The Matildas went into their FIFA Women's World Cup semi-final clash with England last night and, win or lose, their fans across the city and across generations were behind them.
Lily Marklew, a Year 4 student at Hunter Christian School, spent her birthday yesterday decked out in a Matildas jersey paired with a golden frilly skirt (it was not, she assured us, a tutu).
"It's been driving me crazy," she joked, "It's so itchy. Everyone has been calling it a tutu; it's not, it's a skirt."
Ali Lowe, in Year 8, had a similar look in her bag, she said, but had decided against wearing it.
"I, too, have a skirt," Levi Troyer joked with a wry grin.
The students at Hunter Christian gave their regular uniforms a spell on Wednesday and came to school in green and gold in a double show of support for the nation's team making a splash in the World Cup, and for the local Soul Hub's Big Ask campaign to help the vital Newcastle service move premises.
Soul Hub has spent the last 10 years in a rent-free building in the Newcastle CBD on the corner of Watt and Hunter streets thanks to the generosity of the Ian and Shirley Norman Foundation. Now, the non-government funded organisation that provides support for the most vulnerable in town is looking to move into a new purpose-built spot on Hunter Street.
"We're committed to being outwardly focussed as a school and we're looking for opportunity to support the most vulnerable in our community," the school's head of secondary, Kathryn O'Rourke said, "Soul Hub in town provide amazing services ... they're a not-for-profit that doesn't get government funding, so we're really committed to making sure that our students are aware of what their work is and finding ways of contributing."
The school ultimately raised just over $700 for the cause yesterday. The donation adds to the near-$850,000 total toward a goal of $1.8 million raised through donations and the annual Sleepout for Soul on May 19.
The organisation will host the Big Ask Gala on September 1, with plans to raise further funds and awareness toward their new location.
The school's head of primary, Nathan Hill, said in addition to the students being aware of their civic good deeds, seeing the Matildas' historic success on the world's sport stage was a great inspiration.
"I think it's really exciting to be able to really promote women in sport and for our girls to be able to see that and for the Matildas to be a real role model for our girls particularly," Mr Hill said, "Just to give them the opportunity to push ahead and succeed in life, whether it's sport or academic.
"So I think it's a great opportunity for us to look at what the Matildas are doing, and just encourage our girls to go; you've got this."
