NT Badminton says NO MORE to family violence

Northern Territory Badminton Association (NTBA) have become the first NT peak sporting body to write a domestic violence action plan.

NTBA boast a membership of 260 people across the Territory with two main clubs in Darwin and Alice Springs. More than half of its members are from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Backgrounds and have a broad age range of players.

President of NT Badminton Association Simon Harvey said he was really keen to see badminton take a strong stand against family violence.

“When I heard Charlie King, AFL NT CEO Michael Solomon and NT Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw talk of the domestic violence situation at the recent NO MORE breakfast I was moved to see what our sport of badminton could do in a meaningful and timely way.  

“With some help we adapted some AFL NT Action Plans and linked them to our existing Member Protection Policies. Our Board reviewed the draft document on the weekend and unanimously adopted the Action Plan.

“The Action Plan gives us a framework on which to place positive behaviours that we will all share and demonstrate with our members and their communities. The Action Plan is consistent with our approach to ensure that our sport and playing environments in Darwin, Alice Springs and growth areas are welcoming and safe for existing and new members.

“It is the right thing to do,” said Harvey.

NO MORE Campaign Founder Charlie King is proud to see badminton leading the way for NT peak sporting bodies.

“Simon and the NTBA board have shown great leadership in ensuring that all members of NTBA can feel safe while playing their sport. They have developed a strong DVAP which sets a good example for the people involved in NT Badminton. We look forward to working with them in future to run education sessions about family violence with their members.

“We know there is a spike in family violence over the festive season, so it’s good timing for sports, businesses and community groups to bring the issue to the forefront of people’s minds. We know that increasing awareness about family violence and letting people know that it’s okay to talk about, will reduce the violence over the holiday period,” said King.