Creating safety, celebration and connection for Sydney’s trans and gender diverse community
Creating safety, celebration and connection for Sydney’s trans and gender diverse community
Belgravia Foundation proudly celebrates the success of the Trans and Gender Diversity Twilight Swim Gatherings hosted at Cook + Phillip Park Pool by Belgravia Leisure in November 2024 and April 2025. These free, community-led events aligned with Trans Awareness Week and the International Transgender Day of Visibility, welcoming over 530 attendees and offering a vibrant, safe and affirming space for trans and gender diverse people to reconnect with leisure, community and confidence.
The initiative was born from deep community engagement, and reflects Belgravia Leisures commitment to welcome, support and include in safe experiences members of the LGBTQIA+ community into aquatic centres. In collaboration with the City of Sydney’s Community and Social Impact team, local LGBTQIA+ youth organisations, and guided by resources from TransHub and Minus18, the Cook + Phillip team listened carefully to concerns about exclusion, discomfort and body-based anxiety in traditional aquatic spaces. Community consultations revealed that many trans and gender diverse individuals, especially youth, were disengaging from sport and recreation due to lack of safety and gender affirmation.
The Twilight Swim Gatherings were co-designed to support participants with lived experience at the centre. From gender-neutral changerooms to sensory-friendly music, calming lighting and dedicated pool zones, every detail was tailored to reduce anxiety and build joy. Staff received LGBTQIA+ inclusion training, and the warm twilight setting allowed for privacy, celebration, and connection. With Drag King Woody welcoming guests as MC and entertainment tailored to the community, the gatherings became more than a swim, they became a statement of belonging.
Evaluation was built into the experience through QR code surveys and feedback shared via community partners. Feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Participants gave average ratings of 9.56 and 9.45 out of 10 for the November and April events respectively, with all respondents rating the activities as “Good” or “Excellent.”
Attendees described the event as their first time swimming publicly since coming out, and many shared emotional reflections on what it meant to feel welcomed, safe and included in a public space. Staff debriefs and internal reporting confirmed the events were incident-free, deeply meaningful, and ripe for expansion.
For the participants, the events offered more than just pool access, they delivered visibility, freedom and community celebration. For Cook + Phillip Park Pool and Belgravia Leisure, the program strengthened relationships with local LGBTQIA+ communities, demonstrated alignment with the City of Sydney’s Active Wellbeing and Social Impact priorities, and elevated the site’s reputation as a leader in inclusive recreation. Belgravia Foundation is proud to share a powerful example of the impact leisure can have when it is accessible, purpose-driven and inclusive.
As one participant shared, “This space gave me the freedom to be seen, to swim, and to laugh without fear. That is something I will carry with me for a long time.”
Belgravia Foundation continues to support programs like these that go beyond recreation, they create real change.