Response to Sandman Technical

Quidditch Australia has received a statement from our sponsor Sandman Technical regarding our sponsorship moving forward. You can read the full statement here.

Quidditch Australia is grateful for the support of Sandman Technical and hope that it continues to promote a collaborative and fruitful partnership for both parties. Sandman has provided a number of sensible actions moving forward, and Quidditch Australia intends to commit to each goal outlined in the statement.

On Monday we announced our corrective measures for gender diversity in the 2023 Dropbears campaign, and how we can improve upon this moving forward. As many members are aware, Quidditch Australia has also been pursing recognition as a National Sporting Organisation for the past three years, and will continue working towards this goal. We are excited for all the opportunities this status will make available to us, namely funding options to support the development of programs and initiatives for the community.

The Quidditch Australia Board agrees that an independent Integrity Officer would be value, especially for ensuring appropriate processes and conflicts of interests are managed. We will start investigating how to implement this within Quidditch Australia.

We also agree that the best course of action regarding further 2023 Dropbears leadership announcements is to hold on posting any more appointments for 14 days from the date of the statement.

As funding opportunities become available, Quidditch Australia will commit to developing opportunities for professional development for people of all genders. This aligns with Quidditch Australia’s values and will help strengthen future volunteer cohorts. Furthermore, continuing our efforts at fundraising has always been a priority for Quidditch Australia, and we look forward to putting our resources to use by developing programs and opportunities that meet the needs of the community.

We are also very pleased to announce that, after heeding the advice of Sandman Technical, Quidditch Australia is now a member of the Australian Sports Foundation. This membership opens up several different opportunities for the organisation, and we are grateful to Sandman for directing us towards the program.

Quidditch Australia always endeavours to accept help from qualified professionals in policy development and governance assistance. We hope to continue growing our network, which will empower us to continue supporting the Australian quidditch community.

Once again, we would like to thank Sandman Technical for their support, and look forward to seeing where we will take the sport together.