Sports Resources > Latest sports news > November 2008 > 18/11/2008 - DUBBO STAFF WIN AWARD FOR EXTRAORDINARY COMMUNITY PROJECT

18/11/2008 - DUBBO STAFF WIN AWARD FOR EXTRAORDINARY COMMUNITY PROJECT

NSW Sport and Recreation Minister Kevin Greene today congratulated team members from the Dubbo office of the Department of the Arts, Sport and Recreation on winning a Gold Medal at the 2008 NSW Premier’s Public Sector Awards.

Mr Greene said the Awards formally recognise and reward achievements of excellence in the public sector.

“I am delighted to see the Department of the Arts, Sport and Recreation, working with other Government agencies, take out the Gold Medal in the Fairness and Opportunity category for the Aboriginal Birth Certificate Project,” he said.

“This sounds so simple – but proof of identification is often necessary for sports club membership, mainly for insurance purposes.

“This project, managed by the Dubbo office, helped local young Aboriginal people participate in mainstream sport and recreation activities by helping them obtain valid ID in the form of a birth certificate.

“For whatever reason, many local Aboriginal kids had no definitive identification and were precluded from participating in some community activities, like sports.

“Department staff members worked closely with hundreds of local families to assist them in collating the required paperwork to register births.

“Because required paperwork was often missing, project team members facilitated regional visits by staff from the Office of Births, Deaths and Marriages to conduct interviews and cross reference verbal information.

“As a result of this hard work the team earned the trust of the local community and more than 500 birth registrations were administered in Dubbo over 12 months.

“Working hand-in-hand with other support programs, this led to a significant increase in the number of Aboriginal people participating in community sport.

“I think it’s fair to say this project is an outstanding example of commitment by frontline workers on the ground to increasing participation in community activities.

“I want to offer my sincere congratulations and best wishes to everyone involved in these projects,” he said.