New Swans Board Mentoring Program

Swan Districts Football Club has created a Board Mentoring Program offering hands-on governance training for Aboriginal and multicultural peoples and people with disability. The program will provide an insight into various committees for a not-for-profit semi-professional sporting club that could be applied to other sport or non-sport Boards or committees.

Ben Rowe is the program’s first participant. Ben is 95% vision impaired and is the current President of Goalball WA. He’s been playing Goalball for 10 years and currently plays for the state and Australia.

Ben expressed interest in learning more about governance and leadership to apply to his role at Goalsport WA and other future Board opportunities.  

The practical educational program will include working with club Board members and the Chief Executive Officer to discuss topics including: the role of the Committee/Board, composition and structure, defining governance and its corporate contexts and frameworks and identifying current issues in governance and risk management. Participants will also have the opportunity to work on a club committee and observe Board meetings.

Ben will join the Swans Disability, Advocacy and Inclusion Committee (DIAS) chaired by Eliza Outred. The DAIS committee is an integral part of the club’s community development model which creates deep and broad community engagement with Aboriginal, youth, seniors, multicultural and people with disability communities.

The Swans community development strategy is helping challenge the traditional community service model. The club’s more contemporary asset based community development model uses football as a common language to identify, connect and mobilise our community assets (people). The club empowers people to facilitate change and not rely on services.

Club CEO Jeff Dennis says: “The Swans strategy is to build a community where everyone belongs, matters and contributes. It shifts the focus from service provision to enabling people to control their destiny. We build on what is strong in our community, not what is wrong”.

“Our outreach strategies empower people to use their strengths to contribute to community. This valued contribution to community in turn helps build self-worth”.

Any people interested in joining the Swans Mentoring Program are required to send an application to admin@swandistrictsfc.com explaining how they would benefit from this training and why they want to learn about governance and leadership. The program is free of charge and is flexible to suit the availability of the participant.