User:TWAustralia/sandbox/Midnight Basketball Australia

Midnight Basketball Australia is a national charity that trains and supports approved communities across Australia to implement the social inclusion program and to support teenagers to build the skills and confidence needed to be able to identify and embrace positive opportunities in their lives and their communities. This is done through a high energy, fun and engaging community-run program that combines the benefits of team sport, education and civic participation to teach life skills and identify steps to education, training, employment and social inclusion.

Through a combination of basketball tournaments and life skills workshops, Midnight Basketball aims to offer an intervention that: In meeting these aims Midnight Basketball Australia believes it will make a positive contribution to:
 * Contributes to community and individual capacity building.
 * Engages a diverse social mix of teenagers in its programs.
 * Is sustainable over time.
 * Providing young people with a safe, healthy and positive environment at times when they may be vulnerable to harmful and anti-social behaviour.
 * Combating drug, alcohol and other physical abuse by teenagers.
 * Supporting the learning needs of teenagers and providing them with encouragement to participate in mainstream society and their local community.
 * Providing positive role models and reinforcing the importance of self esteem among teenagers.
 * Diverting teenagers in areas of need from the risk of anti-social and criminal behaviour.

Who can attend?
Midnight Basketball is open to male and female teenagers 12 to 18 years looking for positive activity to build skills and confidence.

How does each Tournament night run?
Every night of each 8 week Tournament includes:

Where does it run?
For current locations, refer Locations page.

Can it run in my location?
If you’d like to see Midnight Basketball in your location, please complete the New Location Enquiry Form and email to info@midnightbasketball.org.au OR call 02 8052 9504 if you have any questions. (see Contact MB Australia page for Enquiry Form and contact details).

Why basketball?
Basketball is a fast and inclusionary game. While the actual sport is not important per se, Basketball is actually the only sport that caters for all requirements and fits with the inclusionary culture: it caters to all areas of sporting ability (some sports require a high level of skill which would exclude some players), is a magnet to both genders and ages, provides great mentoring opportunities (the older players mentor the younger players in their team), is played on basketball courts (which are small enough to house indoors), and is held inside which is important from a safety and climate (eg, rain, darkness) perspective - given there are 60-80 teenagers till midnight these are all important to creating a happy, high energy and safe environment.

Why Midnight?
The idea is that the youth participants of Midnight Basketball go home exhausted and happy, and go to sleep. This is a benefit to all. If the program were held to finish earlier in the evening the youth may end up back out on the streets, benefiting no one.

To Play
Player registration is open to 12 to 18 year old male and female teens and costs nothing to enter. Visit the Locations page to see if Midnight Basketball runs in your community and go to the Players page.

To Volunteer
Visit Volunteering & Support page for more information. Registrations are open to anyone 18 years or over.

History
Midnight Basketball Australia was formed by an alumni group of the Benevolent Society’s Social Leadership Program, a highly regarded tri-sector (government, corporate, non-profit) program examining critical issues in building sustainable social capital. It continues to leverage this extensive and networked tri-sector group to support Midnight Basketball communities.

Midnight Basketball was first trialed in Australia in 2010 through a pilot tournament in Redfern/Waterloo. Following the popularity of the Redfern and other Pilot tournaments over several years, Midnight Basketball Australia developed significant infrastructure to expand nationally. Through evaluation of these community programs over the subsequent 5 year period, Midnight Basketball Australia developed the community based Program Model with the aim of creating a replicable, workable and sustainable program meeting local needs. Midnight Basketball has since run over 250 times in locations around Australia.

Organisational Strategy
Midnight Basketball Australia is a national charity that trains and supports approved communities to implement the Midnight Basketball Program Model. Their vision is that every Australian teenager will be given the building blocks to transition to independent living, a rewarding career, participation in civic society and ‘a good life’.

Organisational Objectives
Midnight Basketball Australia will pursue the following objectives at the organisational level:
 * Continue to develop the Program Model to ensure it is engaging, incorporates social inclusion principles at its core and optimises outcomes for participants.
 * Improve efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability of the Program Model, through continuous improvement to minimise the administrative burden on the community volunteer base.
 * Partner with best practice national and international experts to find evidence-based solutions to the social issues trying to be solved, and ensure that there is deep synergy with the knowledge and wisdom within community programs.
 * Grow Midnight Basketball Tournaments to communities with need throughout Australia.

Program Model Objectives
To engage teenagers in a structured social inclusion program, that builds individual and community capacity by providing:
 * a structured but fun and social activity to engage a diverse mix of age 12-18 male & females;
 * safe, healthy and positive environment on Friday or Saturday nights;
 * life skills workshops supporting wellbeing, work readiness and other life skills to meaningfully participate in society;
 * relevant information and advice about drugs, alcohol and other important teen issues, showcasing examples and an environment that models healthy alternatives;
 * support and role models for teen learning needs to allow them to grow and build their confidence and self-esteem to participate in mainstream society;
 * build the skills to enable them to pursue education and future employment;
 * community volunteers from diverse industry sectors including mainstream groups, to ensure sustainability and provide positive role models and deep community engagement;
 * change perceptions and attitudes by demonstrating teenagers voluntarily, respectfully and comfortably participating in a structured environment like Midnight Basketball; and
 * doing everything we can to help Midnight Basketballers uplift.

Harm Prevention Guidelines and Statement of Principles
Core to the organisation strategy is providing Players and volunteers with a safe environment in which to participate in Midnight Basketball Tournaments. The organisation has adopted the following statement of principles, which work within the guidelines of the organisation's charitable status as a Harm Prevention Charity:
 * to engage with teenagers in areas of need or risk of anti-social behaviour;
 * to transparently secure funds for Midnight Basketball programs from appropriate individuals, non-profit and corporate entities and government agencies;
 * to engage with groups and organisations dedicated to delivering services and positive learning experiences for young people at a community level;
 * to encourage and participate in capacity building within local communities for achieving the objectives of Midnight Basketball;
 * to promote and develop local communities through Midnight Basketball activities and organisations engaged in that purpose; and
 * to adhere to the Program Format in line with our Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) requirements.

National Governance Structure
Midnight Basketball Australia Board of Directors
 * A company, limited by guarantee with an independent Board. ABN: 40108259749.
 * Australian Government ABN Lookup: Midnight Basketball Australia
 * Any problems linking - search the Australian Government ABN Lookup site yourself here
 * A not-for-profit charitable organisation.
 * Midnight Basketball Australia is listed on the Register of Harm Prevention Charitable Institutions  under Subdivision 30-289B of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997.
 * Midnight Basketball Australia is a not-for-profit charitable organisation with Deductible Gift Recipient Status. This means that donations are tax deductible and you will be provided with a tax deductible receipt for donations. Note: they must be made out to: "Midnight Basketball Fund" (see below).
 * A supporting member of the Australian Human Rights Commission Racism. It Stops With Me. Campaign

The Board members of Midnight Basketball Australia have a substantial track record in implementing community and commercial projects.

Local Governance Structure
All Locations have the following Midnight Basketball governance structure overseen by Midnight Basketball Australia:
 * Local Program Participant (Contracted Program Auspicing Body)
 * Volunteer Management Committee comprising local Committee members
 * Tournament Night Volunteers - Friday OR Saturday nights from 7pm to around Midnight depending on the role)
 * Tournament Night Volunteer Professional Roles for tournament night roles that require an accreditation or certificate, such as Referees, Bus Drivers licence, etc.

Midnight Basketball Fund
Donations are contributed through the Midnight Basketball Fund.

For information and links to donate, please visit the Donate page.

In the News

 * Grafton Wins Australia Day Award
 * Darwin Wins Human Rights Award
 * Mt Druitt Celebrates 10th Successful Tournament in Style
 * Midnight Basketball A Real Winner
 * Selfless Volunteers Get A Lot Out Of Giving Up Their Time
 * Midnight Basketball Scores Big In Grafton
 * Midnight basketball: UNSW study finds they help reduce alcohol harms in Aboriginal communities
 * No Workshop, No Jumpshot

Social Media
Follow on social media to stay up to date on all things Midnight Basketball Australia.

Contact Midnight Basketball Australia
To contact Midnight Basketball Australia go to the contact page.