News
Far from marking the end of summer, April has brought a number of new initiatives for the Bill Hutchison Foundation.
On 17 April, the Foundation joined with the Essendon Football Club and Rumbalara Football/Netball Club to launch the Barpirdhila program, an exciting new initiative that will be piloted in Shepparton, Victoria. Barphirdhila – which means ‘dawn of a new day’ in the Yirta Yirta language – provides companies with an opportunity to make a meaningful and long-term contribution to the education and employment challenges that face many young Indigenous Australians. The program involves companies of all sizes supporting Indigenous youngsters to complete secondary schooling and go on to further education or apprenticeships, with a guaranteed job or trainee placement when they finish. You can find more on the Barpirdhila program, and details of how you can become involved, on the PROGRAMS page. At its 16 April meeting, the BHF Board voted to become the major partner of the AFL Victoria Youth Girls’ Academy. The academy gives 50 of Victoria’s most promising under-18 players, and 15 aspiring umpires, a chance to fast-track their development. It is a unique opportunity for girls and young women to continue their involvement in football, and includes skills training at Windy Hill, coach accreditation, basic umpiring training, leadership and personal development seminars and work in the community. This is an important harm prevention initiative, built on research showing that adolescents involved in sport are less likely to face serious health issues such as depression, obesity and substance abuse. It is particularly important for adolescent girls, because 60 per cent of Australian girls stop playing sport by the age of 15. See the PROGRAMS page for more. The BHF and Essendon Football Club are partnering to build on the Club’s established relationship with the Tiwi Bombers Football Club. The Foundation will support a new Tiwi Islands Partnership Program, a three-year initiative to build the capacity of the Tiwi Islanders by encouraging them to reach their full potential. Local partners will include schools and agencies on the ground, and the Tiwi Bombers will be supported to develop leadership skills and play a mentoring role in the community. The Partnership Program includes capacity development, developing a sustainable model for football development, increasing participation in physical activity, involving all sectors of the community in recreation activities and events, focusing on health and well-being promotion, and nurturing school attendance and performance. A Bombers ‘Flying Squad’ will visit the Tiwi Islands three times a year and stay in touch with the community through email, video conferencing and web casting. There’s more on this on the PROGRAMS page. In April, the BHF began its Girls Nights Out, a monthly get-together for women (and sometimes men!). Cinema nights, special themed events and other fun activities are organised and each participant makes a donation to the Foundation’s fundraising efforts. The events are open to all women – you don’t have to be a Bombers supporter or even a footy fan to come along – and further details can be obtained from Board Member Dr June Kane: junekane@bigpond.net.au. The May event will be a movie night at Village Crown, to see ‘Angels and Demons’.