Fifteen years ago, I started a social netball competition in Epping with a few teams and a dream — that social sport could genuinely change lives.

It worked. So I kept going.

Five years ago I moved home to Shepparton and did it all over again — launching Social Netball Victoria in the Goulburn Valley and building a Wangaratta competition alongside it. Today I run competitions across three locations, with over 500+ players taking to the court every week.

What I've learned across 15 years and three communities is this: people are hungry for connection, and sport is one of the best ways to create it. But only if the right space exists.

That's what's been missing in Shepparton — and that's exactly what I'm here to build.

The Goulburn Valley Community Sports & Social Hub will be a purpose-built facility featuring nine sport competitions, a 24-hour gym, seniors programs, kids activities, a café, and a recovery suite. A place where everyone — from a 5-year-old at their first program to a senior playing Walking Netball — has somewhere to belong.

Your donation helps us demonstrate community backing to government and council funders, unlocking the grants that turn this vision into reality.

This is 15 years in the making. Help me bring it home.

— Crystal McHugh, Managing Director GVCSS Hub & Founder, Social Netball Victoria