InterAktive August 2021

InterAktive 

AUGUST 2021 - Our eMagazine showing Aktive and our partners in action

Contents 

August | 2021 

Message from the CEO 3 

Your Voice - Helping Rainbow Comminities feel safe and welcome in our game 5 

The Auckland Approach to Community Sport 6 

Our Vision for co-creating a world-class sport system in Auckland 6 

Korikori - inspiring hauora with schools 8 

Regional Balance is Better Forum hits mark with sector 13 

Sector support 14 

Toolkits being utilised throughout Auckland sport sector 15 

Spaces & Places across Auckland 17 

Partnering with Māori 20 

CLM Community Sport - Sport Engagement Success 22 

Harbour Sport - Community sport snapshot 23 

Sport Auckland - Sport engagement success 24 

Sport Waitãkere - Community outcomes in Waitãkere 25 

Shared Services 27 

Engaging Aucklanders 28 

HERA - Everyday Goddess® 30 

Good Sports® reaching all corners of the country 31 

Tū Manawa Active Aotearoa 33 

Partners 34

Message from the CE 

Welcome 

Kia ora and welcome to the 

latest issue of InterAktive and 

my first as Aktive Chief Executive. 

JENNAH WOOTTEN 

Chief Executive 

Aktive’s kaupapa is something special and as a proud Aucklander I feel 

privileged to be working with our partners, the sector and the Aktive 

team towards the vision of Auckland being the world’s most active city. 

We know the positive difference that quality physical activity can have on 

lives and that this can only be fully realised through strategic partnerships 

and collective action. I’m looking forward to working with the sector to 

maximise opportunities for Aucklanders, particularly for those people and 

communities who are missing out. 

A critical component to the success of this is listening with a view to 

understand – and I’m grateful to all those across the sector who have 

shared their views, insights and expertise in my initial few months. 

Particular thanks to Sport New Zealand, Auckland Council Foundation 

North, NZCT, The Lion Foundation and Water Safety NZ, and our valued 

partners CLM Community Sport, College Sport Auckland, Harbour 

Sport, Sport Auckland and Sport Waitākere. 

We are committed to this ongoing communication approach and 

continuous improvement so we can best support our partners and 

the sector, while working towards our vision for Auckland to be the 

world’s most active city | Tāmaki Makaurau – te tāone ngangahau 

rawa o te ao.

Message from the CE 

Leading the 

conversation 

Kia arahi i 

ngā wānanga 

kōrero 

Together 

we go further 

Kia koke i roto 

i te kōtuitanga 

To achieve this, we remain 

focused on the seven 

strategic priorities which 

feature prominently in our 2020- 

24 Strategic Plan. These strategic 

priorities feature through many of the 

articles in this issue which we hope will prompt 

further thinking around meaningful action 

across the sector. 

This latest issue also includes an update 

on our community sport strategy The 

Auckland Approach to Community 

Sport u, developed to support our vision. 

Another notable inclusion is Your Voice u and 

I would like to acknowledge Laura Menzies, 

Chief Executive, Northern Region Football for 

her valuable piece on rainbow communities. 

2 

Anywhere, 

anytime activity 

Kia kori tinana, ahakoa te 

wā, ahakoa te wāhi 

7 3 

6 

1 

Underactive 

Aucklanders 

are more active 

Kia kaha ake te kori tinana 

a ngā tāngata kāore i te 

kaha ki te kori tinana 

5 

Partnering 

with Māori 

Kia mahi tahi 

me te Māori 

Great spaces 

and places 

He tūhoropaki 

me ngā tūwāhi 

tino pai 

4 

Keeping pace 

with a changing 

Auckland 

Kia oma tahi 

me te panoni 

haeretanga o 

Tāmaki 

We look forward to continuing to share our 

strategy, tell stories of our collective mahi and 

demonstrate the positive difference this is 

having within Auckland and for Aucklanders – 

all while staying open, remaining curious and 

ensuring we have an eye to the future. To do 

this, we’ll use insights and evidence gained 

through listening, learning and evaluation that 

will realise our commitment to continuous 

improvement for Auckland – the region and 

people we are here to serve. 

Thank you also to all our partners who 

contributed to this issue of InterAktive, and to 

our funders who continue to show confidence 

in Auckland and our approach. 

JENNAH WOOTTEN 

Chief Executive

Your Voice 

voice 

Helping Rainbow Communities 

feel safe and welcome in our game 

We often talk of the power of sport and recreation 

to transform lives and I believe that to be true - but 

only if you feel safe and included. I grew up playing 

many sports but focused on hockey, netball, and 

football. There was a need for secrecy surrounding 

my identify in those early years - it felt like that was 

a great deal of homophobia surrounding those 

sports. When I did come out, I felt most included 

within football teams and I felt I’d found my tribe. 

Unfortunately, my experience is not mirrored across 

the broad LGBTQI+ family, where sport can still 

be an unsafe place, particularly who identify as 

transgender, non-binary, and gay men. 

In recent years, Aotearoa has more to celebrate 

in this space. Our Olympic athletes feature on the 

cover of Woman’s Day marrying their same sex 

partners u, the wonderful LockerRoom provides a 

wide array of positive stories u and Tokyo has a 

record 168 out LGBTQ athletes u from 11,000, 

triple the number who competed in Rio. 

But we still have work to do as a country. There is 

limited dialogue about the experiences or role of the 

rainbow communities in sport and recreation, and little 

information and resources to ensure everyone feels 

included in sport. The problem is the assumptions we 

make that favour society’s dominant groups, which 

excludes others without knowing or meaning to. 

Since starting my role in football earlier in the year, I 

have been heartened by the clubs looking to attain 

the Rainbow Tick u and those checking in that 

they’re doing all they can to include and support 

transgender youth in their club. 

Many community clubs want to be more inclusive, 

so here are my top four suggestions for changing 

the experience, particularly for our tamariki and 

rangatahi. At the very least, we can all commit to 

increasing our awareness and taking action. 

1. Increased visibility “We have to see it, to 

be it” is a phase often used for underrepresented 

communities, and I wholehearted support this. 

We can all do more to celebrate and increase the 

visibility of those already participating as players, 

coaches, officials, or administrators, to provide a 

broader range of role models. 

2. Collect data there’s very little data on the 

participation of LGBTQI+ currently, and gathering 

better data is something all sports and recreation 

organisations can start to do. Data increases 

visibility and opens the door to better conversation 

about inclusion. 

3. Understand the language get to grips with 

terminology and pronouns, understand the difference 

between sex, gender and sexuality and promote the 

use of inclusive language. Challenging homophobia 

and transphobia and commonly used insults like 

“that’s so gay” are great ways to be an ally. 

4. Increase your organisation’s 

knowledge I encourage all organisations to look 

at resources and publications available overseas to 

support clubs moving towards greater inclusiveness. 

Some examples of great resources can be 

found below: 

• Make Sport Everyone’s Game Toolkit u 

developed by Stonewall in the UK 

• Pride in sport u in Australia 

• An Inclusive Education Guide - Supporting 

LGBTIQA+ students u from TKI -TE KEKE 

IPURANGI 

• Rainbow Youth u has a wide array of information 

and resources 

LAURA MENZIES (SHE/HER) 

Chief Executive, 

Northern Region Football 

5

The Auckland Approach to Community Sport 

Message from the CEO 

Our Vision for co-creating a 

world-class sport system in Auckland 

The Auckland Approach to Community 

Sport u is pivotal to Aktive’s vision and 

strategic priorities. Underpinned by 

integrated planning and insights, it is a 

targeted, scalable community system 

for Tāmaki Makaurau, and includes play, 

active recreation and sport. 

The strategy 

Aligned to identified populations and gender in 

geographic areas, The Auckland Approach to 

Community Sport aims to develop a community’s, 

iwi’s, sector’s and leader’s ability to engage people 

and increase participation in sport and recreation. 

It is centred around working with others using 

targeted, locally led approaches and includes 

initiatives to help meet Tāmaki Makaurau’s growing, 

diverse population and changing needs. 

The focus 


focuses on advocacy; Korikori – schools and kura; 

coach development; sector support; spaces and 

places; and diversity and inclusion. 

Working together with our partners enables us 

to share expertise, resources and capabilities; 

work to agreed plans and actions; and maximise 

opportunities for the benefit of the communities 

we work with. Much of this mahi is focused on 

identified priority groups – tamariki, rangatahi, low 

participation communities, girls 10 to 18 years, and 

Indian, Māori, Chinese and Samoan ethnicities. 

The partners 

We work across a growing, increasingly diverse 

Tāmaki Makaurau. 

Aktive is responsible for setting the regional 

strategy, sport systems and initiatives, advocacy, 

investment and shared services, with our partners 

focused on building capabilities in their respective 

communities as follows: 

• CLM Community Sport is responsible for 

Counties Manukau (excluding Howick – 

Pakuranga); 

6



• Harbour Sport is responsible for North Harbour; 

• Sport Auckland covers central Auckland and the 

Howick community; 

• Sport Waitākere operates in West Auckland. 

Other key stakeholders include Sport New Zealand, 

Auckland Council, College Sport Auckland, and 

regional and national sports organisations, along 

with schools, sports clubs, charities, facilities, 

churches, and commercial providers. 

These groups work together and with communities 

to provide local opportunities and build capabilities 

in their respective communities. Over the past year, 

this has seen a greater number of more diverse 

entities and spaces and places being engaged, 

including mosques, marae and businesses. 

Here to help 

With our partners, we are here to support, provide 

insight, knowledge and expertise around play, 

physical education, active recreation and sport. 

Together we can challenge inactivity in Auckland. 

A key component of this support is our recently 

launched Resource Hub which is home to tools, 

guidelines, case studies and presentations that are 

regularly updated and designed to help the sector. 

Access is easy with three simple steps: 

1. Resource-hub u 

2. Create an account 

3. Filter to find the area you want: 

• Funding 

• Diversity and Inclusion 

• Kaupapa Māori 

• Spaces and Places 

• Sector Support 

• Parents and Caregivers 

• Schools, Kura and Teachers 

• Coaching and Development 

• Play. 

“I found the resources really useful, very easy to 

follow and something our clubs will value.” 

Auckland Rugby League 

“From the feedback that I received it seems the 

most popular toolkit used by cricket clubs in 

Auckland is the ‘Facilities Toolkit’. It proved really 

useful and at least five clubs have incorporated 

learnings and action points as a result. These 

include implementing an asset register and an 

asset maintenance programme with the templates 

provided.” 

Auckland Cricket 

Next steps 

The Auckland Approach to Community Sport is 

focused on making Auckland the most active city. 

If we achieve this, we’ll be helping Aucklanders to 

be healthier, happier and more connected to other 

people. 

Alongside our partners, we are committed to 

this community sport strategy and proud to build 

relationships, boost capabilities and work with 

others to co-create a world-class sport system in 

Auckland, community by community. 

HERE TO HELP 

More information on The Auckland Approach 

to Community Sport u or contact: 

Debbie Curgenven 

General Manager Community Sport 

021 243 0082 

debbie.curgenven@aktive.org.nz u 

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Korikori – inspiring hauora with schools 

Supporting tamariki and rangatahi to enjoy active 

lives helps build a healthier and thriving Tāmaki 

Makaurau. 

Providing strategic oversight and funding, Aktive 

works with and through its delivery partners to 

provide play, physical education, active recreation 

and sport opportunities for young people in 

schools and kura. 

Korikori focuses on building a system across 

Auckland, enabling young people aged 5 to 18 

years in high deprivation communities to be active 

through play, physical education, active recreation 

and sport in schools and kura. 

Korikori, which means ‘to get moving’, sees us 

focus on schools and kura because we know that 

our young people spend a significant amount of 

time at school and how impactful their teachers 

can be during these formative years. If we can get 

the physical activity experience right in schools 

and kora, this provides a strong start for our 

rangatahi and tamariki where they value and enjoy 

play, active recreation and sport – hopefully for life. 

We provide advice, resources, professional 

development, local support and facilitates 

partnerships between play, active recreation, 

sport, education and health organisations, with 

our partners. 

HERE TO HELP 

For more information on Korikori u, please 

contact: 

Luke Morriss 

Portfolio Manager: Korikori and Sector Development 

022 010 4532 

luke.morriss@aktive.org.nz u 

8


promotes quality play, sport and physical activity 

opportunities and experiences 

• Connecting schools and community groups 

to enhance positive wellbeing outcomes for 

tamariki. 

There are a number of initiatives under the Korikori 

umbrella – here we put the spotlight on Healthy 

Active Learning and the Youth Sport Project: 

Healthy Active Learning 

Healthy Active Learning is a joint government 

initiative between Sport New Zealand and the 

Ministries of Health and Education to improve 

the wellbeing of tamariki through healthy eating, 

drinking and quality physical activity. 

Across Auckland, the CLM Community Sport, 

Harbour Sport, Sport Auckland and Sport 

Waitākere Healthy Active Learning workforce 

is currently working alongside 97 primary and 

intermediate schools, providing targeted, codesigned 

support around the development of 

healthy and active educational environments. 

This includes promoting quality opportunities 

and experiences for tamariki, as well as 

the development of healthy food and drink 

environments. 

Examples of this in action include: 

• Advocating for the value of Health and Physical 

Education, play, sport and physical activity 

across school systems 

• Working alongside school leaders to develop 

and implement policies and practices that 

support healthy eating, drinking and quality 

physical activity for tamariki 

• Facilitating related professional learning and 

development opportunities 

• Mentoring and supporting teachers in the 

planning and delivery of quality Physical 

Education curriculum programmes 

• Supporting schools to access funding that 

Upcoming events include more Healthy Active 

Learning Opportunities teacher workshop days 

which have already engaged with over 100 

teachers and school leaders from 65 primary and 

intermediate schools Auckland wide. 

Primary and Intermediate Schools 

There is also mahi taking place to support 

increasing the value and quality provision of 

Physical Education, play, sport and physical 

activity across primary and intermediate schools in 

Auckland. 

This includes: 

• Supporting the PENZ Auckland Branches Easy 

Peasy PE primary teachers conference, with 

over 60 teachers from more than 30 schools 

• Presenting to the Ministry of Education Auckland 

Regions Senior Education Advisors 

• Facilitating professional development 

opportunities at Auckland Regional Public 

Health Service to help grow staff knowledge 

and understanding of the school setting and the 

Health and Physical Education curriculum. 

We are also advocating for the value of quality 

Physical Education, play, sport and physical 

activity opportunities and experiences for 

tamariki, and promoting ways schools and 

external providers can work collaboratively and 

effectively together for improved opportunities and 

experiences for tamariki. 

HERE TO HELP 

For more information on Healthy Active Learning 

in Auckland, please contact: 

Kathryn Jones 

Primary & Intermediate Schools Manager 

027 402 6997 

kathryn.jones@aktive.org.nz u 

9

SCHOOLS 

all intermediate 

schools responded 

SPORTS CO-ORDINATED 

IN PART BY TEACHERS 

of schools have Year 7/8 teams 

playing in weekly competitions 

23 SCHOOLS DIDN’T 

TRY ANYTHING 

NEW 

CLM Community Sport Harbour Sport Sport Auckland Sport Waitākere 

SCHOOLS 

HAVE ACCESS TO A 

SPORT CO-ORDINATOR 

TIME AND 

STAFFING/COACHES 

/RESOURCING WERE 

THE BIGGEST 

CHALLENGES 

SCHOOLS SPEND 

LESS THAN 5 HOURS 

A WEEK RUNNING 

/ORGANISING SPORT 

EACH WEEK 

relationship with surrounding high 

schools 

PROVIDING GREATER 

NUMBER/BREADTH OF 

OPPORTUNITIES WAS 

THE BIGGEST 

SUCCESS 

1 Increasing INCREASING participation PARTICIPATION and engagement, AND ENGAGEMENT, providing PROVIDING opportunities OPPORTUNITIES for all are FOR top ALL priorities ARE TOP 

for 2020 PRIORITIES FOR 2020 

2 Provide more in school opportunities for students in 2020 if more support available 

3 More PROVIDE time/resources/funding MORE IN SCHOOL OPPORTUNITIES and coaches are FOR the STUDENTS main area INof 2020 support IF MORE required SUPPORT in 2020 

AVAILABLE 

MORE TIME/RESOURCES/FUNDING AND COACHES ARE THE MAIN AREA OF SUPPORT REQUIRED 

IN 2020 

Schools responded 

in total across 

in 2020 South Central North West 

2019 101 41 26 22 12 

Data Management Systems Used 

Kamar 73% 2019 :: 77% 

Other 27% 2019 :: 23% 

Yes 70% 

No 26% 

Unsure 3% 

Administration 18% 

Communication 16% 

PLD Opportunities 10% 

Yes 33% 2019 :: 56% 

Work In Progress 31% 2019 :: 60% 

Coaching/Umpiring Development 22% 2019 :: 33% 

Develop Sports Strategic Planning 18% 2019 :: 21% 

Funding 10% 2019 :: 31% 

Professional Development 8% 2019 :: 25% 

Notices 46% 2019 :: 16% 

Email 41% 2019 :: 24% 

Social Media 19% 2019 :: 9% 

Achievement/Success/Winning 9% 2019 :: 31% 

Participation/Engagement 36% 2019 :: 18% 

Sport Specific 12% 2019 :: 6% 

Coaching/Teaching Support 23% 2019 :: 31% 

COVID-19 Impact on School Sport 21% 2019 :: N/A% 

Student Commitment/Participation 20% 2019 :: 15% 

Workload 12% 2019 :: 12% 

No, But We’d Like To 25% 2019 :: 39% 

No 12% 2019 :: 43% 

2020 Students 

across Auckland 

responded 

2019 1615 

2020 Schools 

that participated 

2019 12 

Kids would like to do more 

physical activity, sport, PE, 

exercise than they do now 

2020 61% 

2019 69% 

2020 

• Fun 

• Welcoming and friendly 

• Improved quality of coaches/ 

instructors 

• Access to quality spaces and 

venues 

2019 

• Fun 

• Welcoming and friendly 

• Encouraging fairplay 

• Safe environment 

2020 

• Clean and well-maintained 

facilities 

• Help to develop or fulfil my 

potential 

2019 

• Clean and well-maintained 

facilities 

• Qualified officials available 

when competing 

South 

329 

South 

3 

Central 

343 

Central 

2020 

• Too busy 

• Lack of motivation 

• Other physical activity 

• No one to participate with 

2 

North 

749 

North 

4 

West 

209 

West 

3 

2019 

• School work 

• Other physical activity 

• Hobbies 

• Physical Education classes 

• One off competitions or events 

• In a regular competition, league, or tournament 

2020 

• Continue to improve quality and access of facilities and 

venues 

• Improve range of activities on offer 

• Provide development opportunities or programmes 

• Reduce costs to participate in physical activity 

• Continue to ensure quality of teachers/coaches/officials 

2019 

• Improve quality and access of facilities and venues 

• Provide greater variety of opportunities to choose from 

• Provide more social/friendly physical activity/sport 

opportunities 

• Demonstrate equitable attitudes and behaviours towards 

students 

• Assure quality of teachers/coaches/officials 



Youth Sport Project 

In an Auckland sector ‘first’, an in-depth 

evaluation of intermediate and secondary school 

sport led by Aktive is providing valuable insights 

into the shape and status of school sports in 

Tāmaki Makaurau. 

Conducted 2018 to 2020, the Youth Sport Project 

looked at intermediate and secondary school 

sport structures, development practices, and 

support required for teachers, coaches, managers 

and officials to ensure students enjoy, take part in 

and develop through sport across Auckland. 

The stock take of all current curricular and 

extracurricular sport provision within intermediate 

and secondary schools is providing important 

details and direction, particularly as schools 

consider the impact of COVID-19. 

Jennah Wootten, Chief Executive, Aktive says: 

“The Youth Sport Project data and information 

are already contributing to improved support 

opportunities and assisting with the identification 

and sharing of best practice across the sport and 

education sectors; all focused on ensuring quality 

sport development experiences are being designed 

and delivered.” 

162 Auckland intermediate and secondary 

schools participated in four surveys as part of the 

Youth Sport Project. This included three inaugural 

pieces of research: the Intermediate Schools 

Survey u; the Secondary School Sports 

Department Survey u; and the Sports Leader 

Development Survey. The Voice of Rangatahi 

Survey u developed by Sport New Zealand was 

also included, along with the annually collected 

INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL SURVEY 

Summary of Key Themes 2019 

221 Intermediate 

schools in 

Auckland 

30% 

of 

STAFFING STRUCTURE IN SCHOOLS 

27 

WEEKLY COMPETITIONS 

2019 REFLECTIONS 

65% 

FUTURE FUTURE PLANNING PLANNING 

24 8 27 9 

24 

30 

RELATIONSHIPS WITH HIGH SCHOOLS 

53% 

of intermediate schools have a 

Secondary Schools Sports Department Survey Results 2019-2020 

20 17 17 14 

68 Auckland 

2020 :: Administration 

Did COVID-19 impact 

on school sport 

programme planning? 

What support would 

be beneficial from 

College Sport? 

2020 :: Communicating with Students 

2020 :: 

Reflection highlights 

2020 :: 

Challenges 

FUTURE THINKING 

2020 :: Documented Sports Plan or Strategic Plan for Sport 

2020 :: Areas for further support from Regional Sports Directors 

Voice of Rangatahi Survey Comparison Analysis 2019-2020 

Student Challenges 

What we like 

What we want 

4720 

22 

455 

3 

1086 

7 

2494 

Top reasons for lack of physical activity 

How do you take part 

in physical activity at school? 

What we think our schools could do 

8 

685 

4 

10


and the desire to increase participation and 

engagement of students by providing more inschool 

opportunities that cater for a wider variety 

of needs. 

Interestingly, quality and cleanliness of facilities 

received the highest response rate, with over 400 

students commenting on the state of the facilities 

they use and the impact on their ability and desire 

to be active. 

Ms Wootten adds: “We are reviewing current 

practice in response to these findings to identify 

strengths and gaps, as well as aspects that can be 

modified to better meet the needs of those in the 

school sport environment. 

“There are many quality practices, opportunities 

and, of course, some challenges for staff and 

students in Auckland. With a strategically planned 

and delivered support network, as a response to 

current local data, the school sports system will 

continue to develop responsively to the needs of 

those within it.” 

Secondary Sport New Zealand Census data 

provided by School Sport New Zealand. 

The surveys reported knowledge of the 

importance of physical activity and the desire for 

students to be more active at both student and 

staff levels. Interestingly, 50% of students said 

their schools provide a welcoming, friendly and 

safe environment for being physically active where 

fair play is encouraged, and they have access to 

quality coaches. 

Human resourcing was the most reported 

challenge across all surveys, specifically 

accessing, retaining and developing coaches, 

officials and teachers. Other aspects included 

funding; greater variety of opportunities and more 

opportunities at a social and friendly level; 

The Youth Sport Project was developed and 

delivered to Auckland school sport staff as part of 

Aktive’s Korikori approach to schools and kura. It 

has seen input and involvement from Aktive and 

partners CLM Community Sport, College Sport 

Auckland, Harbour Sport, Sport Auckland and 

Sport Waitākere, and investment from Sport 

New Zealand. 

A recent well-attended Youth Sport Project 

Online Webinar is being built on with two 

additional sessions that will unpack the key 

themes from the research. 

HERE TO HELP 

Any information on the Youth Sport project, 

please contact: 

Richard Rangi 

Secondary Schools Manager 

022 059 7480 

richard.rangi@aktive.org.nz u 

11


Water Skills for Life 

A significant milestone Water Skills for Life in 

Auckland was marked recently – more than one 

million free lessons across the region in ten years. 

Water Skills for Life is managed in Tāmaki 

Makaurau by Aktive, in partnership with CLM 

Community Sport, Harbour Sport, Sport Auckland 

and Sport Waitākere. The initiative targets low 

decile schools (1 to 6) with years 3 to 6 students 

accessing 8 to 10 free, professionally-delivered 

lessons, ensuring the development of fundamental 

water skills for life. 

The landmark celebration took place at Peninsula 

Primary School with funders Foundation North, 

Water Safety New Zealand, Auckland Council and 

Sport New Zealand acknowledged, along with 

partners and swim providers. 

Knowing how to swim and survive around water 

saves lives, and significant ongoing support has 

seen this initiative go from strength to strength 

over the past decade. What’s more, it makes a 

real difference to tamariki, whānau, schools and 

communities. 

Chris Severne, Deputy Chair of long-standing 

funder Foundation North talks of the growth and 

success of the initiative: “From the start Foundation 

North recognised the benefits of Water Skills for 

Life in delivering water safety skills to children, and 

our support has grown over the years given the 

close alignment with our strategy, particularly to 

positively impact Māori and Pacific communities 

and the lives of our tamariki. We would like to 

acknowledge the strength of the partnership we 

have enjoyed with Aktive and we look forward to 

this continuing.” 

The first two terms of 2021 have seen 74 schools 

and kura receive funded Water Skills for Life 

lessons, delivered by 20 different providers and 

benefitting more than 13,600 tamariki. 

Feedback is positive with 91% of schools and kura 

strongly agreeing that tamariki enjoyed and were 

engaged during the lessons, and 79% of schools 

and kura rated the quality of instructors and 

lessons as very good/excellent.. 

“For many of our tamariki it’s been their first 

experience being taught water skills safety. To see 

such growth in their confidence and willingness… 

has been phenomenal. [There is great] feedback 

from their whanau about how their tamariki are 

enjoying the sessions….” 

Don Buck Primary School 

“Many of my students would not have an 

opportunity to learn to swim otherwise. We are 

very grateful for this. I have enjoyed watching my 

students grow their confidence and their skills in 

swimming….” 

Avondale Primary School 

• More information and access to the 

various free resources including plans, 

activities, certificates and templates u 

HERE TO HELP 

For further information on Water Skills for Life, 


Hazel Latoa 

Regional Advisor (Water Skills for Life) 

027 250 2498 

hazel.latoa@aktive.org.nz u 

12



Regional Balance 

is Better Forum hits 

mark with sector 

“We support quality experiences for all young 

people, regardless of ability, needs and motivations. 

This philosophy focuses on supporting young 

people to stay involved in sport for life and realise 

their potential at the right time.” 

This is supported by Mr Chiet: “A lot of time and 

energy goes into the 1%. We want to bring whānau 

and the 99% together because all young people 

need to have opportunities to be involved in sport 

for life. Balance is Better is about supporting young 

people to be in sport for longer and, at the right 

time, those with the potential can move into high 

performance.” 

Speaking from experience, Mr Boucher shares 

the lessons he has learnt: “I’ve lived in the 1% 

space for a while – as an athlete, a coach, then an 

administrator. I didn’t stop to consider the 99% in 

the participation space because my life existed in 

the high-performance space. We don’t celebrate 

participation as much as we do success.” 

A recent Balance is Better Forum for regional 

community sport leaders, hosted by Aktive and 

Sport New Zealand, is helping shift the dial on 

discussions around youth sport. 

Aktive, along with our partners, is committed to 

Balance is Better, and is also supporting the sector 

with Good Sports ® , a culture change initiative 

aiming to create positive sporting experiences for 

children by educating and supporting the key adult 

influencers in youth sport – in particular, parents. 

More than 30 attendees from 23 different 

organisations heard about Balance is Better 

and positive youth sport practices from Alex 

Chiet, National Sport Development Consultant, 

Sport New Zealand and Dillon Boucher, former 

professional basketball player and Balance is Better 

Champion. 

Jennah Wootten, Chief Executive, Aktive says “With 

our partners, we are committed to working with 

the sector so together we can better understand 

the challenges facing youth sport, identify ways in 

which these challenges can begin to be addressed 

and ultimately help lead change to make a positive 

difference for our tamariki and rangatahi. 

HERE TO HELP 

To discuss coach development opportunities for 

your code, club or organisation, please contact: 

Simone Spencer 

Portfolio Manager: Women & Girls, Coach 

Development, Good Sports 

Click here for 

more information u 

027 220 0560 

simone.spencer@aktive.org.nz u 

13


Sector support 

Sector support is about supporting people 

who administer their code, club, community 

group or organisation – in whatever role they have. 

Together with our partners CLM Community 

Sport, Harbour Sport, Sport Auckland and 

Sport Waitākere, we provide advice, resources, 

professional development, and localised support 

organisations to ensure high-quality physical activity 

experiences are being designed and delivered 

across Tāmaki Makaurau communities. 

Here are a couple of examples of sector 

support ‘in action’. 

Latest resources 

We are excited to add new resources around play 

and disability to our Resource Hub: 

Playful 

communities 

A guide to providing time, space and permission for play 

1 

Our Playful Communities 

Guide u includes ideas for parents/ 

caregivers, teachers and older 

whānau to make communities more 

playful, including examples of how/ 

where this has been successful 

across Tāmaki Makaurau. We’re 

keen for sector feedback on how useful this Guide is 

and will be adding further material to enhance what 

is available in the coming months. 

14

1 


Following input from a 

range of specialist disability 

understanding 

disability 

sector organisations, our 

ToolkiT 

Information to help you 

Understanding Disability 

understand, engage and 

empower disabled participants 

Toolkit u and Accessible 

and Inclusive Guidelines u 

have been designed specifically 

1 

for clubs and community groups 

with information, insights and ideas 

on including disabled participants 

in physical activity. Thank you to 

all those organisations that contributed to these 

valuable resources. 

Working Together 

Model u The impact of 

Working Together Guide 

COVID-19 has underlined 

the constantly changing 

environment that sport 

operates in. It has accelerated the need and 

appetite for sport organisations to work together 

so they can better serve their people, and be 

more sustainable and resilient. 

With this in mind, the Working Together Model 

has been established to provide an overview 

of all the collaboration options available for 

sport organisations to consider when working 

together. It is supported by a number of case 

studies, presentations, interviews and resources 

to support organisations looking to effectively 

collaborate with other sport organisations. 

“The Working Together Model gives organisations 

viable options of where on the continuum they 

can wisely position themselves based on their 

purpose, relevancy, stakeholder needs and future 

sustainability. It is a framework that ought to be 

front of mind for all, especially for those of us at 

the Executive and Governance levels.” 

Mike Elliott, Chief Executive, Sport Auckland 

The recently released model and its suite of 

resources are already proving valuable at all levels 

of the sector. For more information visit the Aktive 

resource hub. 

Auckland specific funds 

Over $650,000 was made available to the 

Auckland sport and recreation sector with two 

additional funds Junior Players Tāmaki Makaurau 

and Working Together Tāmaki Makaurau designed 

15


to support organised sport in the region. 

The one-off funds were part of Aktive’s sector 

support initiative assisting those impacted by the 

more restricted lockdown Auckland faced mid-last 

year due to COVID-19, and both were supported 

by our partners CLM Community Sport, Harbour 


The Junior Players Tāmaki Makaurau Fund 

saw $536,000 available to support tamariki 

and rangatahi to continue to be active through 

organised sport, particularly where cost of 

membership or cost to play was identified as a 

barrier. Specific contributions were made from 

CLM Community Sport and Harbour Sport, with 

their investment deployed in the Auckland and 

North Harbour areas respectively. 

This fund covered costs such as membership 

or access fees, essential sports equipment and 

clothing. It was allocated on a regional and local 

basis and distributed on merit to organisations 

that demonstrated they were best placed to meet 

the needs of tamariki and rangatahi from higher 

deprivation households. 

up, facilitators and advisors, and comprised 

contributions from Aktive, Sport Auckland and 

Sport Waitākere, who managed the Fund with 

advice from CLM Community Sport, Harbour 

Sport and Auckland Council. Aktive’s investment 

covered the whole Auckland region, and Sport 

Auckland and Sport Waitākere’s investment 

was deployed in Central Auckland (including the 

Howick community) and West Auckland areas. 

A total of 27 applications requesting over 

$387,000 were received and five organisations 

were awarded $95,000 to deliver their 

collaborative project. 

“The Junior Players Tāmaki Makaurau and 

Working Together Tāmaki Makaurau Funds 

brought together investment from Sport New 

Zealand, Aktive, CLM Community Sport, Harbour 


We are grateful to our partners for funding and 

supporting these additional grants for the region, 

and we are proud to work with them to distribute 

the funds.” 

Jennah Wootten, Chief Executive, Aktive 

Thanks to the Junior Players Tāmaki Makaurau 

Fund, 51 organisations have financial support 

to help them impact around 10,000 participants 

across Auckland. View successful applicants u 

The Working Together Fund made $115,000 

available to support projects that will create 

meaningful change as a result of organisations 

working together for the purposes of sustainability 

and improved effectiveness. It covered costs 

such as project management, governance set 

HERE TO HELP 

To discuss the sector development work, toolkits 

and how we can support your code or club in 

specific areas, please contact: 

Carl Fenton 

Sector Support Manager 

027 227 5111 

carl.fenton@aktive.org.nz u 

16


Spaces & Places across Auckland 

Our region is growing rapidly so it is imperative we 

work together to improve and maintain our existing 

sport and recreational assets, as well as create new 

ones in areas where our region is diversifying and 

expanding. 

Here are updates on the Facility Planning Roadmap 

and Diamond Sport Facility Plan, and information 

on an innovative spaces and places concept that’s 

making waves in local Auckland communities. 

Auckland Sport and Recreation 

Facility Planning Roadmap 

We know the provision of fit-for purpose sport 

and recreation facilities across Tāmaki Makaurau 

can significantly enhance people’s quality of life by 

encouraging participation, promoting health and 

wellbeing, and fostering a sense of community – 

however, the process of planning and delivering a 

facility is an involved and sometimes complex and 

difficult task. 

Designed by Aktive in partnership with Auckland 

Council, the Auckland Sport and Recreation Facility 

Planning Roadmap aims to assist and inform the 

planning and development of facilities in Auckland, 

giving an overview of the facility planning process 

across the region. 

Walking organisations through a step-by-step 

process, the roadmap focuses on design/ 

consenting, construction and facility operation, and 

includes links to useful resources such as case 

studies, guides and templates. 

17


Jennah Wootten, Chief Executive, Aktive says sport 

and recreation facilities are hugely beneficial for 

communities, however knowing where to start and 

the planning process can be daunting. 

“‘Great spaces and places’ that encourage 

community participation is a strategic priority for 

Aktive as part of our vision for Auckland to be the 

world’s most active city. We’re proud to work with 

Auckland Council on this valuable tool and we will 

continue to develop it based on sector feedback.” 

Dave Stewart, Head of Active Recreation, Auckland 

Council says there are clear benefits of the Facility 

Planning Roadmap. 

“This roadmap helps organisations navigate the 

process of determining the need for and feasibility 

of developing sport and recreation facilities and link 

in with the various complexities of the growing city 

of Auckland.” 

Aktive and Auckland Council are looking to update 

the roadmap later this year and will test it with the 

sector before finalising it. This iteration will refine the 

initial version and complete the roadmap through 

design, consent, construction and handover 

stages. 

This roadmap is a support tool but is not intended 

to cover all aspects of the facility planning and 

development process. It is likely that additional 

bespoke advice and support will be required to 

support projects. 

Diamond Sport Facility Plan 

RSL Consultants have been appointed to lead 

an Auckland Regional Diamond Sport Facility 

Plan, following a review by an assessment panel 

comprising representatives from Aktive, Auckland 

Council and Sport NZ. 

This plan involves baseball and softball working 

together to plan for the future of both codes. 

The purpose is to provide clear direction on 

future facility development to enable increased 

diamond sport participation, and ensure there is an 

accessible and fit-for-purpose network of facilities 

that enable physical activity, recreation and sport at 

all levels. 

The development of the plan will be in conjunction 

with Auckland Council, Baseball NZ, Auckland 

Baseball Association and the Auckland Softball 

Association, along with diamond sport clubs 

throughout the region. 

The plan has commenced and is expected to be 

completed in November 2021. 

From clubs to hubs! u 

A new way to make it easy 

to share your club space 

with your community 

Everyone has a right to access 

affordable local facilities near their 

home, but it’s simply not feasible 

or affordable for councils to provide these facilities 

in every neighbourhood. Many club committees 

18


are therefore looking at how they open up their 

clubrooms and facilities to more usage by their 

local communities. 

There are many benefits for community sports 

clubs that step in to plug these gaps in available 

spaces. From increased revenue to more people 

engaged in your club, it should be a no-brainer. 

However, club committees are volunteers, and the 

burden of managing enquiries, bonds and access 

can be barriers to opening the doors to more 

usage. 

Clubs in Auckland are benefitting from an initiative 

from Sport Waitākere and Sport Auckland in 

partnership with SpacetoCo to make it easy to 

share their spaces and reap the rewards. 

SpacetoCo is a new platform available to any 

club to help them advertise their club space, take 

bookings online and automate time consuming 

processes like taking payment and managing 

bonds. Imagine AirBnB for affordable community 

spaces! 

Elle Bell from SpacetoCo explains: “We ran huis 

with Sport Waitākere and Sport Auckland and the 

clubs they serve to explain our vision for a new way 

to connect communities with local sports spaces, 

and ease the burden on volunteers for managing 

the bookings. 

“Since then a number of clubs have jumped on 

board, including Te Pai, Auckland Table Tennis, 

Marist Rugby League and Suburbs New Lynn. It’s 

been amazing to see these clubs grow their impact 

in the community, and how entrepreneurial they 

can be now the bookings admin is taken care of. 

All these clubs are now getting enquiries from new 

people in the community.” 

SpacetoCo has provided this free resource 

for any club to download and get ideas and 

tips for how to transform their sports club into a 

thriving community hub. You can also email 

elle@spacetoco.com u 

HERE TO HELP 

For more information regarding Spaces and Places, 


Simon Tattersfield 

Spaces & Places Manager 

027 229 8850 

simon.tattersfield@aktive.org.nz u 

19


Partnering with Māori 

Our “Partnering with Māori” strategic priority sees 

us focused on and committed to ensuring the 

aspirations of Māori for increased participation and 

leadership “as Māori” in sport and active recreation 

are supported. We’re proud to do this in a number 

of different ways and to continue to build our 

knowledge and understanding . 

Here are some examples of the initiatives, events and 

activities highlighting the mahi in this important area: 

Te Tiriti o Waitangi: Treaty of Waitangi 

We are committed to te Tiriti o Waitangi and 

proactively engage with and support the aspirations 

of Māori and iwi. These commitments are 

demonstrated through regular board review of our 

Tiriti o Waitangi Responsiveness Policy, the support 

of the Aktive Māori Advisory Group, and our 

“Partnering with Māori” strategic priority. 

He Oranga Poutama ki Tāmaki Makaurau u 

He Oranga Poutama ki Tāmaki Makaurau, 

“Stairway to Wellbeing”, promotes the development 

and implementation of physical recreation and 

sport in a way that is culturally appropriate to Māori 

– as Māori for Māori. 

Key outcomes include developing leaders for the 

future, increasing participation opportunities and 

strengthening the supporting infrastructure. 

An exciting and increasingly popular example of 

this is Iwi of Origin, which encourages whānau to 

be more involved in their culture and play together. 

20


Over the two days, a mix of basketball, netball, 

rugby league, rugby union, golf, touch and tag are 

played with a specific focus on positive experiences 

for whānau to participate and connect with each 

other. 

More than 2000 players representing whānau, iwi 

and hapu joined in the fun at the 2019 event – and 

registrations are now open for Iwi of Origin 2021 

here! u 

Bilingual Hioki 2021 

Mauri Ora Ki te Manurewatanga – a source 

of wellness for Manurewa 

Members of the Manurewa community spent 

an afternoon recently connecting with the 

taiao (environment) through a Māori lens. This 

included learning about the area’s history, and the 

importance of caring for the awa, whenua and the 

people. 

The event featured: Hikoi, Ronga, Raranga, 

Maramataka, Kemu Māori, Waka experience, Te 

kete Waiora (water testing), pūrākau (local stories), 

paihi kra (group bike ride) and Hikoi Uru Whenua 

(Passport). 

Special thanks to Auckland Council, Auckland 

Transport, Barfoot & Thompson, CLM Community 

Sport, The Cause Collective, Manurewa Marae, The 

Pride Project Aotearoa HQ, Te Pu-A-Nga Maara 

and Sport New Zealand. 

Mānawatia a Matariki – celebrate the Māori 

new year! 

Matariki, also known as "the rising of the star 

constellation", is a significant time in the Māori 

calendar as it marks the start of the Māori New Year. 

New year celebrations provide the opportunity for 

communities to come together to acknowledge the 

year gone by and make plans for the year ahead. 

Our team was excited to venture up Maungawhau 

/ Mt Eden to see Matariki and spend some valuable 

time together. 

HERE TO HELP 

For more information, reach out to: 

Manu Pihama 

Kaihautū Kōtui – Māori Partnership Manager 

027 299 9244 

manu.pihama@aktive.org.nz u 

21


Sport Engagement Success 

- Papakura is doing things the 

Tū Manawa Active Aotearoa way 

To create opportunities for underactive 

rangatahi to participate in sport, Papakura High 

School has partnered with Papakura Football 

Club. Funded by the Tū Manawa Active 

Aotearoa fund, the programmes initiated by the 

partnership have seen enormous success. 

Prior to the collaboration, the school’s girls 

football team was struggling for a coach and 

enough players. This year, the girls First XI has 

19 wāhine registered; 17 of whom are new 

to the sport. Trainings are now well attended, 

players’ friends often join in on the fun, and a 

full team with substitutes is always ready to 

play on game day. 

This project is all about a club doing things 

differently. It successfully achieved this by 

taking the time to connect with the community 

and build relationships, listening and making 

sure they understood the needs of girls in 

Papakura, finding coaches with “the biggest 

hearts” and creating a programme based on 

the needs of the participants. 

• Proudly supported by 

CLM, Tū Manawa Active Aotearoa, 

Papakura City FC, Papakura High School 

More information on Tū Manawa Active 

Aotearoa fund u 

In addition, the Papakura Football Club has 

organised a popular futsal competition at 

Papakura High School between local schools 

with over 100 rangatahi participating. 

As a result of this partnership, Papakura City 

now has six girl grade teams (9 to 16yrs old) 

competing including one mixed team, giving 

a combined total of 70 girls, well up on its 

average of 25. 

HERE TO HELP 

For more information on how CLM Community 

Sport is assisting in the community, please contact: 

Bernadette Tovio 

General Manager 

CLM Community Sport 

021 275 2077 

bernie@clmnz.co.nz u 

22


Community sport snapshot 

The Harbour Sport team is keeping busy with a 

number of community initiatives and events. Here 

is a snapshot of three very different activities 

supporting different community groups: 

New sports club to benefit the 

North Shore’s Pasifika community 

The first ever North Shore Pasifika Sports Club 

is well on its way to becoming a legal entity. The 

sports club will service the North Shore Pasifika 

Community, creating a pathway for youth to 

transition from High School sports to club level 

with further opportunities to play at an elite level. 

Gus Hellesoe, North Shore resident, says “I 

never had this growing up on the North Shore 

and I’m excited that we can establish it for my 

kids, our kids.” 

Next steps will see an external contractor meet 

with the newly established board to discuss the 

vision, official name and the trust deed. 

Harcourts Cooper and Co Shore to 

Shore Go 

Harbour Sport’s Annual Harcourts Cooper & Co 

Shore to Shore event looked different this year. 

Due to Auckland’s March lockdown, the Harbour 

Sport team delivered an alternative version of 

the event, Harcourts Cooper & Co Shore to 

Shore GO. 

This event challenged schools and families to 

run, walk or scooter 5km around their local 

community from 22 to 30 May, providing 

opportunities for tamariki and rangatahi to be 

active. 

Just shy of 400 people registered, meaning 

Harbour Sport could donate $3000 worth of 

Sport Distributor NZ vouchers for schools to 

purchase new sports equipment. 

Takapuna Primary School Principal, Devika Tagg 

says “That is wonderful news, and our school 

is so happy we have received sports gear for 

our learners! I am super proud to be part of this 

community.” 

Thank you to the sponsors of this year’s event; 

Harcourts Cooper & Co, Honda North Shore, 

Game Over, Sports Distributors NZ, The Hits, 

NuZest and Consult Recruitment. 

Cycle skills training at school 

In partnership with Auckland Transport and 

BikeReady, Harbour Sport provides cycle 

education at schools in the North Shore region. 

The programme has already benefited 700 year 

5 to 8 students across the North Shore this year. 

Young people are given the opportunity to see 

bike riding as a viable transport choice as they 

learn through practical lessons focusing on how to 

share the road while exercising and having fun. 

HERE TO HELP 

For more information regarding Harbour Sport’s 

engagement with the community and its 

supported projects, please contact: 

Richard Casutt 


027 479 9565 

richardc@harboursport.co.nz u 

23


Sport engagement success 

Insights and engagement come together in this 

Sport Auckland success story were schools 

and high deprivation communities with low rates 

of physical activation were identified based on 

the Sport NZ Census data. In response, Sport 

Auckland worked in partnership with Mount 

Roskill Grammar School, Lynfield College and 

One Tree Hill College to promote, support, 

and develop physical activity opportunities for 

rangatahi. 

1400 students benefited from newly employed 

Sport Engagement Lead staff in each of 

the three schools who addressed issues of 

insufficient facilities and support by partnering 

with local sports clubs to provide for the 

students. 

A number of Lynfield College students wanted 

to play volleyball, however without enough 

resources, players were turned away. The Sport 

Engagement Lead created a lunchtime club 

for students to play and develop their skills in 

a welcoming environment. The club now runs 

twice a week with an average of 40 students. 

Thomas Fletcher, Sport Engagement Lead, 

Lynfield College says “Many students have 

renewed their sense of passion on the sports 

field and at lunchtime. They’re keen to get 

moving, push themselves, and seek out the 

social opportunities which are on offer.” 

Similarly, One Tree Hill College created 

opportunities for female students by partnering 

with Auckland Cricket, Auckland Rugby and 

the Dust Palace who delivered the Yeah Girl 

initiative, the too Quick to Rip programme and 

circus activities respectively. 

The Principals from the participating schools 

sought advice to acquire alternative funding to 

extend the highly valued role in each school, 

with all three roles funded for the rest of the year. 

Recognising the initiative’s success, Sport 

Auckland, Lynfield College, Mount Roskill 

Grammar and One Tree Hill College were 

presented with the Innovation in School Sport 

Award by School Sport New Zealand. 

HERE TO HELP 

For information about Sport Auckland’s 

engagement with the community, please contact: 

Scott Tibbutt 


021 570 637 

scott@sportauckland.co.nz u 

24


Community outcomes in Waitākere 

Sport Waitākere has been busy with a range of 

projects delivering successful outcomes across 

the community: 

Funskills preparing young people 

to be active for life 

Sport Waitākere’s innovative programme, 

FunSkills (Fundamental Skills) integrates 

movement and play with standard school 

curriculum throughout classroom learning in 

West Auckland. 

The programme has been developed to build 

children’s confidence, competence, motivation, 

and understanding of the importance of physical 

activity, as well as increase their physical literacy. 

David George, Sport Waitākere Te 

Kaiwhakahaere Hākinakina (Community Sport 

Manager) explains “Schools are the focal point 

during a young person’s developmental years 

where they learn healthy habits which will last 

a lifetime. FunSkills is uniquely designed to be 

tailored to each school, so it reflects the needs 

and wants of the specific community. Its strength 

is that it’s not a ‘one size fits all’ approach.” 

New funding from The Trusts will see FunSkills 

reach across primary schools throughout the 

West Auckland region in 2021, with the potential 

to reach thousands of school students. Sport 

Waitākere is also working on weaving indigenous 

games and tikanga Māori throughout the 

framework to develop its cultural competency. 

Celebrating the formation of the 

WECA (Waitākere, East, Central 

Auckland) Volleyball Association 

As the number of young people participating 

in volleyball continues to grow, a new Regional 

Sports Organisation, WECA Volleyball 

Association, designed and developed by local 

volleyball groups and clubs, facilitated by 

Sport Waitākere, Volleyball NZ (VNZ) and Sport 

Auckland has been initiated to oversee and 

drive the sport across West, East and Central 

25


Auckland – creating opportunities to participate 

in volleyball at all levels. 

Volleyball has shown itself to be extremely 

popular at the school sports level, second only 

to netball in female participation rates. Annually, 

volleyball has experienced a 26% growth 

in playing numbers and bucks the trend of 

many traditional team sports impacted by the 

COVID-19 pandemic. 

“VNZ is looking forward to seeing the impact 

of WECA in the Auckland volleyball community, 

providing further opportunities for participation 

and development,” states National Partnership 

Manager Katie Horne. 

“We are delighted with the engagement and 

support from the local volleyball community and 

the Regional Sports Trusts.” 

WECA recently took part in its first tournament, 

the Inter-Provincial Championships as a newly 

established Regional Sports Organisation. Under 

the WECA banner, people participated across 

the men’s, women’s, junior men’s and junior 

women’s categories. 

Our Supporters: The WECA 

Association’s founding members 

Waitākere Rebels Volleyball Club, Sparta 

Volleyball Club, Auckland Central Volleyball Club 

Heat Volleyball Club, Auckland Grammar School, 

Auckland Youth Development Volleyball Club and 

East Volleyball Club. 

More information on the WECA 

Volleyball Association u 

HERE TO HELP 

To engage with Sport Waitākere on initiatives or 

any existing projects, please contact: 

David George 

Community Sport Manager 

021 688 354 

david.george@sportwaitakere.nz u 

26

Shared Services 

Aktive’s Shared Services and Procurement 

continues to provide sector benefits, resulting in 

more than $2.5 million (net of costs) of realisable 

cost savings for the sector to date; money that 

can be reinvested back into community sport and 

recreation. 

With a proven track record, we offer high quality 

accounting services at not-for-profit rates for the 

sport and recreation sector utilising Xero. Our 

team works with more than 30 local, regional and 

national organisations including Sport Waitākere, 

Tennis NZ, NZ Rugby League, College Sport 

Auckland and Squash NZ. Our accounting services 

have also been extended to include any charitable 

organisation and we’re proud to now be working 

with organisations such as the Gut Cancer 

Foundation. 

In addition, we’ve achieved ‘Approved Training 

Employer‘ status from Chartered Accountants – 

Australia and New Zealand, which gives us access 

to an effective mix of qualified and part-qualified 

staff in our accounting team to provide this service. 

As part of our COVID-19 response and funded by 

Foundation North, we are currently offering free 

budgeting and Xero set up assistance and 

training for South Auckland sector entities until 

December 2021 (and similar for entities outside 

Auckland at not-for-profit rates). 

For more details on our Shared Services u 

and a reminder that if your organisation is a Xero 

user, you have access to free counselling for your 

staff via the Xero Assistance Programme u 

HERE TO HELP 

For information on Aktive Shared Services 


Ian Jagger 

General Manager Shared Services 

021 722 289 

ian.jagger@aktive.org.nz u 

27

Engaging 

Aucklanders 

Connection, communication and collaboration 

– these three elements help take the sport and 

recreation sector from strength to strength. That’s 

why, together with our partners, we’ve held a 

number of events to engage Aucklanders, listen to 

the sector, provide support and share ideas – and 

we’re looking forward to holding many more! 

Auckland Sport & Recreation 

Sector Event 

Earlier this year more than 135 people from over 

80 organisations joined the virtual Auckland Sport 

& Recreation Sector Event hosted by Aktive, in 

association with Sport New Zealand and Auckland 

Council. 

Attendees heard from Raelene Castle, CEO Sport 

NZ, Dave Stewart, Head of Active Recreation, 

Auckland Council and other speakers on topics 

including plans for Tāmaki Makaurau, initiatives 

that improve young people’s wellbeing, and 

how we can work together to support the play, 

active recreation and sport investment needs of 

Aucklanders. 

Aktive’s strategic plan to 2024 was launched with 

a focus on Korikori >, 

which looks to build a system across Auckland, 

enabling young people aged 5 to 18 years in high 

deprivation communities to be active through play, 

physical education, active recreation and sport in 

schools and kura. 

Auckland sport and recreation 

Chairs’ Roundtable 

Aktive’s latest Chairs’ Roundtable saw sector 

organisation Chairs explore ‘Chairing in a Crisis 

and Leading Change.’ 

28

Engaging Aucklanders 

Co-hosted by Aktive and Simpson Grierson and 

supported by Sport New Zealand, the event 

included a panel discussion with: 

Jo Brosnahan: Chartered Fellow of the Institute 

of Directors; Chair of Northpower Fibre (ultrafast 

broadband); Chair of Maritime NZ; Chair of 

Harrison Grierson; Principal of Leaders for the 

Future; Chair of the Taitokerau Education Trust; a 

member of the Centre for Brain Research Advisory 

Board; and the Founder and Advisory Trustee of 

Leadership NZ; 

Mike Stanley CNZM: Chief Executive, AUT 

Millennium; President of the New Zealand Olympic 

Committee; and Chair of the Kauri Rescue Trust; 

and Chair of the Hobsonville Marine Sport and 

Recreation Centre Trust; and 

Greg Barclay: former Chair of Northern Districts 

Cricket; former director and Chair of New Zealand 

Cricket; current Chair of the International Cricket 

Council (“ICC”); director and former Chair of the 

Manchester based International Rugby League; 

Chair of a fintech and payments company dual 

listed on the NZX and ASX; and Chair of a major 

international log export and trading company and 

a large national environmental consulting practice. 

Ms Brosnahan highlighted the importance of 

people: “It’s imperative to always put people first 

and be guided by principles and values. When 

it comes to addressing a crisis, foresight and 

listening are key.” 

She explained her philosophy around leading 

change: “Create a safe, trusting environment and 

culture so people understand change is the norm 

and communicate, communicate, communicate to 

help build trust.” 

This was echoed by Mr Stanley: “With sport and 

recreation, we are in the ‘people game’ and we 

add value to people’s lives. It’s important to build 

a well of goodwill and trust that you can dip into in 

challenging times.” 

Mr Barclay said: “It’s critical to understand your 

strategy and the risks associated with it. In times 

of crisis, have a crisis management team, trust 

your management team and don’t be shy about 

taking advice, including legal and communications 

– share the problem.” 

Aktive would like to again acknowledge this 

inspiring and experienced panel. With insightful 

audience questions, this event unpacked the 

topics and provided valuable discussion and 

practical ideas to assist Chairs during a crisis and 

support them with leading change. 

Information on upcoming events u 

29

Update 

HERA 

- Everyday Goddess® 

Girls aged 10 to 18 years are identified as a 

priority group in Aktive’s strategy – and key to 

engaging this important group is understanding 

that every girl wants different things from being 

active and views being active differently. 

HERA – Everyday Goddess® (HERA) aims 

to empower girls to be more active for life 

by supporting them to enjoy, participate and 

become more engaged in physical activity. 

We do this by addressing identified barriers, 

creating motivators, championing and 

embedding a culture, and changing the way 

‘exercise’ and ‘sport’ are delivered, structured 

and talked about. 

A cornerstone of HERA is understanding girls’ 

insights – check out this great co-designed 

example: 

Project Boost, Tania Dalton Foundation 

Funded by Aktive’s regional Tū Manawa Active 

Aotearoa fund, Boost is all about encouraging 

girls aged 12 to 14 years to be active, try new 

sports and recreational activities to inspire 

lifelong participation. Girls are given the 

opportunity to experience dance, CrossFit, 

boxing, and spin classes, demonstrating there 

are all sorts of ways to be physically active 

- all of which the girls help co-design! 

The first Boost programmes this year took 

place in Papakura, Northcote, Avondale and 

Whangarei with over 80 girls participating, 

supported by 36 coaches and instructors. 

Boost through the Tania Dalton Foundation is 

continuing to take place across Auckland, aiming 

to get more girls physically active however they 

choose to participate. 

We are proud to work with Tania Dalton 

Foundation on this programme. The Foundation 

aims to make a meaningful difference to the lives 

of young women and girls in New Zealand, from 

all circumstances and stages of development 

so they can unlock their talent and be their 

best selves. 

• Read more in the HERA case study on 

Boost with the Tania Dalton Foundation, 

and for more information on how to 

implement a participant-led approach 

specifically for girls u 

Our Supporters 

We appreciate the funding given to HERA by 

Sport New Zealand, Auckland Council and 

New Zealand Community Trust. 

HERE TO HELP 

For more information about HERA, 





027 220 0560 


30

Update 

Good Sports® 

reaching all corners of the country 

Nine national and regional sport organisations 

are the first to sign up to Aktive’s award winning 

Good Sports ® , an initiative aimed at creating 

positive sporting experiences for children by 

educating and supporting parents and other 

adult influencers in youth sport. 

Badminton NZ, Golf NZ, NZ Rugby, Swimming 

NZ, Nuku Ora, Sport Gisborne-Tairawhiti, Sport 

Hawkes Bay, Sport Otago and Sport Taranaki are 

all on board with Good Sports, which is being 

expanded nationally by Aktive and Sport NZ. 

Aktive and Sport NZ are working closely with the 

nine organisations to implement Good Sports 

and develop strategies to better engage and 

support parents. Good Sports is well aligned 

with Sport NZ’s Balance is Better philosophy 

and is being used as part of Sport NZ’s national 

parent approach. 

Aktive Chief Executive Jennah Wootten says 

Balance is Better and Good Sports are a 

natural fit and Aktive is excited to see more 

organisations adopting the programme. 

“Many of the issues in children’s sport stem 

from adult involvement, including poor sideline 

behaviour, overuse injuries, burnout and 

disaffection with sport. Good Sports focuses on 

raising adults’ awareness about their behaviours 

and how these impact youth sport experiences, 

and what parents can do differently. 

“We’re proud to have something that Aktive 

developed for Tāmaki Makaurau now available 

to support change across Aotearoa. Together 

with Sport NZ, our team is looking forward to 

working with sport organisations to implement 

Good Sports in their communities and help lead 

change to make a positive difference for our 

tamariki and rangatahi.” 

Sport NZ Chief Executive Raelene Castle says 

Sport NZ is proud to be working with Aktive to 

roll Good Sports out around New Zealand. 

31

Update 

“We have been working closely with national 

and regional bodies over the past five years 

to improve youth sport through our Balance is 

Better philosophy. Parents, like coaches and 

administrators, play a key role in this through 

their ability to influence and support young 

people’s experience sport. 

“Having watched the success and impact of 

Good Sports under Aktive’s leadership, we’re 

pleased to be making this a key part of how we 

all work with parents to gain their support for 

Balance is Better and how parents can advocate 

for changes to youth sport experiences. These 

nine organisations joining the national rollout is 

an important step toward that outcome.” 

Mike Hester, Participation Development Manager 

at NZ Rugby, says rugby has already seen the 

positive progress that Good Sports has made 

in the Auckland region with North Harbour, 

Auckland, and Counties Manukau Rugby Unions 

all using the programme to support parents in 

fostering a lifelong love of the game for their 

children. 

“The opportunity to expand the programme over 

the next few years across New Zealand with 

the support of Sport NZ and Aktive is perfectly 

timed as NZ Rugby continues its shift to a more 

participant centric approach. Good Sports 

complements this work and will help ensure we 

provide the best rugby experiences we can for 

our Small Blacks and teenage players.” 

More national and regional bodies have 

committed to adopting Good Sports over the 

next two years. 

Sport NZ’s national parent approach focuses on 

supporting national and regional organisations 

to engage more effectively, support and deliver 

initiatives to parents through the provision of 

tools, resources and research. Additionally, Sport 

NZ utilises digital platforms such as the Balance 

is Better and Sport NZ social media channels to 

provide information to help parents grow their 

understanding of the important role they play in 

youth sport. 

HERE TO HELP 

For further details on Good Sports, please 

contact: 




027 220 0560 


32

Tū 

Manawa 

Update 

Tū Manawa Active 

Aotearoa in Tāmaki 

Makaurau 

Applications open 23 August 2021 for the next 

round of the Sport NZ fund – Tū Manawa Active 

Aotearoa – for community-based programmes 

and projects helping tamariki and rangatahi at 

most risk of missing out or being less active. 

More than $5 million of the fund will be available 

in Tāmaki Makaurau over the next twelve months 

to be managed and distributed on Sport NZ’s 

behalf by Aktive, with support from our partners 

CLM Community, Harbour Sport, Sport Auckland 

and Sport Waitākere. Programmes or projects 

may be new or already operating, and funding 

will be provided for up to 12 months. 

Who is it for? 

Funding is available to a wide range of groups 

and organisations who are planning to or already 

deliver a programme or project to help children 

and young people get active. 

We know from research that there are some 

groups who are more at risk of missing out or 

being less active, including those living with a 

disability, in higher deprivation communities and 

girls and young women. Programmes or projects 

that reach these groups will be prioritised for 

funding. 

“Girls' only afternoons have been a success in 

several schools out West. New Lynn School girls 

were given the opportunity to try different sports 

and team-building activities. The afternoons have 

been so popular they have continued in Term 

2 with the support of the Green Bay Activator. 

Thanks to Tū Manawa funding for helping to 

make these opportunities available for our girls!” 

Sport Waitākere 

“Thank you to everyone that joined us for today's 

fantastic Girls Fun Day, filled with lots of smiles. 

We had such a great morning, we are going to 

host another fun girls football event. 

A huge thank you to Aktive and Sport NZ for 

supporting the day with our coaches and free 

balls and shirts for all the participants with the 

Tū Manawa Active Aotearoa funding.” 

Bay Olympic AFC 

What can be funded? 

Tū Manawa is an activation fund to help cover 

programme or service delivery costs. This 

includes costs of: 

• Programme or project delivery (e.g. venue or 

equipment hire, transport to event) 

• Equipment (as part of a programme or project) 

• Officials, where these are required for the 

delivery 

• Delivery staff wages (e.g. activity leader, 

coordinator). 

• More details, including what information 

is needed to make an application, how to 

make an application and who to contact to 

discuss u 

You can also email funding@aktive.org.nz u 

HERE TO HELP 

For more information, reach out to: 

Trudi Bridges 

Funding Manager 

021 1452 965 

funding@aktive.org.nz u 

33

Aktive is a charitable trust that has been established with the aim to 

make Auckland the world’s most active city. We are a key strategic partner 

of Sport New Zealand, Auckland Council and various major grant makers 

and funders. We invest more than $18m per annum in a range of delivery 

partners, organisations and projects that will get more people recreating and 

playing sport, with focuses on young people and identified communities. 

Our focus is to serve the Auckland sport and recreation sector and improve 

participation by providing strategic direction and increasing investment, reducing 

complexity for regional operators, offering consistent and efficient regional 

programmes as well as taking costs out of the back office. 

Funding Partners 

Sponsorship Partners & Preferred Suppliers 

Stay up to date with how we are making Auckland the world’s most active city! 

www.aktive.org.nz 

Aktive_akl 

AktiveAuckland 

Aktive-Auckland

InterAktive August 2021

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