There are many challenges migrant families face when arriving in Australia, however, the Miniroo’s Multicultural Settlement Program is helping connect people through football.
The program is designed to reduce the barriers faced by migrant families by introducing organised football to new migrant boys and girls aged between four and eleven years old.
Following the eight-week program, participants and their families will be encouraged to join local football clubs to further integrate them into the football community.
The Miniroo’s Settlement Program has engaged with over 500 kids aged 4-12 years old across Victoria so far and is working with new arrivals and CALD communities to connect them to the wider Australian community through football.
Wodonga Heart FC has achieved fantastic results from the program, allowing plenty of young children the opportunity to make new friends and play football.
Football Victoria (FV) connected with 54 kids in Wodonga and offered 27 pathways into the club through financial support.
“Our club Wodonga Heart is all about family, culture, welcoming and supporting others to play the world’s game,” WHFC president Anton Maas said.
“From this program, we then linked again with FV and started up a Girls United program.
“Lots of great friendships were made, and CALD communities linked into Saturday Soccer Miniroo’s Program.”
Wodonga Heart’s Girls United program helped 30 children aged between 5-15 years of age with the club aiming for 1-2 girls teams in 2023.
Mr Maas said with links made through FV, the club had a “wonderful” season.
“The kids have had an awesome time and will continue with the club and the fun! We were provided with balls, nets, bibs, wages for coaches from Multicultural Community,” he said.
“The Multicultural Miniroos program enabled us to bring kids together from several different communities to have fun, make new friends, and be coached by wonderful Multicultural Coaches.
“We have always been supportive of kids from different cultural backgrounds but now we have families from India, Bhutan, Nepal owed to the Multicultural Miniroos and now the Girls United Program.”
WHFC enjoyed their largest number of Miniroos with over 100 registered in 2022, with 27 from the Multicultural Settlement Program.
FV Program Manager Abraham Abraham said he “loved” heading out to Wodonga to witness children transitioning into club football who may not have been afforded the opportunity without the program.
“It has a big impact on the club financially as they wouldn’t incur the burden of accommodating the kids out of their pocket or fundraising,” he said.
“The kids and families got to engage with the wider Wodonga community and feel Australian.
“I also enjoyed driving to Wodonga to meet the families and the club members that volunteer countless hours to the club.
The program employees young people in these communities to run the program to create self-employment and allocates equipment resources to make the program sustainable.