In celebration of Cultural Diversity Week, The Western Bulldogs Community Foundation launched their 10th Annual CALDplay Football Gala on Thursday 23 March 2017.
The Gala involved a series of Australian Rules football games and activities, joining together CALDplay participants from multiple AMEP service providers (Adult Migrant English Program) and Community Centres across the west.
Students from Werribee AMES (Adult Multicultural Education Services), St Albans AMES, Footscray AMES, Wyndham Community Education Centre, Victoria Polytechnic Werribee and Victoria Polytechnic Sunshine were all involved in the Gala.
Through encouraging interaction between participants from neighbouring communities, the Western Bulldogs Community Foundation aims to ease the transition into Australian culture, for newly arrived migrants.
Utilising sport as a vehicle for cohesion, the CALDplay Gala is held to further encourage newly arrived migrants to interact with each other, while allowing their English language skills and understanding of Australian sports culture to flourish.
Western Bulldogs Community Foundation Empowerment Manager, Michelle Hage said the Foundation was extremely proud of the success of the annual Gala.
“We are incredibly proud of our CALDplay participants and their ability to adapt to a new sport and culture so quickly.
“”None of the students had ever picked up a football before their introduction to the CALDplay program and already their understanding of the game has grown incredibly.
“It’s amazing to see how these people can create such strong relationships with each other and learn such an impressive amount of new skills and phrases, simply through sharing a new found common interest”.
With over 150 participants in attendance, the Western Bulldogs Community Foundation’s 10th Annual CALDplay Gala was an incredible success.
For more information on the Western Bulldogs Community Foundation CALDplay Program, please visit westernbulldogs.com.au
