10 September 2012

Grant Enables Fearless Learning

A $2600 grant from New Zealand Community Trust (NZCT) has been awarded to the Opunake Board Riders Club and, as a result, the club has been able to purchase nine new ‘Platino’ softboards.
Opunake Board Riders Club Captain Murray Weir says the club is very grateful for the grant as its previous boards had been used for nearly eight years.

“Soft boards allow for fearless learning,” says Mr Weir. “They don’t chip easily, and they enable kids to learn to surf in the pool without the fear that comes with using a fiberglass surf board.”
Mr Weir also says that while more than 40 children have already registered for the club’s Surf School lessons, the new boards will increase interest in the club.

Club Funding Officer, Dean Potier says the club members and parents also did a lot of fundraising to help pay for the new boards. They held food stalls and provided marshalling assistance at sporting events. As a result, $1000 was raised to contribute towards the surf boards.

As the boards have just arrived, the Opunake Board Riders Club is now looking forward to upcoming competitions around the New Plymouth region. Mr Weir hopes some of the kids that are advancing may be able to use the new boards during the surf competitions run by the club.

Mike Knell, NZCT Chief Executive, says the trust returns funds generated at NZCT gaming rooms back to the local community, and this grant is a good example of this.

“We are very supportive of the Opunake Board Riders Club and think the way it teaches water safety and surfing skills to young Kiwi kids is to be commended,” says Mr Knell. “We like the fact the club members worked hard to raise funds for the boards – and that we were able to help them achieve their funding goal. NZCT wishes the club well for its upcoming season.”

– Ends –

Last year alone NZCT distributed $38.5m in grants to sports, community and cultural events and clubs throughout the country. NZCT is the largest funder of amateur sport in New Zealand, and we’re proud of it. This is why we’re known as the backbone of amateur sports in New Zealand.

We can only achieve this thanks to the hard work of our local venue operators who operate safe, controlled gaming environments, where responsible and legitimate gambling takes place.

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