Inclusive Active Melbourne programs
Australia’s first B1 blind soccer facility opened in North Melbourne in March 2018.
The multipurpose sports court accommodates players with the highest level of vision impairment and provides for a variety of other sports including basketball, futsal and netball.
A new community picnic area, public exercise equipment and landscaping were also installed as part of the works, the final components of improvements identified in the North Melbourne Recreation Reserve Landscape Concept Plan.
For more information, please contact North Melbourne Recreation Centre External link on 9658 9444.
What is blind soccer?
B1 blind soccer, or blind football as it is also known, is played with an audible ball that makes a rattling noise to allow players to locate it by sound.
The outfield players wear eye shades to equal their sight, but the goalkeeper can be fully or partially sighted. It is played outdoors by vision impaired athletes on a 40 metre by 20 metre pitch with side kickboards. There are two teams of five, including four outfield players and a goalkeeper.
Melbourne City Baths has been creating connections and positive exercise experiences for people with Down syndrome as part of the FitSkills Program.
A collaboration between Melbourne City Baths and Down Syndrome Victoria, the program connects people with Down Syndrome with a volunteer partner and together they will exercise in the gym every Wednesday. They will meet at 11am in the lounge area then all walk together to the gym to start a one hour work out. The workout session is followed by a swim (lower-level swimming, water safety and recreation). After the workout and swim session, the FitSkills pairs will go for lunch.
Participants involved have reported:
- improved health and wellbeing
- feeling welcome by staff and the wider gym community
- increased opportunity to join the Melbourne City Baths gym community
- feeling more comfortable to chat to new people
- greater sense of belonging and developing positive social connections.
Women’s only swimming at Melbourne City Baths
Whether you’re just starting out or building confidence in the water, City Swimm(h)er is designed to help you feel safe, supported, and empowered in a private and welcoming environment.
City Swimm(h)er is a structured swimming program that teaches the fundamental skills, knowledge and techniques of swimming and water safety. All classes are:
- for females only
- facilitated by female instructors
- supervised by female lifeguards
- held in our Program Pool, closed to the public to ensure privacy and comfort.
The program caters for women and girls aged 5 to 17 with no swimming or water safety experience, to intermediate swimming skills.
Please note: This is a lesson-only program. Free play or recreational swimming is not available during class hours.
- Date: Saturdays
- Time: 2pm to 5pm
- Venue: Melbourne City Baths
- Enquiries: contact the Swim School team
Women’s only swimming at Kensington Community Aquatic and Recreation Centre
Our pool hall will become a private haven with blinds covering all windows so women can swim in a culturally-safe environment.
Female lifeguards and duty managers will also be on duty. No bookings required – just turn up!
- Date: Sundays
- Time: 5pm to 6.30pm
- Venue: Kensington Community Aquatic and Recreation Centre, 99 Altona Street, Kensington
- Cost: $4.20 per person, $21.50 family (max 2 adults). Under 3s free. Members can attend as part of their membership.
- Enquiries: contact 03 9376 1633
We understand that some people often need a quieter, calmer environment to feel comfortable. These dedicated hours help make our centres more welcoming for everyone, especially those with sensory sensitivities.
Some of the benefits of a low sensory environment include:
- Reduced sensory overload
- Calmer atmosphere: By lowering noise levels, a low sensory environment helps prevent sensory overload, which can cause anxiety and discomfort.
- Increased accessibility and inclusivity
- Welcoming spaces: These environments are more accessible to individuals with autism, ADHD, PTSD, and other conditions that involve sensory processing challenges, allowing more of our community to participate in activities they might otherwise avoid.
- Enhanced comfort, enjoyment and experiences
- Positive experiences: For those with sensory sensitivities, low sensory settings can transform potentially overwhelming experiences into enjoyable ones, fostering a sense of belonging and encouraging repeated visits.
Active Melbourne offers low-sensory hours in centre, where we lower the music, switch off screens, and schedule quieter classes to create a more accessible space for all.
Our staff are here to help and seek your feedback to better understand your needs and preferences, making adjustments to improve your experience.
We welcome you to join us to enjoy a workout in a calm, supportive, and inclusive environment. For more information or to book a session, please contact us or visit our website.
Low sensory hours
Melbourne City Baths: Weekdays, 10am to 11am.
To learn more, please visit or contact one of our friendly Guest Experience Officers on 9568 9011 or see Melbourne City Baths.
Carlton Baths: Tuesday and Thursday, 9.30am to 11am
To learn more, please visit or contact one of our friendly Customer Service Officers on 9347 3677 or see Carlton Baths External link.
North Melbourne Community Centre: Monday – Friday, 3pm to 4pm
To learn more, please visit or contact one of our friendly Customer Service Officers on 9320 4700 or see North Melbourne Community Centre External link.
North Melbourne Recreation Centre: Wednesdays, 9am to 11am
To learn more, please visit or contact one of our friendly Customer Service Officers on 9658 9444 or see North Melbourne Recreation Centre.
Not all disabilities are visible, yet they impact how people navigate the world. For those with hidden disabilities, daily activities like exercise and recreation can come with unique challenges. At Active Melbourne, we’re proud to support these individuals by introducing the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Program, helping people feel more understood, safe, and empowered in our community spaces.
What is the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower?
The Hidden Disabilities Sunflower is a widely recognised symbol that allows individuals to discreetly signal a need for extra understanding, patience, or assistance.By wearing a lanyard with a sunflower logo, individuals can indicate they may need a little extra support without having to disclose any personal information. This subtle symbol reminds us that there are hundreds of disabilities, medical conditions and disorders that may not be obvious.
Sunflower lanyards now available at Active Melbourne recreation facilities
In line with our commitment to inclusivity, sunflower lanyards will be available at all Active Melbourne recreation facilities from December 2024. Customers with hidden disabilities can request a lanyard from our Guest Experience Team, making it easier to access support and understanding throughout our facilities.
To learn more, please visit or enquire at one of our friendly Guest Experience Team members at any of our Active Melbourne recreation facility locations today.
Blind Cricket is a version of cricket designed for people who are blind or have low vision. There are a couple of adaptations made to mainstream cricket that allow people with little or no vision to participate easily.
Playing blind cricket gives participants the opportunity to meet people with similar visual impairments, to get active and to get outside, with competitive and non-competitive pathways for men and women.
It is a fun, community-focused and inclusive sport that is played at Fawkner Park in South Yarra.
To learn more about Blind Cricket, please visit Victorian Blind Cricket Association (VBCA) External link.
Riverslide Skate Park, in partnership with The Y Action Sports and the City of Melbourne, offers the All Abilities Skateboarding Frame – an adaptive support system that helps people of all ages and abilities experience skateboarding in a safe and welcoming environment.
These sessions combine hands-on coaching and supportive equipment to make skateboarding more accessible than ever before. The program is all about getting people who can’t skate independently due to physical disability onto the skate park, building confidence, and being a part of Melbourne incredible skateboarding culture.
Contact skatepark@ymca.org.au for more information.
Sport4All is a free disability-focused education program designed to help sporting clubs and schools support and involve people living a disability. The program is designed to give choice and control to people with disability around how they participate in sport.
Sport4All is a three-phase program, starting with an Inclusion Check-In Survey, which gives us an indication of the attitudes and values held by your club or school. There are then eight simple, self-paced learning modules to provide education outcomes for participants in the program.
In conjunction with an inclusion coach, we develop an Action Plan for your club to work towards achieving over an agreed period of time. The Action Plan is designed to help guide the club or school make decisions that are inclusive and help make everyone feel welcome. The sport has a great social environment where anyone is welcome to come and be themselves.
Sport4All accredited clubs in City of Melbourne
Achilles Melbourne is Melbourne’s premier running club for people with a disability, predominantly for people who are vision impaired.
Achilles Melbourne runs regular training sessions on Sundays and Wednesdays (strength cross training) at the iconic Tan running track, meeting at Janet Lady Clarke Rotunda.
Achilles Melbourne also connects people with a disability with other local running clubs and public running events.
Whether you have a disability or you wish to run/walk alongside people with a disability, we run/walk together to achieve individual fitness goals. Come and Try sessions are free, annual membership is $30.
Want to learn more?
- Contact: Claudia Stevenson, President
- Phone: 0427 223 872
- Email: melbourne@achillesaustralia.org.au
- Online: Facebook External link
Melbourne Front Runners
Melbourne's inclusive running and walking club for the LGBTQ+ community and allies.
Melbourne Frontrunners are the largest LGBTQ+ running and walking group in Melbourne and have been around for over 20-years.
We're more than just a club; we're a vibrant community that celebrates diversity and inclusivity. Individuals of all abilities, ages, sexual orientations, and gender identities are warmly invited to join our active, inclusive, and diverse running and walking club. As proud members of the International Frontrunners, we're part of a global network of LGBTQ+ running and walking clubs that share similar values and interests.
With a thriving community of over 300 members, our diverse group includes everyone from walkers and recreational joggers to marathon runners and competitive athletes. Regardless of your fitness level, pace, or preferred distance, you'll find like-minded members to walk, run, and train with throughout the entire year. Join us in embracing the joy of running, fostering connections, and creating lasting friendships in our welcoming and supportive environment.
We value:
- Pride
- Community
- Diversity
- Wellbeing
City of Melbourne based sessions take place at
- The Tan- Wednesday 6.30pm and Saturday 9.30am
- Princes Park - Sunday 8.30am
Women’s only sessions are also available
Full year membership is $45 for the year, this season runs from 1 April to 31 March.
Melbourne Front Runners host the annual Melbourne Pride Run at the Tan.
Contact details: info@melbournefrontrunners.com.au
Q League embraces the true spirit of sport by celebrating the "all" in the sport’s title, prioritising fun over winning and welcoming people of all gender identities and abilities who often feel left out of traditional team sporting environments.
Allies are also welcome to participate, as an integral part of the QSA community.
All games follow the club’s ‘rainbow rules’. The key variation from traditional basketball rules is the introduction of ‘rainbow cards’, awarded to players who score more than 10 points in a row, restricting them from the key until the end of the half.
QSA has also implemented a ‘no try outs’ policy to provide everyone, no matter their sporting experience or basketball knowledge, the opportunity to join a team. To celebrate the achievements of all players, the last Wednesday of each month is dubbed ‘Rainbow Round’, complete with music by QSA DJs and cheering competitions.
You can play in the Q league weekly on Tuesday nights at Docklands Primary School, Docklands.
Contact: Q League External link
Champion Come Out & Roll is a weekly social skate meet-up run by Queer Sporting Alliance (QSA). We are a national, gender diverse, inclusive, LGBTIQA+ club. Allies are welcome! We pride ourselves on creating safe spaces for LGBTIQA+ skaters and their rad allies.
We are looking for skaters and bladers (especially gender diverse folk) who might be disengaged from the community or looking for a safe space to skate. Those who identify as LGBTIQA+ are at higher risks for harassment, bullying and discrimination. QSA Roller’s aim is to engage with skaters who have avoided participating in community sport due to their gender and/or sexuality. QSA Rollers aims to provide an ongoing and weekly outlet for inclusion and visibility at a social sporting level that might be missed in one-off Pride tournaments or annual inclusion/diversity initiatives.
- Sessions are being held in Naarm/Melbourne at Carlton Baths, 248 Rathdowne Street, Carlton every Saturday from 4:50 pm - 6:15 pm.
QSA skate captains will be there to help you with skills training. If you require any accessibility requirements, skates or safety equipment be sure to contact rollers@queersportingalliance.com
Bring socks, a helmet, a water bottle and good vibes - we’re excited to see you there!
Come and Try - FreeOne free come and try session is available per year, including Skate Victoria Insurance.
Please email to confirm your attendance for your free session and request skate sizes.
After this initial session, if you had fun and would like to join our weekly social skate, please reach out for registration details, which includes Skate Victoria Insurance and club membership costs.
Emerald City Kickball is a sporting community, not another sports league. Founded in 2020 during the pandemic when normal social spaces closed and mental health was low due to isolation, Emerald City Kickball started as a social experiment to create an inclusive safe space that better connects and empowers the members of the LGBTQIA+ community through the power of accessible, fun team sports.
The experiment succeeded and built a network of individuals who dress in camp themes, have fun, and find community weekly. We're keeping the ball rolling with plans to expand further. Bringing more positive competition to the world of sport and the rainbow community everywhere.
Play Sunday afternoon at Fawkner Park (near the north pavilion) 2pm
Website: Emerald City Kickball External link
Small group, Queer friendly fitness training with the aim to create a safe space and friendly environment by making fitness more accessible for the LGBTQ+ community.
Carlton Baths is a trans and queer friendly gym. The Q-Fit classes aim to provide a relaxed and welcoming environment so you can focus on your workout. Join the Q-Fit classes for fun exercise, friendship and support.
Q-Fit Strength
Tone up and burn fat with high intensity and weight training workouts. Step up your fitness with this new innovative class, designed to help you reach your fitness goals and push your training to the next level.
- Monday 9am
- Thursday 11am
- Thursday 6pm
Website: Q Fit LGBTQ Fitness Classes | Carlton Baths External link
ALLY4EVER was formed to improve the mental and physical wellbeing of our community through tennis and social connection.
Join us for positively fun and free sessions of tennis! Our tennis programs are purpose-built for our community and designed to get people moving again and form long-lasting friendships and connections along the way. All fitness levels are welcome, and no tennis experience is necessary to attend. Just come along!
Fawkner Park
- When: Every Friday (Weather Permitting)
- Where: 65 Toorak Road West, South Yarra
- Time: 11am to 2pm
- Coach: Sonaal
- Contact: 03 98200 100
- Club: Victorian Tennis Academy
- Duration: During School Terms
Powlett Reserve
- When: Every Thursday (Weather Permitting)
- Where: 153 Simpson Street, East Melbourne
- Time: 11:30am to 12:30pm
- Coach: Will
- Contact: 03 9417 3682
- Duration: During School Terms
Light Refreshments Provided After Program.
*Racquets Supplied*
Walking football is a modified version of soccer played in a safe, fun, family friendly environment. The rules, including no running, no contact, no ball above waist height, makes this a great game for all regardless of age, gender, ethnicity or ability.
The slower pace of the game makes it accessible for people of different ages, genders and abilities to play together. With the rules designed for safety the game is great for people with a variety of disabilities or health to name a few.
Walking football often focuses on senior citizens but can be played by all ages.
Walking Football 4 Health Victoria currently supports the following walking football sessions in the City of Melbourne:
- Docklands Sports Courts, 68-90 Harbour Esplanade, Docklands, Tuesdays, 4pm to 5pm
- North Melbourne Community Centre, 49-53 Buncle Street, North Melbourne, Thursdays 4pm to 5pm
- Carlton Baths, 248 Rathdowne Street, Carlton
- Tuesdays 10am to 11am,
- Wednesdays 9.30am to 10.30am (Women’s only)
To learn more, please visit or contact one of our friendly Customer Service Officers.
- Docklands Hub External link: phone 03 8622 4822
- North Melbourne Community Centre External link: phone 03 9320 4700
- Carlton Baths External link: phone: (03) 9347 3677
The Big Issue’s Street Soccer Program for Women offers a free, supportive way to look after your wellbeing through regular physical activity and social connection. Sessions are open to women of all ages and abilities, with a focus on feeling healthy, building confidence, and enjoying movement in a relaxed, non-competitive setting. Taking part can help improve fitness, reduce stress, and create a sense of belonging through shared activity. Sessions are run by a female coach in an all-female private space.
Everyone is welcome - no experience needed, and there's no registration or commitment requirement. Join us to benefit from gentle exercise, positive social interaction, and a safe, inclusive community.
- Every Thursday from 1-3pm.
- North Melbourne Community Centre, 49-53 Buncle Street.
- Contact El on 0406 833 404 for more information.
The Paragolfer is an all terrain wheelchair that lifts the user into a standing position, allowing for a more natural golf swing.
Designed for the course, it has low pressure tyres and a wide stance, giving it access to almost every part of the golf course. That includes greens, practice areas and specially
designed bunkers.
The Paragolfer is often used by people with high-level spinal cord injuries, but it’s also great for anyone with mobility or stability challenges.
For more information, please contact info@royalparkgolf.com.au or call 9387 1326.
