The NSW Government has teamed up with the Western Sydney Wanderers Football Club to help keep safety front of mind for Western Sydney communities this winter as COVID-19 and flu continue to circulate.
The partnership features Wanderers A-League star Tomislav Mrcela as well as members from the Wanderers community to deliver important health messages to football fans in English as well as in Croatian, Arabic, Mandarin and Sudanese (Ma’li).
NSW Minister for Multiculturalism Mark Coure said the campaign taps into the power of sport to connect with people on the need to help protect themselves from illness.
“Everyone looks up to sports stars no matter their background or the language they speak, which is why this partnership is so important,” said Mr Coure.
“When people see someone like Tomislav doing the little things to keep himself fit, healthy and safe they will want to do the same. This is especially important for younger people who aspire to be like him on and off the football field.
“To have these messages communicated in multiple languages too is a great way to make sure everyone can be engaged with during the campaign and showcase that sport truly can be a powerful way to unite and bring people from all different backgrounds together.”
Western Sydney Wanderers CEO Scott Hudson said the team was pleased to be partnering with the NSW Government to speak directly with passionate football fans about the importance of staying safe this winter.
“The Wanderers represent a multicultural and diverse region, so it is very important for us to be able to assist in helping our community and encouraging them to take the simple steps to reduce our risk of illness,” said Hudson.
The videos encourage football fans to be team players and practise safe behaviours like staying up to date with COVID-19 and flu vaccinations, staying home when unwell and wearing a mask in crowded places.
Wanderers Defender Tomi Mrcela said he was proud to be featured in the video.
“As leaders in our Western Sydney community, it is very important that we play a role in raising awareness of current health messages that affect our loyal members and fans,” said Mrcela.
“I am proud to be part of the NSW Government’s Little Things campaign and hope that it can help protect our loved ones.”
The Little Things campaign was developed by the Department of Customer Service, driven by customer insights data, and features imagery showcasing a basketball game on a face mask, skaters on COVID-19 rapid antigen tests and someone staying at home isolating in a tissue box.
The campaign reminds people that small actions can make a big difference to the health of others, such as wearing a mask in crowded places, staying home when they feel unwell, getting together where there’s fresh air and keeping up to date with both COVID-19 and flu vaccinations.
The campaign has been translated into 22 languages and highlights the simple steps people can take to help reduce the risk of illness and to protect loved ones and local communities.
For information about vaccinations and how to get one, visit nsw.gov.au. Anyone with questions about COVID-19 or flu vaccinations is encouraged to speak to their GP or pharmacist.
For information on COVID-19 vaccination assistance customers should call the National Coronavirus Helpline on 1800 020 080, with free interpreting assistance available by choosing option eight.
