What programs do you manage at the Alcohol and Drug Foundation in WA?

Our team here in WA delivers the ADF’s two core programs, Good Sports and Local Drug Action Teams (LDAT). Our Good Sports program works directly with local sporting clubs across the state on club culture and management, addressing potential alcohol and other drug harms, safe transportation, tobacco and mental health. With funding from Healthway, we support how sporting clubs approach and manage those very relevant health topics. Our LDAT program enables us to provide federal government funding to community organisations to reduce harms from alcohol and other drugs. As no two communities are the same, LDATs have the creativity to submit funding applications to deliver the activities of their choice, ranging from youth engagement to addressing the harms of alcohol during pregnancy.  

What contribution do your programs make to preventing alcohol-related harm in WA?

Sporting clubs in our country provide their local communities with so much than just places for fitness, teamwork and bonding. They are reflections of our wider communities and provide all of their members with structured environments, social networks and safe spaces for our youth; or protective factors as we call them in the health promotion industry. Our clubs have huge responsibilities around role modelling for our future generations, especially around sensible consumption. Having quality governance and measures around alcohol consumption is pivotal for clubs being able to provide safe, welcoming and family-friendly environments for their members. 

 Our team has a presence across WA, both in metro and regional areas, to work with clubs, associations and local governments in strengthening those protective factors and creating positive sporting environments. In recent months and the coming weeks, our team will have visited Carnarvon, Collie, Esperance, Geraldton, Kalgoorlie, Merredin, Manjimup and Port Hedland, as well as many metro-area locations. I’m particularly proud of our work at the ADF, what we do with both Good Sports and LDAT and some of the exciting developments coming in the near future. 

What would you people to connect with you about, and how can they connect with you?

I would encourage anyone looking for more information to visit our website for more information on our national programs, as well as factual information, research and positional papers on a range of AOD subjects.  

 We collaborate with a range of stakeholders, including other health services, government departments and local governments. Please feel to contact me at [email protected].