GiveOut is proud to announce that our Head of Grant-making, Jason Ball, has been awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in recognition of his outstanding contributions to LGBTQI inclusion in sport.
In 2012 Jason came out as a gay Aussie Rules footballer and launched a campaign calling on the Australian Football League to do more to tackle homophobia. Jason’s teammates from the Yarra Glen Football Netball Club showed their solidarity by staging a Pride Cup, with players wearing rainbow jumpers, and 50 metre lines painted in rainbow colours.
Jason went on to found the Pride Cup organisation in 2018 with the aim of fostering LGBTQI inclusion in sporting clubs. Since its inception, over 800 sporting clubs across Australia have embraced the initiative.
Jason remained on the Board of Pride Cup after he moved to London and joined GiveOut in 2022. Since then Jason has been responsible for leading GiveOut’s grant-making programme, as we look to provide increased and deeper support to more LGBTQI organisations worldwide.
Jason Ball OAM, founder of Pride Cup and Head of Grant-making at GiveOut, said:
“This King’s Birthday honour reflects the collective effort and commitment of the entire Pride Cup movement in Australia. I dedicate this award to the Pride Cup team, sponsors, supporters, and the 800+ sporting clubs promoting inclusivity through Pride Cup events. Their commitment is the heartbeat of our progress.”
Rupert Abbott, Executive Director of GiveOut, said:
“On behalf of everyone at GiveOut, huge congratulations, Jason! Your dedication to supporting LGBTQI people around the world through your work with Pride Cup, GiveOut and beyond is inspiring. Thank you so much for your passion and care.”