Greater Auckland Aquatic Action Plan scoops Community Collaboration title at Sport NZ Awards

PRESS RELEASE
16/4/13

The Greater Auckland Aquatic Action Plan (GAAAP) took the Community Collaboration award at the annual Sport NZ Sport and Recreation Awards ceremony, held in Wellington this week (Monday, 15 April).

Thanks to GAAAP thousands of children are now more confident in the water and swim safety measurements have shown a 500% improvement in students’ swimming achievements.

The aquatic action plan was initiated by ASB Community Trust because it was concerned at lack of co-ordination in the sector. The plan was then co-ordinated by Sport Auckland, which partnered with other key organisations in the sector.

GAAAP is now a multi-agency partnership between 27 national and regional aquatically focused organisations. The objective is to get more primary school children in the water as part of a “swim and survive” programme.

So far GAAAP has delivered 205,000 lessons to 30,000 students in 152 schools across the Auckland region. Objective measures have been put in place, such as the “Submersion” and “Swim 200 metres” measures. Nearly 2,000 more students can now swim 200 metres – an amazing 517% improvement. Targets across all measures have improved from below 33% to within 8% of the national average across all measures.

The initiative has attracted the support of a wide range of organisations who value working collaboratively. Funding came from ASB Community Trust, Water Safety New Zealand and Regional KiwiSport.

Sport Auckland was the lead agency, partnered with the four Auckland Regional Sport Trusts: Harbour Sport, Sport Waitakere, Sport Auckland and Counties-Manukau Sport.

(ENDS)

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