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Rumbalara Football Netball Club

Investing in Futures

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We recognise that over time there has been a substantial investment by government, philanthropy, the corporate sector and the community in the Goulburn Murray region. The return on this investment is not only the difference that has been made to individual lives but also in the measurable outcomes for us as a community. This commitment to a vision for Aboriginal futures in the Shepparton area has been a worthwhile investment as what we are seeing in Goulburn Valley runs counter to some of the negative trends found elsewhere in the country.

We are seeing positive and upward trends along with a good news story to tell about education, and health, and about employment. This report shows where and how this has happened.

A key relationship for the community in Shepparton is the Rumbalara Football Netball Club (RFNC) which has provided a vibrant hub for much of this social change in a very practical and positive way. It is about education, involvement in the club, motivation for the young to stay in school, providing a pathway to employment, and their economic independence, and demonstrating that they have choices around employment and their lives.

It was difficult for our people to obtain jobs through the local employment agencies so RFNC decided to do it themselves and created Rumba Ripples which was designed to help Rumbalara’s players, and is now open to the community, enter the workforce.

Over the past 15 years the RFNC has been building trust in our community and the broader community and it’s that trust that is starting to show in the opportunities for the private sector jobs in and around Shepparton. So the showcasing of Aboriginal leadership and the values of RFNC are having good outcomes.

There has also been employment opportunity through the building of relationships and corporate organisations like Wesfarmers who have a large presence in the Goulburn Valley.

Community Connection

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Through these relationships there is now an understanding from the employer as well as from the perspective of employees, of what it takes to employ and retain Aboriginal people, and recognise the value of this.

Culture, aspirations and social engagement have been RFNC’s platform and from that position we have been able to address the issues of school retention, around parents not just about kids, and school and the belief that you can get a job in the private sector if that is what you want.

If the young are involved in school, sport and community activities they are more likely to have a happier disposition and less likely to be involved in violence, substance abuse and other socially unacceptable behaviours.

The journey, and any successful outcomes, is not about the Club by itself. This is about community connection with not just Aboriginal organisations but the broader community of Shepparton and elsewhere.

Paul Briggs OAMPresident Rumbalara Football Netball Club

RFNC StoriesRumbalara Football and Netball Club has been great for me. I met my husband there! Just being around the club and having kids now who are 8, 6 and 3 it’s so important that they are connected positively in a social and cultural way while being able to play sport. The role models are so strong. They see people who have positive relationships, who go to school, have jobs and lead healthy lifestyles and who have hope. I can’t imagine having my family at any other club.

I’ve been at the club for 11 seasons now. Playing senior netball and being around other Indigenous women is supportive and inspiring. I came from playing A grade at mainstream clubs where I was sometimes the subject of racist and discriminatory

A lot of the young girls at the club have been offered opportunites around leadership, education and getting jobs. The Rumba Wesfarmers relationship has been positive with our young people having the chance to get jobs at Kmart. What’s great to see is their confidence and their belief that they have choices and can achieve whaat they want to if they put the work in. Sport teaches you this.

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behaviour which wasn’t really understood by others of the team. When it happens now that I am at Rumba there is a level of validation from team mates as it’s a shared experience. And it’s how we deal with it makes a difference - we can draw on family and culture, believe in ourselves and each other and find a constructive way of responding.

For my kids I’d love them to go through the club all the way to seniors with their cousins and friends as a group and to experience all that the club has to offer socially, culturally, educationally and sporting wise.

I want them to say with pride “I play with Rumba” and for the broader community to be impressed.Karyn Ferguson

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Sarai Atkinson is a young Yorta Yorta woman who has grown up in Shepparton since she was two years old and has played for the RFNC from six years old.

The club is, for me, like...every time I drive through the gates and see the football/netball club, it’s like home....I feel like I own the club. We’ve been here before this room was built and when it was just a paddock.

The most unique thing about the RFNC is it’s run by Aboriginal people and now we have non-Aboriginal people playing. We have people from everywhere that play with the club and the most unique thing is that it’s a place where they get together.

Sarai believes that the club is definitely the heart of the community, whether it’s playing football or netball or not. It’s still a place that....sometimes people just need to be around community and family. People come to the club just to get a hit of family. It is definitely the heart of Shepparton. Even the wider community is starting to view RFNC as the heart of Shepparton.

She stated that even the programs that RFNC have- Munarra Youth Futures Program, Rumba Ripples, healthy lifestyles and ASHE- are for the wider community. Some people don’t play football and netball but they’re still part of the club through these programs.

ASHE, or Academy of Sport, Health and Education, is a partnership between RFNC and the University of Melbourne, established to re-engage young people in formal education by offering Certificate level courses in fitness, sport, health and personal development. A pivotal member of the football team, Brad originally attended only because it was a football club initiative and he was encouraged to go by club President Paul Briggs.

He remained studying at ASHE because he developed a strong interest in the courses on offer and saw the value of gaining qualifications, something that he had previously not considered important. Brad achieved Certificate Level III in Fitness and Certificate Level IV in Community Development.

He worked at the club on Healthy Lifestyles and Hungry for Victory projects and is now employed as a Research Assistant at Melbourne University in the Onemda VicHealth Koorie Health Unit.

Brad Firebrace attributes his decision to re-enter education directly to the club.

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Some long term outcomes have been recorded Employment

There was a 17 per cent increase in the number of Indigenous persons between the 2006 and 2011 ABS censuses.

Household Income

There was a 21 per cent increase in Indigenous weekly median household income between the 2006 and 2011 ABS census.

The difference between household incomes reduced from 31 percent to 24 per cent during this period.

Crime

Our region has one of the lowest rates of Indigenous offenders per unit of Koori population in Australia.

The region has 0.2 to 0.3 alleged Indigenous offenders per person which, for example, compares to a rate 10 times higher in Melbourne of 2.25. The region has been recognised for its excellent work in crime prevention with the 2013 Australian Crim and Violence Prevention Award being won by the partnership of Rumbalara Football Netball Club, Shepparton Police and the Rumbalara Aboriginal Cooperative for their work.

Health

There have been no Indigenous youth suicides in the last five years in Goulburn Murray region or any in the last 18 years within the Rumbalara Football Netball Club.

VicHealth has recognised the Rumbalara Football Netball Club’s role in nurturing and mentoring the health of young people with their VicHealth Award 2009 and nomination in 2013.

How we make it happen

Rumbalara Football and Netball Club

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HealthyLifestyles Program

Sport(Football

andNetball)

Youth SuicidePrevention

My Moola ASHE MunarraYouth Futures

RumbaRipples

Decreased gapin employment outcomes

between indigenousand Non-Indigenous within

a decade.

Increased lifeexpectancy

Decreasedinfant mortality

rate

Increasedaccess to early

childhood education

Decreased gap inreading, writing and

numeracy achievementsin a decade

Decreased gapin Indigenous Year 12achievement by 2020

“It’s more than a sports club”

COAG‘Closing the gap’

targets

What we have done and what we have achieved

Organisational culture and infrastructure that supports RFNC vision

“Building inspiration for generations”

Health Education Employment

• Healthy Lifestyles Program• Suicide Prevention• Team sports that builds pro-social behaviours

• Better attendance at schools• ASHE• Discipline and time

management• Other Education Activities

• Rumba Ripples• Employment Broker• KEEP

Social Connection• Football/Netball• Other activities in club rooms• Bus services from Cummeragunja/Echuca to training and matches.• Building community engagement with

all cultures in regional Victoria through sport.

• Team relationships between RFNC players and other clubs.

Leadership• Elders• Role models• Mentors/Coaches• Family based role models• Responsibility and ownership

Cultural Identity• Nanyuk Wall• History• Club colours• Family participation

Partnerships• Community• Government• Corporate

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RFNC has the infrastructure for addressing fundamental social issues through the spirit of sport

RNFC is an accessible, safe and supportive environment for community members to participate in sporting and other activities. A place where:

• Leaders demonstrate on and off field behaviours and provide support to members and their family’s ‘on-the-side’.

• Community, government and corporate partners work with RFNC to deliver outcomes.

• Cultural Identity is taught and reinforced through story telling, teaching Yorta Yorta language in RFNC and ASHE.

Outcomes• Australian Crime and Violence Prevention Award 2013.

One of the lowest rates of alleged offenders per person (0.2-0.3) in a region which has above average community offending rates (Melbourne score 2.25)

• No Indigenous youth suicides in the last five years in Goulburn Murray region or any in the last 18 years within the RFNC network.

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What we’ve done through RFNC’sHealthy Lifestyles Program to tackle interrelated health issues through a holistic approachHealthy Lifestyle Programs

• Promotion of social and emotional wellbeing for the local Indigenous community

• Training programs for players

• Other Physical Activity: Healthy Lifestyles, Elder’s Stregnth Training and Makin’ A Move programs

• Nutrition and food secrurity, addressed though programs like Fruit Share, Binji Business, Hungry for Victory and other healthy lifestyles programs

• Alcohol - the Club has responsible serving of alcohol policies in place, and a ban on b.y.o alcohol at home ground matches

• Up skilling of staff/capability exchange

• Programs run through RFNC Infrastructure

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RFNC helped increase youth engagement in education in SheppartonMore Aboriginal youth (12-17 years old) attending secondary school following implementation of the Munarra Youth Futures program.(ABS Census Data - 2006, 2011)

More Aboriginal young people (15-24 years old) engaged with education inistitutions in Shepparton, showing an increase to above the State average for rural Aboriginal people by 2011, and well above average enrolments at TAFE due to the ASHE program.

(Rowley, Rumbalara Football Netball Club and its role in health and Social economic development for the Goulburn Valley, 2014)

I was first introduced to the club 14 years ago by Uncle John and Uncle Paul. They needed a trainerand I was retiring after having been at another clubfor 10 years.

I learnt a lot from Uncle John and did lots of those training courses. I was a trainer at the club for 10 years. Bev and I also worked in the canteen for4 years.

I left Rumba because I wanted to fulfil my dream ofmusic and now I’m in the studio recording my 10thalbum and I’m having a ball.

I love the club, got some lovely friends out there.

My proudest moment at the club was when MarkAtkinson called me up on the podium to get a medal, I was honoured. It’s the only time I’ve everfelt part of a team. We beat Yea in that final. Islept with that medal for a week after that.

It’s a wonderful club and I’m proud to be a partof it, it gave me a purpose. I was going though a rough time and it was like being involved in a big family, I had a million kids.

I won trainer of the year, I was selected out of all the clubs in the Goulburn Valley and I won trainer of the year in 2003.

Jim Moore

I’ve been involved in the football club for about 5-6 years. My eldest son came and played for the thirds then he played for the seconds now he plays for the seniors. My wife, family and I are foster carers we’ve been foster carers for 17-18 years, that was part of our community engagement and when I found Rumba as a community club it seemed a hand in glove fit to join up with this mob down here.

I like it because it’s more than just a club. I’ts about, health, community, jobs, suicide prevention, it’s about having social engagements with our community. I like that in a club it should be much more than just the score at the end of the day, win or lose.

I started off just trying to support the club wherever I could in whatever position. I’ve done everything from goal umpire, scoreboard, to interchange and the only job I wasn’t asked back to do was time keeper. It appears there was a bit more to that than what I thought, maths never was my strong point.

It’s really good to be aprt of the club, to have the young ones say G’day and look up to you, I really like being able to have a positive impact into their life and ruffle their heads and say G’day.

Its pretty good when a young fella or young girl goes by and says G’day and knows you through your community work.

Daryl Sloan

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My name is Sophie and I’m in year 10 at Shepparton High School. I’ve been involved in this club since I was a baby.

I like the club because it is very family oriented and they make you feel at home, it’s like a second home for me.

It gives people lots of opportunities and it’s made me a team leader.

It’s made me take responsibility and feel like a role model.

Sophie Winmar

What RFNC means to me

If you wish to invest in Aboriginal Futures in the Goulburn Murray region through the activities of Rumbalara Football Netball Club and its initiatives please concider:

• Sponsorship of teams, equipment and club activity.

• Becoming a paid up member.

• Donations to enable us to undertake our leadership and community building activities.

• Grants around specific priority areas including employment, education, health and cultural strengthening.

• Your time and skill to ensure good governance and efficient and cost effective systems and processes to deliver on our sporting and community activities and guarantee our future.

• Volunteering to assist the Club to be winners on the field.

• Providing skills, networks and resources to help our story and promote the Club and its work.

Support us to reach our goals

For further information please refer to the website www.rfnc.com.au

Rumbalara Football Netball Club IncPO Box 2013 Shepparton Vic 3632Mercury Drive Shepparton Vic 3630

Telephone: (03) 58 224 364Facsimile: (03) 58 224 078 13

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