‘We were made to feel comfortable and … safe’: co-creating, delivering, and evaluating coach education and health promotion workshops with Aboriginal Australian peoples

Abstract

ABSTRACT This paper outlines the processes for co-creating and delivering Coaching Unlimited, a coach education and health promotion workshops series providing specific opportunities for Aboriginal Australian coaches to develop their capacity as future leaders in leisure settings. To guide our evaluation of the first two netball workshops, we used the Ngaa-bi-nya framework – an Aboriginal health and social programme evaluation framework. Using the four domains of Ngaa-bi-nya, we were able to confirm the importance of co-creating and delivering the workshops in a culturally safe and inclusive environment. Reflecting on our own processes of doing research and working with Aboriginal communities, we learnt that hosting workshops in and with community, is central to the programme’s accessibility and success. The paper concludes by considering the utility of the framework and what researchers can learn about their own practice in the space of Aboriginal sport and health programmes.