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< Back Coach Howard starts new club How Howard became the driving force behind volleyball in the West Steph Webb Previous Next

< Back Multicultural Honour Roll of The Huddle's Advisory Committee Member Gary Lee inducted into the Victorian Multicultural Honour Roll! Don Doughty Previous Next

Footy to first aid—200+ young people grew, connected, and thrived this Autumn. < Back Autumn Adventures that Build Belonging Patrick McPhee 9 May 2025 Footy to first aid—200+ young people grew, connected, and thrived this Autumn. As everyone settles back in at school, The Huddle invites you to look back at what was a massive school holiday period at Huddle Holidays! Huddle Holidays is a school holiday program offered at the end of each school term for primary and secondary school students aged 8-18. The program provides children and young people with opportunities to try new experiences, developing their skills and capacity across social inclusion, health and emotional wellbeing, leadership, education, and careers. These holidays our Juniors (8- to 12-years-old) participated in a Footy and Teamwork Super Clinic, a trip to Bounce Inc., and a Wildlife Day at The Huddle North Melbourne. As always, our Junior programs provided many opportunities for young people to build connections within the community, with the staff, with local clubs and, of course, with each other. One participant shared that their favourite part of the program was that they “… enjoyed spending time with new people (and) got to make new friends”. Such a great way to explain what the Junior activities provide! The first activity for the Juniors these holidays was the Footy and Teamwork Super Clinic at Galvin Park Reserve. This program was facilitated with support from the North Melbourne Football Club and Werribee Football Club. The Clinic provided young people of all skill levels the opportunity to develop their abilities in the game of Aussie Rules while also exploring what it takes to be a good teammate! One participant expressed that their favourite part of this activity was that “everyone was friendly and willing to help” and a parent shared that “it was a perfect introduction to footy for my son”. These reflections demonstrated how The Huddle leverages the power of sport to help young people in the community develop a sense of belonging. Our next Junior activity was a trip out to Bounce Inc in Essendon Fields. This activity was fully booked within days of opening, showing the importance of registering early for activities when they launch with The Huddle. At Bounce, the participants were led through an hour of facilitated programming delivered by Bounce staff before spending an additional hour jumping, hopping and running around the many available areas and obstacles. One young person shared that they enjoyed “the kind people and the kids are ranged between the same age”. The Huddle aims to ensure young people have opportunities to mingle and try something new with others of similar ages, growing their networks with local peers. As this participant identified these holiday activities are a safe and welcoming environment for new connections to develop! The final Junior activity for Autumn was the Wildlife Day held at The Huddle North Melbourne. Participants were invited into our classroom on Arden Street, where they were greeted by our partners at Reptile Encounters with their animal friends. The facilitators were very engaging and taught the young people about each animal while also providing opportunities for participants to interact with them! Our Juniors and their parents shared that they loved getting to try something new and that they had the “best time ever!” This was a great way to finish the holidays for our youngest attendees, with everyone excited for what is yet to come in Winter! Our Seniors (13- to 18-years-old) these holidays challenged each other at the return of The Huddle Volleyball Tournament, developed life skills by participating in a CPR course and just for the girls enjoyed an afternoon Sisters Pool Party! Our Seniors showed up in big numbers these holidays and we believe the environment The Huddle provides creates this space that is easy to come back to. One young person shared “I liked how welcoming and friendly everyone was. The activities were fun, engaging, and gave me the chance to work with new people, learn new skills, and build confidence. It felt like a safe and positive space to be myself and connect with others.” We are so proud to hear such positive reflections! The return of The Huddle Volleyball tournament was highly anticipated these holidays. Over 100 young people headed into Eagle Stadium in Werribee to participate in the full day tournament. The competition highlighted both the amazing athletic prowess of our talented young people (many of whom have honed their craft weekly on Friday afternoons at Huddle Up! – click here to learn more ), but also the beautiful community environment that has been created and fostered at all tournaments hosted by The Huddle. Young people demonstrated amazing sportspersonship and as a result established new relationships with people on opposing teams. One young person shared they enjoyed “building new relationships and enhancing trust with my teammates”. This tournament will definitely be back! Next up for the Seniors was a free Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) course delivered by Hero HQ at The Huddle Werribee. This company specialises in supporting young people to develop important lifesaving skills. The participants learnt all the key information necessary to try and preserve someone’s life. The Huddle sees the value in providing these opportunities to support young people becoming positive contributors to their community, while also supporting them with learning new skills that they can add to their resumes. Participants identified that their favourite part of this program was it was free, and that staff were friendly and supportive of their learning. Huddle Holidays looks to offer courses like this one regularly and will offer a full First Aid Level 2 course in the September Holidays. Our final activity for the seniors was the Sisters Only Pool Party at Melbourne City Baths. This activity was set aside for females only, aimed at providing an opportunity for our senior participants to develop their knowledge of water safety and their water confidence. The facilitators took the participants through an extensive session about water safety and important information to consider, before jumping in the water to play games and have some free time. Our participants identified what they enjoyed about the program was that there was “friendly staff (and they got to) try something new.” The next step back into the water for the Huddle Holidays participants will be our return to Anglesea in January 2026. Thanks to our participants, their families, activity providers and partners – Victorian Department of Education and Community Bank Seddon. We couldn’t have this much fun without you! Huddle Holidays will return in July 2025 with an all-new, exciting range of activities across both junior and senior age groups. If you would like and further information or to join our email list to be notified when we launch registrations, please email huddle@nmfc.com.au . Previous Next

The Huddle has partnered with the NBL to deliver GOAL!, a basketball themed program to primary school students < Back The Huddle partner with NBL to deliver GOAL! Riley Goodwin 23 Jan 2022 The Huddle has partnered with the NBL to deliver GOAL!, a basketball themed program to primary school students The Hungry Jack’s National Basketball League (NBL) is proud to announce a partnership with The Huddle, an award-winning not-for-profit organisation that leverages the power of sport to help young people learn, grow and belong. For the past 11 years, The Huddle has worked with more than 100,000 young people from more than 160 different cultures across Australia using sport to strengthen education and employment pathways. The NBL and The Huddle will partner to deliver innovative curriculum modules to primary school students through its “GOAL!” program. GOAL! is a free online resource that integrates basketball themes into the classroom to engage students in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). “Bringing basketball into the classroom to engage and inspire students to learn and grow is a game-changer for students, teachers, families and the community,” The Huddle CEO Cameron McLeod said. “Research shows that approximately 40 per cent of students are consistently disengaged in class, leading to a range of disruptive behaviours and falling behind their peers academically and socially. “The NBL is one of the most recognisable sporting brands in Australia with a long and proud history of supporting strong community outcomes, and The Huddle is proud to partner with the NBL to inspire life-long learning.” Designed by teachers, for teachers, GOAL! has been piloted in parts of Australia with more than 16,500 students already benefiting from the program. “The NBL is proud to be working with The Huddle to convey the passion young people have for basketball, into the classroom,” Hungry Jack’s NBL Commissioner Jeremy Loeliger said. “Basketball is one of Australia’s most participated team sports, and as one of the world’s best leagues, the NBL is delighted to be in a position to support better engagement and stronger educational outcomes in STEM, using the internationally recognised themes and principles of the game of basketball and profile of the NBL.” For enquiries, please contact education@thehuddle.org.au . Previous Next

< Back The Power of Sport Samatar Ali's Journey to Empower African Australian Youth Samantha Weston Previous Next

< Back NMFC Visit to Point Cook College for Next Gen in Schools Eddie Ford, Ben Cunnington and Cooper Harvey visit the students from Point Cook College - of which Eddie is an alumni. Previous Next

< Back Using Basketball to Empower Melbourne’s Youth Basketball is breaking barriers and empowering youth in Melbourne’s West. Rachael Scotland Previous Next

An overnight camp for young women to connect, share stories, be inspired, and have fun through activities and challenges. An overnight camp for young women to connect, share stories, be inspired, and have fun through activities and challenges. pic6.jpeg pic2.jpeg pic3.jpeg pic6.jpeg 1/6 HERstory is an overnight camp designed for young women to connect, share stories, be inspired, and have fun through leadership and team building activities and challenges. REGISTER The camp intrigued me, and I really enjoyed the activities. The activities were engaging and challenging. They made me come out of my comfort zone. I made some new friends and caught up with some of my friends Program participant Previous Next

A day of bowling and mini-golf < Back Hitting the lanes and sinking putts at Strike Jasper Menor 22 Jan 2025 A day of bowling and mini-golf We hit the lanes and the greens at Strike Bowling and Holey Moley in Point Cook for some friendly competition. Our game of bowling came down to the final roll with clutch strikes and spares kept us on the edge of our seats - talk about a dramatic finish! It was a cruisy start on the green, but the final hole had us all screaming "Holey Moley!". It was a perfect mix of challenging and hilarious. Whether it's bowling or mini-golf, Strike Bowling and Holey Moley are the go-to spots for a fun filled day out! Previous Next

Joining the Flemington Education Plan Strategic Advisory Group < Back Students find their True North Joshua Raymer 6 June 2023 Joining the Flemington Education Plan Strategic Advisory Group During Term 2 of this year, The Huddle delivered multiple True North programs at three schools located in Flemington to help improve students’ capacity to succeed, aligning with the goals of the Flemington Education Plan . The goal of this plan is to aid “…the Flemington community in having high-quality, seamless education from birth that fosters positive health and wellbeing and the capacity to succeed.” True North, in a similar vein, helps students to develop an understanding of how their values and attributes shape their identity and future pathways. Early in 2023, The Huddle met with the Department of Education to discuss the Flemington Education Plan, and the opportunities available for The Huddle to collaborate with Debney Meadows Primary School, Flemington Primary School, and Mount Alexander College. Following this meeting, the three schools then joined and participated in The Huddle’s True North program. Students were empowered to discover who they are, and explored themes such as identity, values, persistence, social connection, and mindset, amongst others. The free program allowed students to learn more about themselves and one another, while providing teachers with an opportunity to observe their students with a different lens and approach to learning. The Huddle is no stranger to students from Mount Alexander College, Flemington Primary School, and Debney Meadows Primary School. For many years, The Huddle has delivered True North and Voice Your Voice to these students and has strengthened the relationship between The Huddle and these schools. The success of Huddle programs within the Flemington area is evident from the feedback from both students and educators alike. “Student engagement levels were high, and True North provided lots of opportunities for students to reflect.” – Year 5/6 teacher, Flemington Primary School. “The facilitator was attentive to student engagement, kind, and patient, and kept pulling students back to the purpose of the task. The tasks were engaging for the students and were targeted strongly towards the curriculum. As a teacher, I was able to find out more about the students, as I could observe them from a different perspective. - Year 5/6 teacher, Flemington Primary School Following the successful delivery of True North at DMPS, FPS and MAC, The Huddle has now joined the Flemington Education Plan Strategic Advisory Group. The Huddle is also working closely with the Department of Education and Flemington-based schools to deliver additional Huddle programs such as Game Day, GOAL!, Math Hoops and more, with an aim of further enhancing educational opportunities for Flemington-based learners. If you would like to find out more about how to get your school involved in True North and other Huddle programs, please click here . Previous Next

< Back Huddle trio honoured for services to the community Fred Alale AM, Yasseen Musa OAM, and Gary Lee OAM have been recognised in this year’s Australia Day Honours List, for significant service to the multicultural communities of Victoria North Media Previous Next

Eagle Stadium, Werribee < Back Huddle Holidays - Summer '24, Volleyball Tournament Previous Next