Club Glenvale has partnered with Multicultural Australia to develop the Belong in Hockey Program aimed to not only introduce local refugees to the joys of sport but also bolster their confidence and English proficiency.
A majority of program’s participants are Yezidi refugees, a Kurdish-speaking endogamous religious group who are indigenous to Kurdistan, a geographical region in Western Asia that includes parts of Iraq, Syria, Turkey, and Iran.
“It’s been so beneficial for them,” Club Glenvale general manager Martin Taylor said.
“Most have come into the area out of very bad situations, and this program has meant that they can get out and meet other people in a safe environment and enjoy some hockey.
“We also put on some tea for them every time they come out. Our volunteers are also going out to pick them up and bring them here for training.”
He added introducing a program like this is just part of the club’s ethos.
“Like all the clubs in Australia, anything that we can do to help in the community is really what we’re about.”
The program, which is now in its second year, saw 20 refugees attend weekly Friday hockey training sessions last year. Each session is run by volunteer hockey coaches.
“They spend about an hour on the hockey field training, running around out in the sunshine … it’s just a good outlet for them to get out,” Taylor said.
Out of the 20 refugees that came to training last year, three have now joined one of the local hockey clubs to play the sport competitively, which the Toowoomba Hockey Association is sponsoring.
Taylor said a benefit for the Toowoomba Hockey Association and its clubs is that the program can help bring in new members and players.
“We’re trying to see after a year of coming here and trialling it whether or not they’re interested in joining an actual club and playing for a club … that’s the end game.”
Earlier this year, Club Glenvale was honoured with the Heart of the Community award at the 2024 Keno & Clubs Queensland Awards for Excellence for their Belong in Hockey program.
“It was a new program that we’d never done before and it’s something we’ve never really looked into before. We often do a lot of work with kids, but this was a different area, so it’s been really satisfying,” Taylor said.
This article first appeared in the Club Management Winter issue. Read the full magazine below.