The Huddle spread its wings on Tuesday, with the award-winning program introduced in Devonport.
Launched in partnership with Devonport City Council and Spirit of Tasmania, The Huddle will help inspire 1,000 young people aged 12-25 over the next eight weeks through a ‘demonstration project’, by encouraging them to embrace life-long learning.
The program will entail a range of fun and inclusive physical activities.
Spirit of Tasmania CEO Bernard Dwyer said in addition to supporting AFL football at Blundstone Arena until 2021, the company was pleased to be partnering with the North Melbourne Football Club to bring The Huddle to Tasmania.
“We have a long record of supporting worthwhile initiatives and community projects in the communities in which we operate,” he said.
“Given Devonport is our home port in Tasmania, and our head office, it is the perfect place for NMFC’s The Huddle program to start.”
The Huddle will aim to help participants learn, grow and belong in the north-west of Tasmania, an area which has some of the highest rates of youth unemployment in Australia, with up to 21 per cent of young people aged 15 to 24 years out of work.
“After two years of dialogue with the North Melbourne Football Club, we are thrilled to have secured the Huddle’s North West base in Devonport,” Mayor Steve Martin said.
“It’s a great program which will deliver huge benefits for the community on a number of levels.”
The Huddle was established in 2010 as a not-for-profit initiative of the North Melbourne Football Club, the Scanlon Foundation and the Australian Multicultural Foundation. The Huddle was created to engage, support and empower young people to build upon their strengths and to participate in the community.
North star and Patron of The Huddle, Andrew Swallow, said he was thrilled to be involved.
“I’ve seen firsthand the importance and impact of The Huddle’s programs in our community,” Swallow said.
“I’ve also seen the passion and commitment of young people to improve their lives through education and general health and wellbeing through active participation in sport and recreation. The Huddle is helping young people to learn for life.”
The Huddle has created programs that have engaged more than 50,000 young people, across some of Victoria’s fastest growing and most culturally diverse communities. The launch of The Huddle in Devonport builds upon its success in North Melbourne and Werribee in Victoria.
The Huddle supports young people through a range of initiatives with a focus on sport and recreation, education and careers, digital skills and civic participation. The demonstration project will integrate parts of this work with ‘Active Learning’ delivered in selected high schools and ‘Active Girls’ after school hours.
Active Learning helps students to increase their knowledge about a range of topics including health and wellbeing, pathways to employment, leadership, digital skills through participating in fun and accessible physical activity based activities.
Active Girls aims to overcome barriers to female participation and empower women in a safe, inclusive and welcoming environment. Girls and women aged 12-25 years and their families will participate in weekly afterschool physical activity based programs designed to increase self-confidence, improve social networks and strengthen resilience and belief in themselves.
Get Active. Have fun. Sign up today.
For more information about The Huddle and programs in Devonport, visit http://nmfc.com.au/huddle
Photos: NMFC & Healthy Tasmania (Facebook | Twitter | Instagram)
