Giving people with an intellectualdisability opportunity, choice andthe possibility to reach theirpersonal best through sport.

Special Olympics Australia is a national charity that brings the benefits of regular sports participation to children and adults with an intellectual disability in local communities across the country.

We are Australia’s largest grassroots sports organisation, supporting Australia’s largest disability population, and our multi-sports programs are delivered almost entirely by an army of dedicated volunteers.

All people with an intellectual disability, aged six and over, are welcome to participate regardless of their skills. We just want them to have opportunities to be active, get healthy, make friends and feel part of a community that accepts them and helps them explore their talents.

Our commitment to people with an intellectual disability goes way beyond sport. We want to challenge negative public perceptions surrounding people with an intellectual disability and help them reach their personal best – both on and off the sporting field.

Contact UsSpecial Olympics Australia PO Box 62, Concord West NSW 2138 Telephone 02 8116 9833 Facsimile 02 8732 1629 info@specialolympics.com.au www.specialolympics.com.au

About Special Olympics

From the Sidelines to the Spotlight

Mary (pictured left) has an intellectual disability and for many

years she sat on the sidelines watching her siblings enjoy sport

and wondered why people like her couldn’t play. There just

wasn’t a local sports club that catered to her needs.

Then, as she was nearing 30 years of age, Special Olympics

was introduced into her local community. She joined straight

away! Mary is now in her fifties and she’s still participating in

regular Special Olympics sports training. She is also a keen

competitor and a proud coach, volunteer and ambassador who

encourages young athletes to get involved in the program.

‘Competing and winning a medal is great and I have won a few

throughout my career, but it is the opportunity to be part of a

community that makes me happiest. I’m very proud to wear my

uniform with the Special Olympis logo on it and I don’t want kids

to have to wait as long as me to enjoy sport and do their best.

Special Olympics has definitely changed my life. It has made

me confident and determined and it allows me to set goals and

have dreams. I just want other people like me to enjoy being

involved in the community.’

If Special Olympics didn’t exist Mary would probably still be

sitting on the sidelines. Instead she now enjoys the spotlight.

Mary Folland, Special Olympics Athlete and All-Rounder,

South Australia

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AustraliaSpecial Olympics CommunitiesGlobal Movement, Local Impact

Special Olympics is not about one-time participation or elite competition.

Our focus is on improving the lives of people with an intellectual disability through weekly sports training and regular competition in local communities.

That’s why we support 53 programs in metropolitan and regional areas across Australia.

Each program is accredited by Special Olympics Australia and is led by a volunteer committee who operate according to a national constitution.

On average, each program offers training in six sports, and volunteers deliver a total of 15,000 weekly sports and competition sessions annually through 350 local sports clubs.

Until recently, Special Olympics programs have developed organically, but by strategically working in key areas of population growth we aim to better support existing programs to retain and recruit participants, as well as increase our capacity to introduce programs in areas of need.

Every two hours an Australian child is diagnosed with an intellectual disability* so we are working with a range of stakeholders to increase our ability to improve more lives.

Until then too many people with an intellectual disability will be denied access to sport, limiting their ability to make friends and share their talents with their families and the wider community.

Special Olympics Australia aims to expand our footprint to provide regular sport for people with an intellectual disability in more local communities. As of May 2012, our programs are:

Australian Capital TerritoryCanberra, Snowy Monaro

New South WalesBlue Mountains, Central Coast, Central West, Flinders, Hunter Valley, Illawarra, Macarthur, Mid-North Coast, North West New England, South Coast, Sydney East, Sydney Hills, Sydney Inner West, Sydney Northern, Sydney South, Sydney Hills, Sydney Upper North Shore, Sydney West, Tweed

QueenslandBrisbane East, Brisbane North, Brisbane West, Bundaberg, Far North Queensland, Fraser Coast, Gladstone, Gold Coast, Gympie, Moreton North, Sunshine Coast

VictoriaBallarat, Barwon, Bendigo, Dandenong Valley, Echuca Campaspe, Gippsland, Melbourne Eastern Ranges, Melbourne Inner East, Melbourne North, Melbourne Southern, Melbourne West, Ovens & Murray, Westernport

TasmaniaNorth West, Northern, Southern

South AustraliaAdelaide, Limestone Coast, Port Pirie, Riverland

Western AustraliaPerth Metro North

As an organisation, one of our main challenges is to create a more sustainable infrastructure that will allow us to meet the huge demand for our services.

And we have set a challenge to have 10,000 athletes with an intellectual disability actively participating in our local weekly sports programs by 2015.

Remoteness and transport remain major barriers for many people with an intellectual disability to participate in sport. We know of parents who drive extraordinary distances to allow their sons and daughters to train as a Special Olympics athlete. They are the lucky ones.

Many people with an intellectual disability do not have the necessary support to allow them to participate. So we need to expand our reach and offer more programs in more communities.

Growing our base of coaches and volunteers, who are the backbone of the organisation, is vital to our success. Until now many volunteer roles have been filled by family members, but their capacity to support growth is often restricted as they juggle work, family commitments and the additional obligations associated with supporting someone with a disability.

Attracting a new generation of volunteers outside of athlete family members is crucial to our success.

To help us maintain and improve our existing programs, as well as establish programs in new areas, we are seeking funding and partnerships with corporate, community, sports and government partners.

There are many ways you can show your support and promote your goodwill to the hundreds of thousands of Australians living with an intellectual disability, their families and communities.

Development PartnersAs a development partner your support and investment can help us overcome the barriers of isolation and financial hardship by alleviating the costs associated with transport hire, petrol, athlete membership, insurance and competitions.

Depending on your level of investment you could provide the start-up funding for a new Special Olympics accredited region bringing a whole new world of sport and support to a local community.

Sports PartnersAs a sports partner you can help people with an intellectual disability access sport and achieve their personal best in a safe and supportive environment.

Your investment will provide start-up funds to establish new and sustainable local sports programs and will also help us provide quality sports equipment, adaptive equipment and uniforms, as well as secure quality venues for both new and existing sports programs.

Coach PartnersAs a coach partner you can assist new and existing coaches to develop the specific skills needed to support athletes with an intellectual disability and provide them with quality sports training.

By offering an environment where coaches are recognised and rewarded we will recruit and retain the best coaches and thus increase the capacity for athletes to train to the best of their ability and follow competition pathways should they choose to do so.

Special Olympics Australia is committed to offering sports training that is equal in quality to that provided via mainstream sports so your investment will help us upskill our coaching community so that they are certified to the appropriate standards.

Volunteer PartnersAs a volunteer partner your support will assist new and existing volunteers in the administration and delivery of all aspects of a local program.

By working together to create a better experience for volunteers we can provide a better experience for Special Olympics athletes.

Your investment and partnership will directly assist us to identify, recruit, manage and retain the volunteers needed to deliver sports training, event management, membership management, recruitment and training, conflict resolution, first-aid, occupational health and safety, and much more.

As a partner you will directly support our mission to bring sport, fun and friendship to the lives of more children and adults with an intellectual disability. In return we will provide you with opportunities to engage staff, meet your corporate social responsibility objectives and show your community support. Other partner benefits include:

– Applicable partner and brand recognition on national, state and local Special Olympics Australia websites.

– Applicable partner and brand recognition in relevant publications and materials.

– Use of our brand assets across print and online media to promote your community support to your staff and business networks.

– Opportunities for your staff to volunteer at sports and other events, including awards and medal presentations, giving them opportunities to witness first-hand the positive impact of our partnership.

– Opportunities to attend national fundraising and networking events.

– Applicable tax-deductible donations can be claimed as part of your charitable giving with the Australian Taxation Office (ATO).

Communities Our Challenge Get Involved Partner Benefits

www.specialolympics.com.au

*Disability Expectations – Investing in a better life, a stronger Australia. PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PwC), November 2011.