Hillwood Football Club manager Grant Radford, bar manager Dot Poole and complex manager Phillip Kelly with the Good Sports award. Picture: NEIL RICHARDSON
THE Hillwood Football Club has been recognised in an Australia-wide initiative to provide a family environment within its club.
Hillwood has been presented with a certificate made available by the Australian Drug Federation as the Tasmanian winner of its Good Sports program.
The Good Sports program was set up to support and encourage sporting clubs to change their culture and reduce high risk drinking amongst its members and players with the emphasis more on families and sports participation.
Under the guidance of its bar manager Dot Poole, Hillwood has advanced to level three of the Good Sports program.
The club has worked diligently on the responsible serving of alcohol with all its bar staff being accredited and along the way it has addressed the provision food at club functions and transport for those attending the functions.
"As a small club we're very proud to have received the recognition," club committeeman Phillip Kelly said.
"We're one of the first clubs to achieve level three,".
Kelly said the program had been well received by all club members and it had taken on extra significance with Hillwood providing facilities for junior teams.
More than 200 sporting clubs from around Tasmania have become involved in the program.
The three-level accreditation criteria provide management standards for clubs that serve alcohol and clubs move through the levels over a three to five year period.
The accreditation deals with a club's liquor license, bar management, responsible serving, food and drink options and a safe transport policy,