19 February 2013

KiwiSport boosts opportunities for both children and organisations

KiwiSport programmes encourage children to take up active pastimes, rather than watch television or other sedentary activities. In the Wellington region a total of 141,064 children have benefitted from $2,516,304.17 of KiwiSport funding since 2009.

However Sport Wellington has approximately another $2.5 million to allocate to sporting opportunities and programmes during the next three years.

Sport Wellington’s Chief Executive Phil Gibbons says “KiwiSport has been a resounding success in the Wellington region, provided 500,000 hours of KiwiSport programme delivery. Grants have been made to 47 sports clubs, schools and community organisations which in turn have provided 240 schools with KiwiSport programmes.

“We look forward to the next three years where we can consolidate these opportunities at the grassroots and developmental levels. Playing regular sport gives children a wide range of benefits which indirectly impact the community as a whole.

“At Sport Wellington we are committed to a huge variety of KiwiSport programmes, from waka ama, sailing, surfing and other ocean sports to inline hockey, basketball, cricket, tennis, AFL and more traditional sports. They offer both in-school and out-of-school active opportunities.

“KiwiSport has been an unquestionable success across Wellington, Kapiti and the Wairarapa. It has been the spur for a vast array of initiatives which have boosted the region’s overall participation rates, increased the range of choices available to our children and provided improved skills,” says Phil.

KiwiSport’s largest investment has been in the Wellington Region Fundamental Movement Skills (FMS) Project, coordinated by Leisure Active. More than 41,000 children from over 100 primary schools have participated in Learn to Swim, moveMprove , Get Set Go or Football in School programmes.

The project aims to improve the fundamental movement skills of children which will in turn enable them to participate effectively in sport later in life. It also aims to support professional development of teachers and volunteers to ensure sustainability. More than $900,000.00 has been channelled in to this regional project since 2009.

Phil says the strength of the FMS project is that it brings together schools, sports organisations, councils, providers of sport and communities with a common goal.

KiwiSport programmes help build capability of sports clubs and community organisations at grassroots level, therefore ensuring for future sports delivery across the region, adds Phil.

Since 2009 Sport Wellington has received 137 applications for KiwiSport funding seeking more than $4.5million for sport specific projects. Of this, 37 contestable, 15 non-contestable and 26 secondary school sports coordinator applications have been successful in securing funding totalling more than $2.5million. A total of $56,000 has gone directly toward supporting secondary school sports coordinators positions in colleges.

Sport Wellington held a period of consultation in 2012 to assess the validity of the current KiwiSport Regional Partnership Fund, the government-initiated funding stream through Sport New Zealand which is focused on getting more school-aged children involved in organised sport.

Sport Wellington’s KiwiSport Manager Peter Woodman-Aldridge says the consultation concluded the KiwiSport programmes were having a significant impact on the region and the number of school-aged children participating in sport.

Peter says the diversity of sporting codes and programmes being offered to children to date has been incredible. “We look forward to building and growing new partnerships with more schools, community and sporting organisations as we begin another successful three-year period,” he says. Applications for round 10 of KiwiSport funding in the Wellington Region closes on Monday 18 March. Potential applicants should see www.sportwellington.org.nz/kiwisport for more information.

Ends –

Basic facts

Funding by region:

Hutt Valley $1,182,663.24 (46 percent)

Wellington $704,565.34 (31 percent)

Porirua $301,956.57 (13 percent)

Wairarapa $150,978.29 (11 percent)

Kapiti $176,141.33 (7 percent)

Fast facts

141,064 children provided opportunities to participate in sport, enabled:

• 117,057 primary students to participate in sport

• 24,007 secondary students to participate in sport;

• 1,517 participants provided sports coaching;

• created and trained 952 volunteers in sport;

• enlisted 735 participants in accredited coaching courses;

• provided 240 schools with KiwiSport programmes;

• 192 primary schools provide KiwiSport programmes;

• 47 secondary schools provide KiwiSport programmes;

• 500,805 hours of KiwiSport programmes delivered.

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