
NA
29 Nov 2021
Melton Business Excellence Awards’ 2021
Disability Inclusion Award – Winner: Specialist Hoops Basketball
Open to businesses that promote an inclusive workplace culture supporting all abilities, that have taken action to reduce barriers, enhance participation, and ensure information, services and facilities are accessible and inclusive for people with a disability, the Disability Inclusion Award at the 2021 Melton Business Excellence Awards has been bestowed to Specialist Hoops Basketball.
Specialist Hoops engages people within the community through sport and recreation to deliver a basketball program that enhances the lives of those with a disability.
Starting in September 2017 as a one day camp, Specialist Hoops progressed into weekly sessions in July 2018, with the July 2020 move to bi-weekly Zoom sessions courtesy of the COVID pandemic. The program now has a second location in Bacchus Marsh for basketball, and also runs weekly ten pin bowling sessions at Xplosions Bar and Bowl in Bakery Square, Melton.
Priding themselves on listening to the public and working to deliver participants an increased quality of life, Specialist Hoops is run entirely by a team of nine volunteers. With the aim of providing the same opportunities to people of all abilities to participate in sport, Specialist Hoops has adapted in the face of the pandemic.
While maintaining the focus on getting people involved with sport in a safe and controlled environment, Specialist Hoops also recognised the importance of social wellbeing for each individual so creating more opportunities for participants to see each other and be social within the community was a big focus during the pandemic.
Families of the kids and young adults in the program are full of praise every day that their loved ones have a safe growing environment to build confidence.