Pride In Sport is Australia’s leading inclusion benchmarking and support program for sporting organisations, helping clubs, leagues, and governing bodies create safer, more welcoming environments for LGBTQ+ participants, officials, volunteers, and fans. Through the annual Pride in Sport Awards, organisations are recognised for their commitment, progress, and leadership in advancing inclusion across Australian sport. We are incredibly proud to celebrate our success at the most recent Pride in Sport Awards, where Volleyball NSW was recognised as Most Improved Organisation and achieved a significant upgrade to Silver Status. 

Over the past year, we quadrupled our Pride in Sport Index score, resulting in our upgrade to Silver Status. This places Volleyball NSW alongside some of Australia’s most prominent national sporting organisations, including the National Rugby League, National Basketball League, Rugby Australia, Diving Australia, and Cricket Australia, among others. To be recognised in this space is a powerful endorsement of the progress we’ve made and the direction we are heading as an organisation. 

 At Volleyball NSW, inclusion is a fundamental value that underpins everything we do. We are committed to fostering a safe, respectful, and welcoming environment where everyone regardless of gender identity, sexuality, cultural background, ability, or personal circumstance, can participate, compete, and thrive in our sport. This achievement reflects our ongoing commitment to embedding inclusion into our everyday practices, both on and off the court. 

Awards and achievements like these don’t happen by chance, they are led, driven, and sustained by passionate individuals and the teams behind them. This is especially true of our Silver Status upgrade and Most Improved Organisation Award, which have been spearheaded by Lachlan Marsh, our Membership, Affiliation and Inclusion Manager. Lachlan’s leadership, passion, and tireless commitment have been the driving force behind our inclusion initiatives and the significant progress we’ve made as an organisation. His strategic approach and strong advocacy have helped turn intent into meaningful, lasting action across Volleyball NSW. We sincerely thank Lachlan for his incredible dedication to creating a safe, welcoming, and inclusive environment for everyone involved in our sport across NSW. 

We also wish to acknowledge and thank our Board and staff, who, alongside Lachlan, have played a crucial role in bringing these initiatives to life. From policy development through to everyday practice, inclusion is now a shared responsibility, and this recognition extends to our entire team and broader Volleyball NSW community. 

While we’re incredibly proud of this achievement, we know the work doesn’t stop here. We remain committed to building on this momentum, continuing to listen, learn, and strive for even greater impact. This June, during Pride Month, Volleyball NSW will host its first-ever Pride Round as part of our new Premier Volleyball League. More details on how to get involved will be shared as we edge closer to June.