East Coast Bays Football Club is dedicated to making football more accessible and attractive to girls and women - in recent years, the club has created new programs for junior girls and better supported youth and women’s teams.
 
In 2023, ECB joined eight other Auckland clubs in signing NRF's Gender Equity Charter, a public commitment to create club structures and programs that improve its offering for all female players, and creating an inclusive environment for everyone.

“This is a journey and we all need to be part of it. There's never a good time to start, there's always competing priorities for your time, but we've really prioritised this, because we believe it's the right thing to do and gender equity needs a voice, it's a big part of our future vision,” said Roger Bridge, ECB President. 

We're lucky to have some passionate people to push this forward - some clubs may not know they have these people, but they're there.” 

ECB has established a Women and Girls Committee, a core group of passionate people determined to make a difference - the first milestone was the club survey, to get a read on members' experiences, which was released in May.
 
“From the survey and conversations with parents, there was a lack of knowledge in the girls space overall. Girls development programmes, access to quality playing fields and support for our volunteer community coaches were themes that kept coming up, and even before the results came in, we’d dealt with some of those concerns already," said ECB Girls and Women Operations Manager Gail Hanekom.
 
“So much of this is about communication. Not everyone has visibility of everything that's happening at the club, so the survey really helped us at the start of the programme, to help keep improving and bridging the knowledge gap."
 
After extensive consultation over the past few months with women and girls leaders at Harbour Sport and NRF, the ECEB girls and women leadership group are proud to have produced the first draft of the Women and Girls Action Plan for our club.

This plan, whilst still in its early stages, will enable the club to make small, yet deliberate changes in key areas of concern for club members. Over time, these small changes will have significant impact on the women and girls program and their overall experience and involvement with the club.

“Gender equity was part of our overall strategy before the charter came on board - it's given us the opportunity to push the thinking and process forward. We're delighted to be part of it, we sincerely believe it needs to be a strong part of our club and all clubs. It resonates with our membership and leadership,” said Roger Bridge. 

"We're working on getting and growing engagement with this work with members - it's new and something that will grow over time. The more people understand, the more likely they are to get involved," said Gail Hanekom. 

East Coast Bays’ goal is to create an environment where specific initiatives for women and girls are no longer needed because inclusivity is second nature and a core part of our club culture, striving for a club where everyone feels valued, and everyone has a voice.
 
“It’s good to see the progress at East Coast Bays, listening to members and really understanding their connection to the club, before building out the action plan. I’m excited to see the developments from here, and delighted NRF can support this mahi with survey and analysis capability to get a clear picture of where the opportunities are,” said Laura Menzies, NRF CEO.  

"Personally, it’s all about community. We can focus on the performance programmes, which are great, but the big changes and most value lies in our community football - that's where the girls (and boys) are coming from. Providing positive experiences, keeping them close to the heart of what we do and celebrating them in all areas is where the shift really happens.”
 
"Even just communicating better with community teams - some of the survey feedback was that they didn't feel connected to the club. It's about drawing them in more so they know who works there, who the coaches are, knowing who to talk to and having that support available,” said Gail Hanekom.
 
“The majority of club members are time poor, they’re running after their kids or they’re playing adults, and they don’t always know what’s happening until the rubber starts hitting the road – they’ll pick it when they start seeing the benefits to them and they see the difference it makes. At the beginning it’s just words on a page, but in the end they’ll see it really impacting in a positive way. It’s a process and you have to keep telling the story,” said Roger Bridge. 

"We can do movie nights, fun days, encourage team fundraising activities, it doesn't all have to be about football to create that connection. This is a work in progress, we need our club community support, ideas, and a little of their time to make this successful - and of course, whatever change we make for the girls will ultimately benefit everyone at the club," said Gail Hanekom. 

ECB's draft action plan is available on their website - if you’d like more information or would like to get involved, please contact Gail Hanekom. 

Learn more about NRF’s Gender Equity Charter. 

Article added: Monday 08 July 2024