The Upper Murray Football Netball League had an exciting surprise during a recent Woolworths NetSetGo session, receiving a $15,000 ‘Surprise and Delight’ grant from Woolworths, which was presented by Melbourne Vixens training partner Mia Lavis.
The league is made up of four small communities including Bullioh, Corryong, Cudgewa and Tumbarumba, three of which were heavily affected by the 2020 bushfires - since the tragedy, the league has played a key role in the communities’ rebuild.
Player retention had been an ongoing issue for sports across the Upper Murray region but recently appointed operations manager Melissa Whitehead has made great inroads, with 250 junior and senior players along with 50 Woolworths NetSetGo players taking the court.
Many players in Upper Murray would need to travel over 100km to access other netball programs without Woolworths NetSetGo; access to the program has proven vital to supporting young netballers into junior competitions.
As a strong supporter of grassroots netball, Woolworths delivers an annual grant program designed to assist local netball clubs and associations across Australia.
This year, Woolworths recognised the need for further support in regional and remote communities and introduced ‘Surprise and Delight’ grants to support netball communities most in need.
Netball Victoria’s north east region manager Stacey Carkeek shared how the grant will impact the Upper Murray community.
“Grants like this are about more than participation numbers. They recognise the vital role netball plays in bringing communities together, particularly in regional areas where sport is often the heartbeat of the town,” she said.
“This investment will help ensure local players have the access to not only play, but also to bring development opportunities closer to home.”
Find out more about the Woolworths NetSetGo program and find your local Woolworths NetSetGo Centre now
