< 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

School holiday program that promotes a happy and healthy lifestyle and provides young people with a range of experiences each term. School holiday program that promotes a happy and healthy lifestyle and provides young people with a range of experiences each term. DSC04711.jpg DSC04851.JPG DSC04700.jpg DSC04711.jpg 1/5 Each term we offer Junior and Senior Huddle Holidays programs: Junior (8 - 12 years) This school holiday program promotes happy and healthy lifestyles to local children, of all cultural backgrounds. It includes a range of excursions and activities that rotate each school holidays, such as trips to the beach, sport clinics, and art activities. To be eligible, your child must live, go to school, pray or play in the City of Melbourne, Moonee Valley or the City of Wyndham. We are unable to accept children aged 7 and under. Senior (13 - 18 years) This school holiday program provides local young people from the City of Melbourne, Moonee Valley and City of Wyndham with opportunities to develop skills in leadership, education, careers and caring for their community. The program includes a range of activities that change each term, such as sports tournaments, career-ready courses like first aid and barista training, and arts activities. More Information Registrations for Huddle Holidays Summer 2026 will open soon. If you would like further information or to join our email list to be notified when we launch, please email huddle@nmfc.com.au . FIND OUT MORE My kids love this trip to the beach. We only go to local beaches... This is my children’s favourite Huddle Holiday activity. Parent, Surf Trip Previous Next

Over 330 young people came together to learn new skills, build friendships, and grow together. < Back Learning, Playing, Thriving at Huddle Holidays Spring 2025 Patrick McPhee 24 Oct 2025 Over 330 young people came together to learn new skills, build friendships, and grow together. Huddle Holidays Spring 2025 has officially wrapped up after an incredible couple of weeks that saw over 330 attendances across seven activities in both our Junior and Senior programs! Huddle Holidays provides children and young people with opportunities to try new experiences, build confidence, and develop skills across areas such as social inclusion, health and wellbeing, leadership, education, and careers. Junior Program (8–12 years old) Our juniors made lasting memories this spring through a range of engaging and fun activities. They explored the underwater world at Melbourne Sea Life, connected to land, sky, water, and community through our First Nations Art Workshop and NMCC Mural activity, tested their athletic abilities at the Wyndham Multi-Sport Clinic, and discovered something new with Welcome to Netball. Many participants shared that their favourite part of the holidays was experiencing “different activities,” highlighting the program’s value in providing opportunities that might not otherwise be available to them. Melbourne Sea Life The Junior program launched with a hugely popular trip to Melbourne Sea Life, which booked out within hours! Participants created new memories while learning about marine life and ways to contribute to ocean sustainability. For many, it was their first-ever aquarium visit — their excitement was clear throughout the self-guided tour. A parent from Wyndham shared their appreciation for the program’s inclusiveness: “The inclusiveness. Coming to pick up kids in outer suburbs so we can attend.” Belonging is a core value of Huddle Holidays, and ensuring families feel supported and included is a key part of what makes the program special. First Nations Art Workshop & NMCC Mural Next up, participants got creative and connected with community through the First Nations Art Workshop and NMCC Mural. The session was led by Emma Bamblett, a proud Wemba Wemba woman with connections to the Ngadjonji, Gunditjmara, and Taungurung peoples. Emma shared the Dreamtime story of Bunjil the Eagle and invited participants to reimagine and interpret it on canvas, exploring key themes such as connection to Country (land, sky, and water) and community. Alongside this, participants helped begin painting a mural at the North Melbourne Community Centre, using paint and supplies generously provided by Dulux. Allysha Morris from the Centre guided the group in designing their own individual bricks to represent their personal connection to community. Participants later shared that their favourite parts were “connecting to the community” and “learning about Aboriginal art.” Wyndham Multi-Sport Clinic Our next stop was the Wyndham Multi-Sport Clinic at Mainview Boulevard Reserve, Truganina. This event welcomed many new young people to Huddle Holidays for the first time! Despite strong winds, participants had a fantastic time learning Aussie Rules Football and Soccer. One participant shared: “I learnt a new sport and made friends.” This activity supported Huddle Holidays’ goal of enhancing health and wellbeing by encouraging physical activity and social connection. The clinic also marked the launch of Huddle Up! Junior Truganina — a free weekly multi-sport program for primary school students held at the same location. For more information and to register, click here HERE. Welcome to Netball Our Junior program wrapped up with Welcome to Netball, facilitated by our friends at Netball Victoria. Four community coaches led participants — many trying the sport for the first time — through foundational skills, reaction challenges, and teamwork exercises. It was wonderful to see participants’ confidence grow as they became more comfortable with the game and their teammates. Senior Program (13–18 years old) The Senior program kicked off with a free First Aid and CPR course delivered by Hero HQ, a company that specialises in teaching young people vital lifesaving skills. Participants gained valuable, accredited qualifications that enhance both their community contribution and career prospects. Offering free, job-relevant training is one of the many ways The Huddle supports young people’s career development. Huddle Volleyball Tournament Next came the return of the much-loved Huddle Volleyball Tournament, one of our most requested activities! This year, 16 teams competed in a day-long event showcasing our young people’s athleticism, teamwork, and sportsmanship. A regular participant shared: “I loved how many people showed up to the tournament and how much volleyball has grown over the past few years. I find Huddle a great place to play — and it costs nothing, giving everyone a chance to join in.” Providing free, inclusive sporting opportunities is made possible thanks to the generous support of our partners, particularly the Victorian Department of Education and Community Bank Seddon. Laser Tag & Arcade Session The final Senior activity was a Laser Tag and Arcade session in the Docklands. This event helped young people transitioning from the Junior to Senior program build new friendships while having fun in a team-based environment. Participants collaborated to win Laser Tag rounds and supported one another to reach for high scores in the arcade. A huge thank you to all our participants, families, activity providers, volunteers, and partners — we couldn’t have done it without you! Huddle Holidays will return in January 2026 with a brand-new lineup of exciting activities for both Junior and Senior age groups. For more information or to join our mailing list for registration updates, please contact huddle@nmfc.com.au . Previous Next

How The Huddle’s free tutoring program in Werribee is flourishing in 2022 < Back Strength to strength Josh Raymer 11 Nov 2022 How The Huddle’s free tutoring program in Werribee is flourishing in 2022 Study Squad Wyndham has seen strong growth as we return to an uninterrupted year of tutoring and study support. Attendance has grown steadily each term due to strong relationships with community groups such as the Oromo Women’s Networking Group, and an initiative with St Andrews Primary School in which The Huddle allowed Year 6’s to attend from Term 3. This led to a strong uptake in the program, which has generally only been available to Year 7’s and up. Post COVID, a challenge for Study Squad was building attendance after interruptions for most of 2020 & 2021. The transition from the online component of Study Squad and schooling to face-to-face delivery in 2022 proved to be a challenge for program organisers and volunteers alike. In 2022, we set out to reinvigorate relationships with schools in Wyndham, meet with community groups to provide more information on the program, and leverage The Huddle’s expertise in assisting families and young people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds. The Huddle met with Rahima Ahmed from Oromo Women’s Networking Group to establish ways we could work together to support young people from the group with their study. Through this relationship, young people from Oromo backgrounds began to attend the program in a face-to-face capacity. The Huddle also worked with families from Somali backgrounds, including mothers involved in Iskufilan and Women’s Workout. Families and young people from these communities were encouraged to attend the program and Huddle staff assisted with the registration process. Further steps were also taken to make the space more inclusive for young people of Muslim faith, such as the addition of a prayer space for students and parents. The Huddle’s long standing and strong relationship with St. Andrews PS saw Year 6’s able to attend the program throughout Term 3 & Term 4. The Huddle has long delivered True North & Voice Your Voice programs at St. Andrews PS, and at the conclusion of these activities, The Huddle opened the program to students so that they can prepare for secondary schooling and to assist with the transition from Year 6 to Year 7, establishing excellent study habits in advance. With a large amount of support from St. Andrews PS teaching staff, the initiative has proven to be extremely successful. St. Andrews students have also started attending other Huddle programs such as Huddle Holidays, further highlighting the strong relationship between The Huddle and St. Andrews PS community. The Huddle’s relationships with schools in Wyndham allowed promotion of the Study Squad program through other programs, such as Huddle Holidays, Huddle Up!, True North, Voice Your Voice, Game Changers and more. With an increase in visibility of the program in the Wyndham community, there was also an increased demand for Study Support as young people returned to face-to-face learning. The past few years have been extremely difficult for many students, as they tried to navigate COVID interruptions and a lack of connection with others during this time. Parents and young people attend Study Squad to connect with Huddle staff, volunteer tutors and fellow students, all while receiving study support. Throughout 2022, we have seen several success stories and study achievements, including the story of Dasy Osman, who is a Study Squad participant currently undertaking Year 11 VCE study. Dasy first started attending Study Squad online during the peak of the COVID lockdowns in 2021, and consistently attended the program while we were unable to run face to face. Young people were often fatigued with online learning, but Dasy made the effort to attend the program on a regular basis regardless. Dasy displayed great resilience during this time, engaged with our tutors and continued to study well. Dasy was finally able to attend Study Squad face-to-face at the start of Term 1, 2022. Throughout 2022, Dasy hardly missed a session and even attended Study Squad when she had ‘pupil-free’ days. Importantly, Dasy lives in Tarneit and travels around 20-30 minutes to attend the program. Dasy has two younger sisters that also attend Study Squad, and she sets a great example for them in the way that she engages with her education. Dasy has been a role model for not only her sisters, but also other students at Study Squad, particularly the young women in attendance. Dasy demonstrates great discipline and leadership amongst the cohort, and this resulted in her being nominated for the ‘Most Outstanding Secondary Student’ award at the MY Education Awards Ceremony. Dasy was crowned ‘Most Outstanding Secondary Student – Runner Up’ due to her fantastic work at Study Squad. We’ve also seen former participants become casual program support officers, now delivering the program that they once attended as a participant. Betty Tegegne & Ekram Hassan-Ali have been supporting the delivery of the program throughout Term 4. It’s been incredible to watch the program grow throughout the year, with young people attending from so many different schools and backgrounds. I’ve been so impressed by students’ commitment to learning and study. - Josh Raymer, Education Coordinator at The Huddle As Study Squad – Wyndham continues to go from strength to strength, there is an increased demand for tutors. Without volunteer tutors, the program simply could not run. As we look ahead to 2023, we plan to have more volunteer tutors to support students as the program grows. Previous Next

An immersive AFL-themed Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics excursion with cutting-edge technology. An immersive AFL-themed Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics excursion with cutting-edge technology. Screenshot 2023-11-01 at 2.40.46 pm.jpg DSC08075.jpg NMFC Dec 2022_009.jpg Screenshot 2023-11-01 at 2.40.46 pm.jpg 1/6 Taking place in our brand new, state-of-the-art facility, students can expect a fun and memorable day where they are required to think critically and work collaboratively to achieve Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics challenges, such as building a pendulum to kick a ball through the goals. Students will explore concepts such as artificial and emotional intelligence, grit, and mindset as well as identify their own characteristics that will support students to 'win’ throughout life. What does it cost schools to participate in Game Day? Game Day is FREE for schools. What year levels is Game Day suitable for? Game Day is aimed at students in grades 5 and 6. Where is Game Day? Game Day is located in The Huddle, which is based at the North Melbourne Football Club. 204-206 Arden St, North Melbourne VIC 3051. Is Game Day aligned to the Victorian Curriculum? Yes, Game Day is aligned to content descriptors within Mathematics, Science, and Design and Technologies Learning Areas, along with the Critical and Creative Thinking and Personal and Social Capability Curriculum. FIND OUT MORE I liked that we got to work as a team to build the Shinboners skills and stats. It was fun to learn about North Melbourne and I got to build lots of different things using the technology and materials. Student, Ascot Vale West Primary School Previous Next

A multi-sport program to learn fundamental skills and access to try a variety of sports. A multi-sport program to learn fundamental skills and access to try a variety of sports. 20250909_HUJ_Docklands_Baseball-49.jpg 20251112_HUJ_Trug-35.jpg 20251028_HUJ_Melbourne Victory-18.jpg 20250909_HUJ_Docklands_Baseball-49.jpg 1/4 Huddle Up! Junior encompasses Sport and Recreation programs for juniors from 5-12 years. Huddle Up! Junior offers young people the opportunity to get involved and get active through social games of basketball, touch rugby, soccer, and hockey as well as health and fitness classes delivered in a safe and inclusive environment. Huddle Up! Junior is facilitated during the school term only. Delivered across various locations throughout North Melbourne and Wyndham, there is a sport and recreation program for everyone. Get involved and get active today! REGISTER I enjoy having somewhere free to go after school to have fun and play sports with my mates Amar, Huddle Up! Junior participant Previous Next

< Back 2023 Autumn Huddle Holidays Rock Climbing, Reptile Encounter, Multisport Superclinic, Barista Course Previous Next

< Back Cambridge Primary School Finds Its True North Students participated in a four week program designed to strengthen collaboration and foster empathy within their peer groups. Tam Shama Previous Next

< Back Study Melbourne & The Huddle to Introduce AFL to International Students The Huddle secures funding for Cultural Heritage Series Maddy Tatikonda Previous Next

< Back GOAL! Kangaroos Kicks Off at Werribee Primary School Bringing footy and STEM together for an action-packed learning experience Jasper Menor Previous Next

< Back Creative Fun at Huddle Holidays A day of creative fun! Kicking off Huddle Holidays with Arts & Crafts. Jasper Menor Previous Next

< Back Making the most of the Autumn holidays Discover how over 300 young people made the most of their autumn. Xavier Smith Previous Next