The collaboration, the innovative Sports Exchange Social Enterprise will be in Greater Geelong and operated in accordance with Lifeline’s opp shop operating model. The Sports Exchange is innovative in that the social enterprise will be operated by a national charity and local community disability / allied health provider and have a unique market position. It won’t sell typical opp shop goods, rather this retail outlet will sell new/near new sporting equipment and apparel donated by the public, retailers, wholesalers and sporting clubs below market rates to the public via a retail outlet.

The Sports Exchange concept has already garnered early support. Consultations have occurred with Rebel Sport (current key partner of Lifeline), Degrandi’s (local sporting goods provider) Active Geelong and City of Greater Geelong run Sport 4 All.

The former two will support the Sports Exchange by donating equipment and apparel and the latter two by using their extensive sporting club and school networks for community donations and promoting the Sports Exchange across their marketing platforms.

If the pilot proves successful, the Sports Exchange will address employment inequity for people with a disability by providing a pathway towards volunteering, work experience and employment to Kids+ clients – young people with a neuro-physical disability – within a supported retail environment.
It is anticipated that the commercially viable business will progressively generate an additional income stream to strengthen the organisational capacity of Kids+ and Lifeline to assist in realising their visions and achieving their purposes.

Benefit Geelong funds will contribute to Shop Manager employee costs in the first year of operations of the three-year pilot.