< Back The Huddle's biggest volleyball tournament 180 young people, 21 one teams, a smashing day. Previous Next

Two first-time participants share their Huddle Holidays experience < Back The Best Holidays Ever Previous Next

Students enjoyed skills, photos, and autographs during a fun North Melbourne visit < Back North Melbourne Stars Inspire Students at Ascot Vale West Tam Shama 7 Apr 2026 Students enjoyed skills, photos, and autographs during a fun North Melbourne visit Students at Ascot Vale West Primary School were treated to an unforgettable after-school experience when North Melbourne players Wil Dawson, Brayden George, Josh Goater, Cooper Harvey, and Libby Birch visited to run a skills clinic. After receiving their Roo Squad packs, students rotated through a series of drills focusing on kicking, handballing, hand-eye coordination and football skills. The excitement didn't stop there. Students also had the chance to get their new footballs signed and take photos with the players and Ruby the mascot, making it a truly memorable afternoon. Previous Next

As The Huddle’s impact in the Wyndham area continues to grow, our volunteers and their connections to the community are vital in helping young people learn, grow and belong < Back Volunteer Get to Know: Eli Riley Goodwin 18 May 2022 As The Huddle’s impact in the Wyndham area continues to grow, our volunteers and their connections to the community are vital in helping young people learn, grow and belong As The Huddle’s impact in the Wyndham area continues to grow, our volunteers and their connections to the community are vital in helping young people learn, grow and belong. One such volunteer is Eli. Since joining The Huddle in December 2021, Eli has been instrumental in building our Huddle Up volleyball program on Friday nights at Eagle Stadium in Werribee. We sat down with Eli to learn more about how he came to be a volunteer at The Huddle and his journey with volunteering so far. How did you first learn about the Huddle? I’ve always been really passionate about sport (particularly volleyball) and I was actually running my own volleyball session out in the local park because I wanted to increase engagement with the community and give people a place to go. Some of the youths who were coming down each week said they heard about The Huddle running a volleyball activity at Eagle Stadium, so I went down one night and spoke to Steph (Head of Sport & Recreation at The Huddle) and asked if they were looking for volunteers. She said yes and I applied on The Huddle website that night! It worked out perfectly to be honest. As much as I enjoyed going down to the park, it is nice to not have to lug around my own equipment and playing inside means we can keep going regardless of the weather. How long have been involved in Volleyball for? I played growing up back home in New Zealand. I was lucky enough to go to a volleyball school which meant I got to play pretty much every day! I continued playing during my time in the Defence Force and Army as well, so it’s been a big part of my life that’s for sure. I’ve been getting more into coaching these past few years as I’m getting a bit old. Although I still play on a Wednesday night in Altona, so I haven’t completely stopped yet. What’s your favourite part about coaching? Seeing improvements from people each and every week. It’s really rewarding watching people gain more and more confidence and doing things they didn’t think they were capable of. It’s great building that sense of community and supportive environments as well. What would you say to anyone who’s interested in volunteering but hasn’t done it before and doesn’t know where to start? I think an important thing is to find something you’re passionate about and volunteer in that space. I have always loved sport, so a lot of my volunteering has centred around that. But I think there’s always opportunities to help people with everything really, whether it’s education, helping people write resumes and apply for jobs, etc. You can help people in so many different ways. Most importantly, give it a go! You have nothing to lose. The feeling you get from helping people is unmatched and I wish everyone could experience it. You can also make a really positive impact on an individual or a group of people’s lives. Previous Next

No one can deny that in the past two years, every member of the community faced challenges like never before < Back Volunteer profile - Tess Beagley Riley Goodwin 14 Jan 2022 No one can deny that in the past two years, every member of the community faced challenges like never before No one can deny that in the past two years, every member of the community faced challenges like never before. However, it takes a special kind of person to see the extra strain put on others and put their hand up to help. Tess Beagley is one such person. “It is just who I am, to always be doing something with the community,” said Tess. “When you’ve got skills to give to people who need the extra support then you can’t stand by, it’s just one of those things.” One of The Huddle’s 2021 volunteer recruits, Tess reached out to The Huddle after hearing about our after-school study program, Study Squad. “Towards the end of 2020 I was looking at tutoring and was put in touch with The Huddle to get involved with their Study Squad program. “I really felt for all the students last year but at the time there were so many volunteers for Study Squad that I actually ended up helping run Huddle Up programs for juniors. “After the year we’ve all had, I think the kids had eared a bit of a break so I was happy to help out in any way I could.” Moving into 2021, Tess was keen to still lend a hand and quickly found a spot volunteering with our school holiday program. “I’m starting a new job this month but earlier I had a bit of time up my sleeve, so I headed along to the Anglesea Surf Day and it was so much fun. “The kids loved it and I was so impressed with how quickly they took to the water.” Not only supporting young people begin 2021 with a smile, but Tess also soon discovered that through volunteering, she had built lasting connections with community members. “It was a really fun way to re-engage with the community and support people who have had a really hard year. I could follow up with parents and kids on how they have been over summer, so it was nice to have that connection. “Parents know how difficult life can be sometimes and then to give up your time, they really appreciate it. I got a lot of thank-you from the parents I saw which was really nice.” In supporting others, Tess found that she was able to bring back some happiness that was missing in recent times. Young people kicked off their year with cries of excitement as they saw the water for the first time, showcasing the resilience of young people in bouncing back from times of crisis. Volunteers are a core part of The Huddle and it is when we see young people supporting other young people to learn, grow and belong that we see the true strength in our community. Previous Next

Join The Huddle and North Melbourne at Arden Street Oval on October 4 for a free community AFLW match day. < Back Welcome to AFLW Returns to Arden Street Xavier Smith 8 Sept 2026 Join The Huddle and North Melbourne at Arden Street Oval on October 4 for a free community AFLW match day. The Huddle and North Melbourne Football Club are excited to welcome the community back to Arden Street Oval for our upcoming Welcome to AFLW event. Join us on Sunday, October 4 as our reigning back-to-back AFLW Premiers, North Melbourne, take on the Sydney Swans at our home ground. This free community event is a fantastic opportunity to experience the excitement of AFLW, connect with other participants and cheer on the Kangaroos. All registered attendees will receive a complimentary ticket to the match and become part of the Kangaroos family, with free access to future North Melbourne AFL and AFLW home games through a club membership. There will be plenty to enjoy throughout the day, including: Watching the reigning AFLW premiers in action The opportunity to have a kick on Arden Street Oval at half-time Giveaways Match-day activations Event Details Date: Sunday, October 4 Gates Open: 12:10pm Location: Arden Street Oval, 204–206 Arden Street, North Melbourne Places are free, but registrations are essential. CLICK HERE to register. We look forward to seeing you at Arden Street for an unforgettable day of AFLW action. Previous Next

Game Changers: Linking Participants with Professionals < Back Diving into the deep end of the networking pool Maddy Ware and John King 22 Mar 2023 Game Changers: Linking Participants with Professionals Networking continues to be a core part of the employment experience. Young people from Multicultural backgrounds who have been successful in gaining sustainable employment note the importance of strong professional and peer networks ( Meet Me in the Middle Report , Victorian Multicultural Commission p. 21, 2020). However, gaining access to strong professional networks can be difficult for young people from diverse backgrounds. The objective of The Huddle’s Game Changers program is to bridge the gap between young people and employers. Through partnerships and collaboration with other like-minded organisations, young people who engage with The Huddle can network with operations and groups that want to see them develop and thrive in their career journey. Arsema is a 17-year-old female from Tarneit. Arsema and was referred by partnering organisation, Ubuntu Project, to Game Changers, and has since taken part in The Huddle’s Study Squad and True North programs. Arsema attended Game Changers workshops during the September school holidays in 2022. The workshops were comprised of employability skill development, community project ideation and professional networking opportunities. In a recent interview with The Huddle, Arsema advised that a highlight of Game Changers was learning about different industries and the skills required to be a successful candidate and employee. On the first day of workshops, a representative from the YMCA was present and discussed the professional and community benefits of becoming a swim teacher. The discussion between the YMCA representative and the participants was informal but effective. The comfortable nature in which Game Changers presented industry professionals gave Arsema the confidence to approach the YMCA representative and inquire further about becominga swim teacher. Not long after the connection was made, Arsema took the steps needed to become a qualified swim teacher and has begun working for the YMCA at Carlton Baths. By prioritising networking as a core component of the program, Game Changers provides young people from multicultural backgrounds the opportunity to safely network with industry professionals in a way that is not intimidating or overbearing. In the employment landscape, the old saying of, ‘it is not what you know but who you know’ still rings true. By providing avenues for young people to link into and build their own professional networks, Game Changers is supporting participants to become more confident and, importantly, independent, when moving through and, eventually out of the program. Arsema has now been working as a swim teacher for several months and advised that her new role has “…allowed me to become more financially independent…” Through a combination of formal presentations and informal networking components, Game Changers will provide participants with a chance to connect with industry leaders and professionals. This affords young people with opportunities to not only grow their knowledge and networks, but also build their own confidence, as they meet new people who can provide advice and support along their career journey. Arsema plans to continue helping people in the future and advised that “…After high school, I’m hoping to continue swim teaching at Carlton Baths throughout university, and slowly make my way into either social work or healthcare.” Are you interested in taking part in Game Changers this school holidays? Please click here to sign up. Previous Next

< Back The Huddle thanks Local Legends The Huddle is beginning a new series to shout out the Local Legends in our community Riley Goodwin Previous Next

< Back Learning, Playing, Thriving at Huddle Holidays Spring 2025 Over 330 young people came together to learn new skills, build friendships, and grow together. Patrick McPhee Previous Next

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

< Back Game Changers to Community Leader How Anita Transformed Her Passion for Sport and Community into Empowering Local Youth Emily Maiorana Previous Next

< Back Celebrate National Science Week Download free sports themed STEM lessons to celebrate National Science Week Previous Next