South West Sport

What South West Sport does

South West Sport is a non-profit community sports organisation founded in 1985 and headquartered at Reid Oval Pavilion in Warrnambool, Victoria, Australia. It operates as one of nine Regional Sports Assemblies across Victoria, providing free advice, governance support, and program delivery to community sports clubs, leagues, and associations across five Local Government Areas (Corangamite, Glenelg, Moyne, Southern Grampians, and Warrnambool). The organisation is staffed by a small team of approximately nine employees, including an Executive Officer, Sport and Recreation Development Officers, and a Community Activation and Engagement Officer, working under a Board chaired by Kate Makin with Diana Dixon as Vice Chair and Christopher Fitzgerald as Treasurer.

The organisation delivers a portfolio of grant-funded programs across five thematic pillars — Club Support, Youth Participation, Disability Inclusion, Gender Equity, and Inclusion in Sport — alongside signature events including the South West Community Festival, the South West Games – New Generation, the annual South West Community Sports Awards, and an inaugural Regional Sports Forum held in Port Fairy. Member-facing services include a Membership Portal (A$50 club / A$20 individual annual membership), a Club Directory, and Volunteer and Event Noticeboards. Revenue is overwhelmingly derived from government grants — principally VicHealth and the Victorian Government's Sport and Recreation Victoria — with supplementary, modest income from membership fees and fee-based Sports Consultancy. Technology footprint is limited to a standard website (southwestsport.com.au), social channels (Facebook, Instagram), and self-serve web portals; the organisation is not a technology business and does not develop proprietary software.

The go-to-market motion is community-led and regional: face-to-face engagement from the Warrnambool office, complemented by community events, earned media through Ace Radio, and digital outreach. Customer segments are community sports clubs (SMBs) and volunteer leaders, with secondary segments of young people (0–25), women and girls, people with disabilities, and the five local government councils. Core partners include VicHealth, Sport and Recreation Victoria, the five LGAs, Office for Women in Sport and Recreation, Women's Health and Wellbeing Barwon South West, Brophy Family and Youth Services, Golf Australia, Deakin University, and the Institute for Community Directors.

Name

South West Sport

Legal name

South West Sport

Website

https://southwestsport.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

South West Sport is a non-profit Regional Sports Assembly serving community sports clubs across five Local Government Areas in South West Victoria, delivering funded programs, governance support, and events through a small team of nine staff based in Warrnambool.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Sport Development Services

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (713940), Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Sports Community Relations & Grassroots Program Management (MPAKAKAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Amateur Sport Governing Bodies & Federations (National/Regional) (MPAKACAD), Local Amateur Clubs & Community Sports Organizations (MPAKACAE), Youth & Scholastic Sports Organizations (K–12, AAU, Club Leagues) (MPAKACAF)

Keywords

• Community sport development
• Sports club support
• Regional sports assembly
• Youth participation programs
• Disability inclusion sport

Headquarters

HQ city

Warrnambool

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Government Funding and Grants: South West Sport receives funding from Victorian Government through Sport and Recreation Victoria and VicHealth to deliver programs including Together More Active, Regional Sports Program, and various project-based initiatives.
2. Membership Fees: Club/Organisation annual membership at $50, Individual membership at $20, providing governance structure and advocacy representation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

South West Sport is a non-profit Regional Sports Assembly that provides free advice, guidance, training, and funded programs to community sports clubs, leagues, and associations across the Moyne, Warrnambool, Corangamite, Southern Grampians, and Glenelg Local Government Areas in South West Victoria. Its services include club health checks, grant administration, diversity and inclusion programs (GOAL!, LGBTQ+ Inclusion, FAIR, She Flies), volunteer management workshops, webinars, and recognition events. The organization also administers a small annual club membership program at $50 per year.

Product overview

South West Sport is a non-profit community sports organization (not a software or technology company) that offers a portfolio of programs and services to support sports clubs across South West Victoria. The core offering consists of funded programs including Club Support, Youth Participation, Disability Inclusion, Gender Equity, and Inclusion in Sport initiatives. Additional services include the Club Transformation Program (providing strategic planning and volunteer management), Sports Consultancy (fee-based in-depth planning), and the Next Generation Club Leaders Program (free governance workshops). The organization also delivers signature events including the South West Community Festival, South West Games - New Generation, and the annual South West Community Sports Awards. Member-exclusive services include a Membership Portal, Volunteer Noticeboard, Event Noticeboard, Club Directory, and Resources Hub. The organization serves clubs in five Local Government Areas: Corangamite, Glenelg, Moyne, Southern Grampians, and Warrnambool.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• South West Community Sports Awards: Annual awards program celebrating people, clubs, and organisations who make community sport possible in the South West region.
• South West Games - New Generation
• South West Community Festival
• Club Transformation Program
• Next Generation Club Leaders Program
• Respect in Sport Standard
• Community Sport: An Equal Playing Field
• Light the Night

Products and services

• Club Membership Annual subscription at $50 per year for community sports clubs, leagues, and associations in South West Victoria, providing them with access to South West Sport's services, resources, advocacy, and support across the five LGAs of the catchment.
• GOAL! (Girls Only Active Leisure) Program A girls-only active leisure program delivered to female participants in South West Victoria, providing safe, inclusive physical activity opportunities.
• Mod Squad Program A community sport participation program delivered by South West Sport to engage local participants.
• Club Health Check A diagnostic service for community sports clubs, leagues, and associations to assess their governance, operations, and sustainability, identifying areas for improvement.
• Community Activation Grant Program Grant program administered by South West Sport that provides funding to community organisations and clubs to activate sport and recreation opportunities across the region.
• FAIR (Female Anti Ice Resource) Programs Drug- and alcohol-related harm minimisation program targeted at females in the South West Victoria community, addressing the impact of ice and other substances.
• Young Active Women / SHE FLIES Program Program aimed at increasing physical activity and sport participation among young women in South West Victoria, delivered as part of South West Sport's women in sport agenda.
• LGBTQ+ Inclusion Programs Inclusion programs supporting LGBTQ+ participants and clubs in community sport across South West Victoria, working with clubs to create safe and welcoming environments.
• Walk to School Program Program encouraging primary school children across South West Victoria to walk to school, increasing daily physical activity and active transport.
• Women in Sport Leadership Program Program developing female leadership capability across community sport clubs, leagues, and associations in South West Victoria.
• Pickleball Program Pickleball participation program delivered by South West Sport, providing organised playing opportunities for community members in the region.
• Volunteer Management Workshops Training workshops on volunteer management delivered to community sports clubs, leagues, and associations to build club capability.
• Club Webinars Online training webinars delivered to member clubs and associations covering topics in club management, governance, and sport delivery.
• Club of the Year Awards Annual recognition event celebrating outstanding community sports clubs, leagues, and associations across South West Victoria.
• Sport Services (general club support) General sport services and support delivered by South West Sport to clubs across the region, including advice, guidance, training, and resource provision.

Quantifiable outcome

• 521 young people enabled to try a new activity in 2023
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered strategic, minor and core.

• Ace RadiostrategicGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2023Event co-naming sponsor for South West Community Sports Awards 2023, providing community support and promotion
• Women's Health and Wellbeing Barwon South WeststrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Project partner for Prevention Through Sport project and Community Sport: An Equal Playing Field, facilitating training and gender equality initiatives
• Brophy Family and Youth ServicesstrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Project partner for Prevention Through Sport project
• Golf AustraliaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Partnership for All Abilities Golf program at Warrnambool Golf Club
• Office for Women in Sport and Recreation (OWSR)strategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Partnership for Fair Access Policy Roadshow, co-facilitating workshops with local government
• Corangamite ShirecoreOthersLocal government community partner providing support for South West Games and various sport initiatives
• Glenelg ShirecoreOthersLocal government community partner
• Moyne ShirecoreOthersLocal government community partner
• Southern Grampians ShirecoreOthersLocal government community partner and supporter of South West Community Festival
• Warrnambool City CouncilcoreOthersLocal government community partner, supporter of Light the Night initiative
• Institute for Community DirectorsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerExpert presenters for Next Generation Club Leaders Program workshops on governance and volunteer administration
• Respect 2040minorGTM or Marketing PartnerAward category sponsor for Women's Participation Initiative of the Year
• DeakinminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAward category sponsor for Community Sport & Recreation Event of the Year
• South West TAFEminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAward category sponsor for Youth Participation Initiative of the Year
• Beyond BankminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAward category sponsor for Community Sport Leader: Emerging Leader in Sport
• Coast FMminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAward category sponsor for Club of the Year

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• VicHealth: Victorian health promotion foundation that funds South West Sport's inclusion and participation programs. Relevant as a primary funder and policy partner; also operates adjacent sport-and-health grant programs that shape the funding environment in which South West Sport competes for program dollars.
• Play by the Rules: National initiative providing online education, resources, and training on inclusion, safeguarding, and integrity in sport. Comparable as an enabling service that supports the same inclusion and safe-sport outcomes that South West Sport delivers to clubs across its region.

Broad incumbents

• Sport and Recreation Victoria: State government agency within the Victorian Department of Health that funds and oversees Regional Sports Assemblies, including South West Sport. Directly relevant as the principal funder and policy architect of the regional assembly model South West Sport operates within.
• Belgravia Leisure: Australian leisure facility management company that operates aquatic centres, recreation facilities, and community sport programs under contract to local government. Comparable in delivering community sport and recreation services on behalf of regional councils, overlapping with South West Sport's LGA-facing role.
• Community Sport Australia: National peak body representing state and territory community sport organizations across Australia, advocating for grassroots sport funding and policy. Comparable as a higher-tier umbrella body that supports the broader ecosystem in which South West Sport and its peer assemblies operate.
• VicSport: Victorian peak body for sport and active recreation that advocates for the sector and represents member organizations across the state, including the Regional Sports Assemblies. Comparable as a higher-tier coordinating body operating in the same Victorian sport policy ecosystem as South West Sport.
• Australian Sports Commission (Sport Australia): Federal government agency responsible for sport development in Australia, with programs and funding flows that cascade down to state and regional sport organizations. Comparable as the overarching public-sector steward of community sport policy in which South West Sport operates.
• YMCA Australia: National community recreation and youth services organization delivering sport, recreation, and inclusion programs across regional and metropolitan Australia. Comparable in operating community-focused, inclusion-oriented sport and recreation programming with multi-region service delivery, though at substantially larger scale.

Direct peers

• Leisure Networks: Regional community sport and active recreation organization serving parts of regional Victoria with inclusion, youth, and club development programs. Directly comparable as a peer regional community sport organization operating with similar program mix and funder base in the same state policy environment.
• Gippsport: One of the other nine Regional Sports Assemblies in Victoria, serving the Gippsland region with a comparable mandate of community sport development, inclusion, and club support. Direct peer operating under the same state government designation framework as South West Sport.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/southwestsportvictoria
• Instagraminstagram.com/south_west_sport
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/southwestsportvic

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about South West Sport