Tennis Australia Partners with Kinaway!
Overview of Tennis Australia’s business
Tennis Australia (TA) is the governing body for tennis in Australia, dedicated to fostering the growth and success of the sport at all levels. By recognising the impact sport can have on people’s lives, TA prides itself on making a genuine impact on communities across the country, as well as the nation.
The Tennis Australia values are excellence, humility, collaboration and imagination. We believe these values naturally extend to respecting and upholding the human rights of the people we work with.
At Tennis Australia, we are committed to creating positive change in the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples through the power of tennis. We aim to develop meaningful opportunities for First Nations Australians to engage with our sport, both on and off the court, through working towards improving cultural understanding and promoting greater diversity and inclusion representation.
How has Tennis Australia engaged with the Indigenous sector? What actions have they taken to reconciliation? Any special programs, projects or collaborations? E.g. RAPs, employment, procurement.
At TA, we have cultivated experiences that drive cultural understanding and provide learning and education opportunities for our community. Some of the activities we are most proud of is Evonne Goolagong Cawley Day at the Australian Open, First Nations activities and activations throughout the Summer of Tennis and Australian Open events, and investing in First Nations suppliers and partnerships.
We have engaged with over 60 new and existing First Nations suppliers and partners, committed to bringing First Nations activations and experiences for our community and patrons to life.
In FY24, we sourced goods and services from more than 40 First Nations suppliers with a spend of over 500,000 dollars, including cultural awareness initiatives, recruitment services, entertainment, artwork, food and beverages and professional services.
Why did Tennis Australia sign up with Kinaway? What was the driving factor?
At TA, we recognise the need to continuously work on strengthening our engagement with First Nations communities and ensure our First Nations suppliers are certified. It is also crucial for us to meet our TA RAP requirements and to help further support the education of our business. Additionally, the Australian Open is based in Victoria so Kinaway as the Indigenous chamber of commerce in Victoria is the perfect fit.
What is Tennis Australia’s mission or aim in supporting the Indigenous economy?
TA’s aim is to increase First Nations business supply with Tennis to run our business and the Summer of Tennis events.
How will Kinaway member businesses benefit from this partnership?
We believe everybody should have the opportunity to be included and engaged through tennis in a meaningful way. We are committed to increasing opportunities and accessibility to tennis for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people by continuing to:
•Create employment opportunities and an inclusive culture within our organisation
• Engage with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities
• Educate clubs and coaches
• Enhance talent identification
• Provide pathway opportunities
• Create playing opportunities through community events and tournaments
• Acknowledge and celebrate First Nations people and cultures at major events
• Collaborate through impactful partnership
How does Tennis Australia hope to benefit from their partnership with Kinaway?
Through working with Kinaway, Tennis Australia looks forward to to being introduced to a range of First Nations business and working together to roll out tools and educational programs to grow our Tennis community and our team’s awareness and engagement of First Nations culture, elevated through professional development and networking opportunities as well.