastics at a young age, teaches children how to use and move their bodies. Once they grow older and either stay with gymnastics or move on to other sports, the benefits are clear.
Many sports in Gungahlin and in Canberra suffer from a lack of facilities. Fortunately for Gungahlin, we have some well established gyms catering to our population. Gungahlin Gymnastics even has two locations in Mitchell!
Cost of living pressure
Megan and Joel run an amazing business catering to 1,200 families. They have been seeing the rising cost of living impacting on participation rates. They offer payment plans and work with families to make sure money doesn’t get in the way wherever possible, but it’s getting harder. Families are having to make sacrifices, and the inequality we have in Canberra grows as a result.
As with many community sports, gymnastics is funded through fees and – where possible – grant funding. Also as with many sports, grant funding is piecemeal and insecure. Sometimes grants can be won or lost with very little notice. Clubs will prepare two budget scenarios so they are ready to spring in to action based on funding available, but they cannot plan ahead.
This is not a sustainable way to operate. Canberra needs clubs like Gungahlin Gymnastics to not only survive, but thrive.
Participating in sport should be affordable for all families. We are gettign it wrong, and it’s getting worse.
Independents for Canberra
Independents for Canberra candidates have all agreed on three main sports policies:
- Establishing a peak body to advocate for community sport and help attract domestic and international sporting events and competitions to the capital.
- Undertaking a detailed facilities audit; preparing and funding a 10-year strategic plan for the maintenance, improvement, and expansion of facilities in partnership with the sport sector; and providing yearly updates on the delivery of that plan.
- Introducing a $200 Active Kids sport vouchers scheme to reduce barriers to participation in community sport for children, particularly those facing disadvantage.
The intention of these three policies is to develop a supportive culture and environment for community sport. Community sport codes and clubs need to know where they stand, and they need someone in their coner. This will allow them to run their clubs more efficiently, make plans, and grow their communities.
Our previous peak body for sport, ACTSPORT, was shut down in 2015 under the watch of Minister for Sport Shane Rattenbury. They cited financial difficulties and a struggle to adapt to a changing sports landscape in Canberra. I am glad the ACT Greens are also now promising to re-establish a sport peak body.
Actions
- Re-establish a peak body for sport in the ACT.
- Undertake a facilities audit, and prepare and fund a 10-year strategic plan for sport facilities.
- Introduce $200 Active Kids sport vouchers.
- Explore ways to reduce the regulatory burden on community sport codes and clubs.