Communicare sport carnival encourages a connected community

A carnival encouraging young people to participate in sport and bring together Western Australia's culturally diverse community has seen Islamic and non-Islamic youth join together.

Held on Thursday 26th November 2015, the Communicare Get Active Interschool Carnival 2015 brought together almost 200 high school students from the Australian Islamic Colleges in Thornlie and Kewdale and the Cannington Community College with the students participating in cricket, AFL, basketball, volleyball and football.

Commenting on the event, Western Australian Sport and Recreation Minister Mia Davies stated “sport and active recreation clubs play a vital role in cultural inclusion and increasing the feeling of connectedness between young people, their families and the local community.

"Communicare received an $85,000 grant from the State Government to co-ordinate the carnival as part of their Active Schools Project, which targets schools in the south-east metropolitan corridor, initially in the Islamic colleges in Kewdale and Thornlie.

"The project is using sport to deliver a range of activities to develop personal wellbeing, healthy living and social skills, and facilitate a greater sense of social inclusion and community belonging for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse youth and their families."

 Aside from an interschool sports carnival, the project has also helped deliver swimming lessons for 100 students and an after-school sports program, which included AFL and basketball as well as visits to the WA Basketball Centre and a West Coast Eagles training session.

The project also includes mentoring opportunities for students to gain coaching and officiating accreditation, and students being supported into Communicare's youth leadership program.

The Communicare Get Active Interschool Carnival 2015 was held at Coker Park in Cannington, the facility provided by the City of Canning.

Click here for more information on the Western Australian Department of Sport and Recreation's inclusion and community programs.

Image courtesy of Communicare Active Together.

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