Melbourne United and Trojan join forces with Plantfulness, SecondBite & FareShare to turn NBL26 points into meals for Australians in need

For Melbourne United, every point on the scoreboard is important. During NBL26, those points carried even greater meaning through Points for Plates, an initiative delivered in partnership with long-term partner Trojan.

For the second consecutive season, Melbourne United and Trojan joined forces with Plantfulness, SecondBite and FareShare to turn United’s on-court performance into a tangible contribution to Australians in need.

For every point scored by Melbourne United during the NBL26 regular season, Trojan donated one meal to FareShare, with points scored during the Finals counting as double.
“It just adds that extra level of importance to every point we score,” said Melbourne United player Chris Goulding.

“Knowing that every point is contributing to something bigger makes every play mean a little bit more.”

Turning points into plates On Thursday 23 July, Melbourne United players and staff joined teams from Trojan and Plantfulness in SecondBite’s FareShare Kitchen in Abbotsford to turn the NBL26 points tally into meals.

With aprons on and some friendly competition along the way, the teams worked alongside FareShare’s kitchen staff to prepare and pack thousands of meals using fresh, seasonal produce.

For Trojan, the initiative is about rolling up your sleeves, getting the job done and creating a positive impact.

“Last season, we saw what’s possible when points on the scoreboard turn into real meals for Australians in need,” said Trojan Brand & Sponsorship Manager Gen Bolzon.

“We’re proud to deliver this initiative again alongside Melbourne United, Plantfulness, SecondBite and FareShare – and hopefully make an even greater impact in the community.”

The meals will be distributed through SecondBite’s network of frontline charity partners, supporting people and communities experiencing food insecurity.

SecondBite rescues surplus food and transforms it into nutritious meals in their FareShare kitchens, which are provided free of charge through food relief programs. In the last year alone, FareShare made 2.8 million meals.

“The meals being cooked today by our friends at Melbourne United, Trojan Tools and Plantfulness will be distributed through food relief programs run by frontline charities,” said FareShare chef Arnel.

“These meals will make a real difference to people doing it tough who are struggling to put food on the table.”

The initiative also reflects the shared focus of Plantfulness, SecondBite and FareShare on community wellbeing, connection and supporting vulnerable Australians – demonstrating how partnerships between sport, business and community organisations can create meaningful impact.

At Melbourne United, community is at the heart of the Club’s purpose. The Club believes in the power of basketball to inspire, entertain and enrich people’s lives, both on and off the court.

"The Points for Plates initiative is one we're thrilled to be a part of every season” said Melbourne United CEO Nick Truelson

"To be able to use our platform via the points our stars are scoring on the court to help make a meaningful impact on the community is amazing."

"This season, the hope is to score even more points and get more meals out to those who need them."

Learn more about the partners Trojan Tools, Plantfulness, SecondBite and FareShare.