Helping young athletes shoot for the stars

Health and Wellbeing Helping young athletes shoot for the stars

THE GOLD INDUSTRY GROUP IS CONTINUING TO SUPPORT AND PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE COMMUNITIES IN WHICH ITS MEMBERS OPERATE AFTER RENEWING ITS PARTNERSHIP WITH NETBALL WA, WEST COAST FEVER AND THE SHOOTING STARS PROGRAM.

The Gold Industry Group will continue their support of Shooting Stars, empowering Aboriginal girls and women for a further three years, as a Major Partner of the program.

An initiative of Netball WA and Glass Jar Australia, Shooting Stars uses netball and other rewards to encourage Indigenous girls to attend school and engage in their education, while promoting their health and wellbeing.

The aim of Shooting Stars is to increase attendance rates at school, whilst creating pathways to employment.

In conjunction with an increase in attendance, individual improvement in academic engagement and class behaviour can also be observed qualitatively through yarning circles, case studies and anecdotal evidence. These numbers reflect real change in these students’ attitude towards their school and education.

Supporting Shooting Stars since 2019, the Gold Industry Group was instrumental to the expansion into the Goldfields region enabling the program to launch in Laverton, empowering 26 participants across years 4 – 12.

The last three years have also seen Shooting Stars exponentially expand its impact, now supporting over 1000 participants made possible by the Gold Industry Group’s contribution, allowing for the growth of the program’s organisational capacity.

Gold Industry Group chairperson Kelly Carter expressed her excitement in continuing the partnership, and pride in the outcomes of the program.

“The impact of the Shooting Stars program on the remote communities in which the gold industry operates and beyond is immense, and we are excited and proud to be continuing our partnership and supporting the leaders and participants in Western Australia and South Australia for a further three years,” Carter said.

“We look forward to supporting the further development of this life-changing program as the team continues to grow – the opportunities are endless.”

Shooting Stars executive officer Fran Haintz said she was delighted to have the Gold Industry Group continue the partnership.

“The Gold Industry Group’s support over the last three years has been extremely impactful,” Haintz said.

“From supporting the expansion in the Goldfields region, to funding our Heart of Gold Award recognising participants who display Shooting Stars values and allowing our participants and leaders to connect with organisations that operate within their communities.

“We’re very proud that the partnership will continue for another three years, and I look forward to the further opportunities we will be able to provide to empower our participants across Western Australia and now South Australia.”

The Gold Industry Group has also renewed its golden partnership with Netball WA and West Coast Fever, extending its landmark agreement for another three years and continuing its support across the sport through to the end of 2024.

The partnership remains the first of its kind in Australia to channel investment into women’s sport at all levels,

The aim of Shooting Stars is to increase attendance rates at school, whilst creating pathways to employment.

recognising the Gold Industry Group as Principal Partner of Netball WA, Major Partner of Glass Jar Australia’s Shooting Stars program, and Elite Partner of West Coast Fever.

The renewal follows the historymaking $5 million deal struck in 2019, which was the biggest investment in netball in WA history, and a major milestone for commercial interest in women’s sport.

Over the past three years, the partnership has boosted netball participation, resources and engagement, while increasing awareness of the gold sector’s job opportunities, as well as its community and economic impact.

Netball WA and West Coast Fever chief executive officer Simone Hansen thanked the Gold Industry Group for their ongoing commitment and said she was looking forward to the partnership continuing to deliver its incredible outcomes.

“The continued growth of netball, both at the elite level and grassroots, wouldn’t be possible without the ongoing and valued support of the Gold Industry Group,” Hansen said.

“The gold sector makes such a significant contribution to the social fabric of WA and is the lifeblood of many regional communities.

“Our partnership has certainly driven exciting results and with the Gold Industry Group’s ongoing support, we can focus on positioning ourselves to continue to grow and improve the delivery of our game.

“On behalf of netball in Western Australia, I thank the Gold Industry Group for its passion and support.

“Netball WA is now better placed than ever to connect our regional and remote communities with the sport of netball, and invest in genuine pathways for young women into education, employment and leadership roles in the community.

“Through the connection with Shooting Stars, this partnership is also helping to change the lives of more than 1000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander girls living in some of Western Australia’s most remote communities by engaging them in school, furthering their education and helping them to realise their full potential.”

Carter expressed her pride in the partnership’s achievements to date, and optimism for the next three years.

“The Gold Industry Group is thrilled to extend its support for Netball WA, West Coast Fever and Shooting Stars for another three years,” Carter said.

“This partnership has uniquely positioned the gold industry as a key supporter of every level of netball in Western Australia, and of women’s sport more broadly.

“Together, our partnership has been instrumental in connecting the Western Australian community to each other, the sport and our industry.

“We’ve achieved a huge amount in the past three years, and the growth of the Shooting Stars program is just one example of that.

“The visibility of our sector that is created by having such enthusiastic ambassadors as the West Coast Fever athletes has been very powerful.

“We look forward to continuing to work alongside these incredible role models, as well as hopefully supporting the West Coast Fever through to a premiership title.”

The Gold Industry Group partnership is championed by members Gold Fields, Northern Star Resources, AngloGold Ashanti Australia, St Barbara Limited, Gold Road Resources, Ramelius Resources and The Perth Mint.

The Gold Industry Group has also been instrumental in promoting the benefits of a career in the gold mining sector with its educational program.

Its National Gold Education Program provides teachers with access to free, interactive Gold Class Sessions delivered by passionate workers in Australia’s gold industry, as well as exclusive Gold Resources Kits.

Since the Program launched, it has reached 1000 schools across Australia through the delivery of the Gold Resources Kits and dynamic Gold Class Sessions.

To date, 99 unique Gold Class Sessions were presented at 46 primary and 53 secondary schools across Perth, Kalgoorlie, Kambalda, Boddington, Mandurah and Norseman. Around 1000 Gold Resources Kits were also delivered to primary and secondary schools across all States and Territories, receiving glowing feedback both from teachers and students.

The Gold Industry Group has seen increased traffic through the Gold Jobs Website and student interest has been gauged through the number of questions and obvious enthusiasm from students during the Gold Class Sessions.

Gold Industry Group chair Kelly Carter, NWA chief executive officer Simone Hansen and Gold Industry Group executive officer Rebecca Johnston (Back), West Coast Fever head coach Dan Ryan and Shooting Stars executive officer Fran Haintz (Front)