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General Manager - Western Australia Monthly Update February 2025
Published Wed 12 Feb 2025
The latest updates from Australian Sailing's General Manager – Western Australia – Kate Wearn
Please click this link to find a copy of all past WA General Managers Updates.
General Update
Welcome to the first official update of 2025, from the Western Australian office.
Our office has grown and all team members have hit the ground running, delivering friendly, helpful and efficient support to all our stakeholders, as well as progressing our major projects. I am very grateful for everyone’s efforts, as we set the scene for a successful 2025.
WA Staff Update
In January we welcomed two new casual employees to the WA team, Evelyn Rose and Drina Bucktin. Evie and Drina are working alongside Jade and I to facilitate the delivery of the Discover Sailing Centre Next Level Activation Project, which includes working with local Discover Sailing Centres (DSCs) and the development of resources, which will benefit Centres nation-wide. Their work involved office-based tasks and travel to DSCs, where they can share their valuable knowledge and experience and help build capacity.
We were fortunate to re-welcome Alex Rumball back to the team for two weeks in February, to assist us in maintaining momentum. Many people will remember Alex, who worked with us over 18 months ago, before returning to Ireland. Alex made a significant contribution to the team in his short time, and we wish him all the best, as he pursues his exciting future in Australia.
On Monday 24 February, we will welcome Tait Kunzli to the WA Team, as a full time Club Support Officer. Tait is an experienced sporting administrator, having held roles at the WA Cricket Association, Curtin University and most recently, South of Perth Yacht Club. At SoPYC, Tait was responsible for overseeing the Sailing Academy. Tait has also grown up within the WA sailing community and shares a passion and enthusiasm for our sport. We are very excited to welcome Tait to the team and commence working with him.
Exciting Updates to Australian Sailing’s Education & Training Programs
As part of the ongoing Instructor, Coach, and Official Development Strategy update, Australian Sailing is modernising its education and training programs to create a more streamlined and effective learning experience.
A key part of this initiative is the transition to a new Learning Management System (LMS), which will integrate seamlessly with Australian Sailing member profiles, making access to online courses more efficient.
To support this transition, the Australian Sailing Resources website will undergo maintenance until early March 2025. During this period, some resources—primarily used by Discover Sailing Centre Principals, Instructors, and Coaches, including the Training Hub—may be temporarily unavailable.
To assist with enquiries, a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section will be available on our website, and further updates will be provided to stakeholders over the coming weeks and when the LMS goes live.
We appreciate your patience and look forward to delivering an improved learning experience for everyone involved in delivering sailing through clubs and class associations.
Funding Opportunities
We have recently been made aware of the following funding opportunities, which may be of interest:
Community Sporting and Recreation Facilities Fund
The purpose of this program is to provide Western Australian Government financial assistance to community groups and local government authorities to develop basic infrastructure for sport and recreation.
Applications close 31 March 2025, please view all information HERE.
Community Use of School Sporting Facilities Program
This program seeks to increase community access to school sporting facilities across Western Australia and encourages partnerships and agreements between schools and community sporting groups to better utilise existing sporting facilities.
Applications are open through the year, with the current round closing on 21 March. Please view all information HERE.
Rio Tinto Community Giving Grants
Rio Tinto’s Community Giving Grants support local projects and community groups with grants for everything from community gardens to sports equipment. Grants of up to $5,000 are available to local grass-roots organisations in communities across Western Australia.
For more information please view the guidelines and application form HERE.
Webinar Series
We are thrilled to launch Australian Sailing's brand-new webinar series – Shaping the Future!
The team are working hard to finalise the series, with the first two webinars scheduled as follows:
Webinar 1: Managing Conflict and Difficult People – Ian Crawford
This webinar is designed to equip Discover Sailing Centre instructors, coaches, administrators, and volunteers with practical strategies to handle challenging situations and improve communication.
Date: 25th February 2025
Time: 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM (AWST)
Online – register now - https://www.sailing.org.au/events/280634
Webinar 2: Social Media & Marketing in Clubs - Meg Coffey from Coffey & Tea
This session is ideal for Discover Sailing Centre instructors, coaches, administrators, and anyone involved in local clubs, offering expert strategies to enhance your club's online presence and engagement.
Date: 11th March 2025
Time: 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM (AWST)
Location: Online – register now - https://www.sailing.org.au/events/281563
Thanks to the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries, who have made these webinars possible, via the DSC Next Level Activation Project. The State Government through the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries and Lotterywest are major supporters of Australian Sailing in Western Australia. Sport and recreation creates vibrant, safe and connected WA communities.
Training Opportunities
The 2025 Instructor and Coach Course schedule has been finalised, and is available HERE. Some exciting new changes are coming to our courses in early-March, and as a result, we are now taking expressions of interest, as follows: https://www.sailing.org.au/surveys/6731. Please submit your EOI, to secure your space on a course and to be the first to know when registration is live.
It was fantastic to see 83 people in attendance at the recent Australian Sailing Volunteers’ Forum, hosted by Royal Perth Yacht Club on Tuesday 4 February. We thank all who attended, initiated and supported the evening, which sought to educate, provide networking and mentoring opportunities, identify pathways to qualification and develop a support network. We look forward to facilitating further events of this nature throughout the year and utilising the data captured, to inform our schedule of Officials’ training and courses in 2025. Stay tuned for some dates for your diary, to be released soon.
Save the Date
Please mark the following confirmed and important dates in your diaries:
Any questions on the above topics please contact the General Manager - WA, Kate Wearn at kate.wearn@sailing.org.au
You can find a fill list of Australian Sailing Contacts – here.
Keep in touchAll members of our team are available to answer your queries by phone, face to face or to meet via Microsoft Teams online.
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