MEDIA RELEASE

4th August 2008 For immediate release

New Programme Invests In Community Leadership For Northland

An innovative new community leadership programme has just been launched for Northland. SPARC and Sport Northland have formed a new partnership with Excelerator: the New Zealand Leadership Institute based at the University of Auckland Business School, to create an eight month programme to foster the personal and collective leadership of 15 sports leaders from across the Northland region.

Brent Eastwood, Chief Executive of Sport Northland is excited by the opportunity to invest in some of the key leaders within the sports sector in Northland.

“Enhancing the leadership and collaboration of the people within our sports organisations will undoubtedly enhance the sport sector’s ability to positively influence Northland communities” says Eastwood, “We are greatly appreciative of SPARC’s support - they have been instrumental in making this programme happen for the first time ever at a community level, and we are very pleased that Northland has this fantastic opportunity”.

Gretchen Young of SPARC is confident that this programme will prove very successful in building the leadership capacity in Northland. “SPARC is pleased to be supporting this pilot programme and looks forward to the benefit leadership development will bring to sport and recreation in the Northland community.”

The 15 participants were selected for their commitment to and influence within their communities and to represent the diversity of the sports sector across Northland. This group represent the diverse kinds of leadership roles that are critical to the success of the sports sector; a sector which plays such an integral part of the wellbeing and pride of communities across New Zealand. Participants include volunteer coaches and sports committee members, teachers and tutors, managers of regional sports organisations and sports representatives within local bodies.

“What we want to achieve through contributing to this programme is to develop a community of leaders within this sector who are active in growing their own leadership capacity and that of others, and who work together to develop innovative and sustainable ways of approaching their shared challenges.” says Lisa Markwick, the Excelerator facilitator for the Sport Northland Community Leadership Programme.

The two day programme launch was held in Whangarei and over the coming months the group will participate in further workshops which will focus on such themes as self mastery, working with others, strategic thinking and leading change.

ENDS

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