Swans Social Impact

With Swan Districts Football Club committed to its purpose of empowering communities and individuals to create better futures, the club’s social impact programs have again been a driving force in creating opportunity for many across the state.

Staff located in the towns of Onslow and Roebourne in the Pilbara, and in Perth, ensures Swans are seen integral parts of the community beyond football. The range of social impact programs delivered are centred around five key impact measures, which empirical research shows have significant impact on communities, individual productivity, as well as reductions in crime and health costs.

The Swans Elevate program in Perth has seen over 150 students take part in weekly mentoring and activities to build resilience, self-belief, connections, and increase an understanding of the future beyond school. Swans Elevate was also delivered at Banksia Hill for incarcerated youth. Several inclusion strategies have seen opportunity for people with disability and their families to be included as part of the Swans family. 45 players were part of Swans’ All Abilities football team playing in the PFL, and the Wheelchair AFL team, quickly becoming a major part of the club’s fabric. With the support of Telethon, these inclusion programs will be expanded and engage many more young people through use of Swans’ owned sports wheelchairs.

Health and wellbeing outcomes have been seen through the AussieFIT mens health program, Ironbark falls prevention program for Indigenous people and the Swans community health hub every Wednesday and Friday at Steel Blue Oval.

The Swans Café was launched in 2023 as a new social enterprise project designed to not only offer great coffees on gamedays, but also as a platform for young people to learn hospitality skills and be trained as baristas, before being employed in the café as paid staff.

Similar social enterprise projects run in Roebourne, with barista and hospitality training and opportunities and a digital design and printing program running at Roebourne High School. A major focus of mentoring programs in Roebourne is learning through project based activities, giving young people responsibility and ownership. It’s seen a number of students employed to assist in community programs.

In Onslow, Swans play a major part in children and young people’s lives outside of school and helping make Onslow a great place to live and grow up. Through support from major partners Chevron and others, a packed schedule of programs for early years children and their families, through to sporting opportunities for all ages, and facilitating the Swans Youth Shed after school hours, has seen nearly 250 young people be part of Swans Onslow in 2023.

To reach a wider range of people, Swans’ Pilbara Indigenous Social Impact Officer travels across the region, engaging communities through footy, while also impacting their lives through connections, mentoring, and storytelling.

On the back of the Swans Aboriginal Advisory Committee, Disability Advocacy and Inclusion Committee, Youth Advisory Committee, and the newly formed Swans LGBTQI+ Reference Group, the club has welcomed more voices and initiatives that opportunities for everyone to be part of the Swan Districts Football Club.