THE first ever Toodyay Inclusive Holiday Program has been deemed a huge success by the Shire of Toodyay and the wider community.
The program, which ran throughout the last week of the January school holidays, was well attended with 162 people participating across the seven sessions of sport and recreation.
Inclusion WA and The Shire of Toodyay worked in close partnership with local clubs and groups to offer the entire community an opportunity to get involved in free community-based activities in Toodyay.
Activities included tennis with the Toodyay Tennis Club, theatre games with the Toodyay Theatre Group, lawn bowls with the Toodyay Bowling Club, Art 4 Fun with Despina Weston from Inner Visions Outer Expressions, cricket with the Toodyay Cricket Club and sand art and craft with the Toodyay Community Resource Centre.
The program aimed to bring the community together through sport and recreation, in order to increase activity levels during school holiday periods, a time of social isolation for many local residents.
The program aims to be inclusive - to connect people of all abilities and backgrounds with local groups.
This program helps to close the physical and social distances separating people and by doing this, it aims to bring everyone together and promote one welcoming Toodyay community.
"This program is really good at encouraging participants to firstly try out a range of new sports and recreational activities," Inclusion WA's Ciara King said.
"We have had a fantastic response to the program from the whole community, plus there have been numerous participants taking the next step and registering with local clubs."
Shire of Toodyay's executive support officer Kristee Jolly stated it is great to see participants so enthusiastic about joining the local clubs.
"This program has been great at bringing our entire community together," Ms Jolly said.
"During the January program, 18.36 per cent of attendees were indigenous while 12.24 per cent of all participants had a disability.
"51.02 per cent of all participants did not belong at any club or group at all, highlighting the fact that this program is able to connect people who are otherwise disconnected to the community around them."
Ms Jolly also said statistics suggested the program was successful at providing residents with opportunities of participation and social connection during the holiday periods, a time when there is minimal on offer to the wider community.
"This program is unique in that it promotes participation for not just the kids but also parents, carers and other community members," Ms Jolly said.
"We all want to live in a well-connected, vibrant community and this initiative really promotes Toodyay as a well-connected and inclusive town.
"It was great to see the community coming together to run a range of free activities over the school holidays. It was also excellent to see so many people being healthy and active, and building links with their community and ultimately we all win."
The program will return in the April school holidays and is open to all members of the community.
"I would like to thank all of the community groups who put their hand up to be involved at such short notice," Ms Jolly said.
"They all ran excellent workshops for the participants and I am confident they will see positive results in the future.
"Thanks also have to go to Inclusion WA for all their support - I can't wait to get started on the April program."
For more on the program contact Kristee Jolly at The Shire of Toodyay on 9574 2133.
