The Melbourne Cricket Club (MCC) Foundation and Western Bulldogs Community Foundation are joining forces to help provide greater opportunities for multicultural and migrant communities to connect through sport, as well as experience all the iconic MCG has to offer.
The MCC Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the Club that manages the MCG, has been announced as Presenting Partner of the Western Bulldogs Community Foundation’s CALDplay program; a free program which each year provides more than one thousand culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) adults and children newly arrived to Australia with the opportunity to engage in sport as a means to improving their English, developing skills, and increasing social participation.
Working alongside English Language Schools in the Western suburbs, the CALDplay program aims to break down the economic, cultural and language barriers facing many newly arrived residents.
Through the partnership with the MCC Foundation, the participants will now have the opportunity to attend the ‘People’s Ground’ – taking students out of the classroom and to the ‘G, to further encourage physical activity, build greater social skills and deepen community connections through the power of sport.
The partnership will be launched with an ‘explore the MCG day’ on Wednesday March 29, with 200 migrant and refugee adult participants visiting the Australian Sports Museum and learning more about the stadium on an MCG Tour.
General Manager of Community and Government Relations at Western Bulldogs, Kashif Bouns lauded the partnership as an exciting opportunity for the community.
“We are extremely proud to be partnering with the MCC Foundation with a shared commitment to creating greater opportunities through the uniting nature of sport with the unique opportunity to do so at such an iconic place such as the MCG – the home of sport in Australia,” Kashif said.
“The partnership will allow us to continue to provide this program to hundreds of newly arrived adults and children for free, giving them the chance to not only learn sport but become more deeply involved in their community.”
MCC Foundation Chair Sally Macindoe said they were pleased to be supporting the WB Community Foundation’s CALDplay program.
“Aa sporting club at our heart, the MCC Foundation believes in the significant positive impact that sport can have on individuals and the wider community,” Sally said.
“The partnership with the Western Bulldogs Community Foundation is very exciting and fundamentally aligns with the MCC Foundation’s commitment to make sport more accessible for all people, regardless of cultural, economic or geographic barriers.
“The CALDplay program not only highlights the sense of belonging and inclusion that sport can foster, but is also a vital recognition of the Western suburbs’ vibrant, multicultural communities.
“The MCG is Melbourne’s great connector and a beacon of unity globally, so our hope is that the CALDPlay participants always feel welcomed and a part of this special place.
“Together with the Western Bulldogs Community Foundation, the MCC Foundation is thrilled to play a part in helping these students build skills, forge connections and pursue their full potential through the fun of the sporting field.”
The Western Bulldogs Community Foundation is the Football Club’s not-for-profit, community arm. The Foundation delivers demonstrated impact in the areas of health and wellbeing, youth leadership, cultural diversity, social inclusion and community advocacy, through targeted community programs and events across the west of Melbourne and Victoria.
The MCC Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the Melbourne Cricket Club, the manager of the MCG, and whose aim is to preserve Australia’s sporting history and enhance access to sport for all Australians.
