The club has recently installed a new netball equipment storage container next to its courts for easier access to necessities at training and game days for its seven netball sides.
The upgrade comes in part from the Apprenticeship Factory Shepparton’s Giving Back to the Community Fund, which gives grants to community members and organisations that work with young people.
Custom Containers Australia was also involved; not only sourcing the containers, but covering the additional costs outside the initial Apprentice Factory grant.
Merrigum A-grade and B-grade netball coach Blynda Tranter reflected on what the addition would mean to the netball sides heading into the pointy end of the 2025 season.
“For us, it is ease of access to get to the sporting equipment we need. All we’ve got currently is a tiny area in the shed facility with the tennis club,” she said.
“It's not appropriate for what we need with the seven netball sides we have, it’s just not enough, so this was a fantastic option for us.
“The container is a great addition and fits perfectly into our space, so we are really excited.”
Club president Cam Scorey highlighted the additional benefits the container would provide for the club’s netball teams beyond simply storing equipment.
“It’s brilliant to have big businesses to be able to support a small grassroots club like ours. We are a small club, in a small league — we don’t have the luxury like those bigger leagues,” he said.
“It gives us more storage, so the girls can have a proper changing area as opposed to having to get changed with equipment everywhere.
“An adequate changing space should be the bare minimum and for so many years the clubs have neglected it, but we have made a big emphasis this year to be a football and netball club.”
The Apprentice Factory chief executive Paula Ryan highlighted the importance of big business giving back to grassroots clubs that helped nurture young people in the local community.
“It’s really important to help young people in sport; it is not just beneficial for their physical healthy but for their community connections,” she said.
“Sport is big for us because a lot of the apprentices we employ come out of great locations like Merrigum that have role models within the club.”
