Gippsland › Latest news › Latrobe Local News

Traralgon paralympian Emily Beecroft and local footy legend Beau Vernon speak at community workshops in Morwell from February to April

Traralgon Paralympian Emily Beecroft and local footy legend and motivational speaker Beau Vernon will headline a series of community workshops about sport and inclusivity from February through April.

By news@gippsland - 11th February 2022 - Back to News

Latrobe City Council's events team will kick off a series of four workshops on 23 February with a session on delivering successful events in the COVID climate. Fresh from twin medals at the Tokyo Paralympics, Beecroft will join Vernon and Traralgon Tennis Association All Abilities Program leader Susie Grumley to speak about 'Sports, Inclusion and You' on 30 March.

Paralympian Emily Beecroft started training with the Traralgon Swimming Club in 2009, and began swimming competitively in 2010, she also participated in netball and athletics but chose swimming as she felt it had the best pathway for people with an impairment

Raising personal and community awareness

Topics will include how to make your club more accessible through access to funding, changes to culture and better planning through to personal tales of lived experiences. Following suit, the Australian Network on Disability will deliver 'Community Groups, Inclusion and You' on 29 March to discuss disability confidence, welcoming people living with disability and interactive activities to raise personal and community awareness.

The final session will focus on 'Making Meetings Work' with Our Community trainer Jon Stanley, who will educate on more effective meeting processes, informed decision making, practical chairing strategies and developing effective agendas and minutes. Sessions can be attended in person at council headquarters or online via Zoom.

To register for a session visit the Latrobe City Council events page.

In his last five years as an ALF coach, Beau Vernon has reached 5 Grand Finals, winning 3 Premierships in a row at 2 different clubs, a truly remarkable feat, especially when you consider that Beau is living with quadriplegia

Offering equal opportunity

Latrobe City Mayor Kellie O'Callaghan said, "These workshops are an opportunity to hear from people with real lived experience about how we as sporting clubs and community groups can be more welcoming and accommodating for people of all abilities."

"It is vital that we offer equal opportunity for all members of our community to participate and make our clubs and shared spaces accessible and enjoyable for all. We also have sessions aimed at practical guidance for event delivery and managing meetings which are both evolving spaces in the midst of an ongoing pandemic." Cr O'Callaghan said.

Pictures from Latrobe City Council Facebook page and Beau Vernon Facebook page.

Source: www.gippsland.com

Published by: news@gippsland.com