25 New Zealand organisations secure Outdoor Activity funding

Recreation Aotearoa has announced that 25 organisations around New Zealand have been awarded a share of the $1.5 million Outdoor Activity Fund.

The Outdoor Activity Fund is managed and distributed by Recreation Aotearoa on behalf of Sport NZ.

The Outdoor Activity Fund aims to increase participation of rangatahi (young people) in outdoor recreation and connect more rangatahi to their Māori culture through outdoor activity. Access to the outdoors is a special part of living in Aotearoa but not everyone can take advantage of it. The fund seeks to support organisations to bridge that gap.

This is the fifth time the fund has been distributed to outdoor activity providers and is the first time that applicants have been able to apply for multi-year projects (up to three years).

Recreation Aotearoa Outdoors Programme Manager, Kieran McKay notes “working with the fund has highlighted the incredible work being done around Aotearoa for our young people through diverse programmes, and by people who are often working within financial restraints.

“The amount of applicants for the fund has shown that the investment needed in our sector is huge. A big thanks goes to Sport NZ for the financial commitment, to my wider team at Recreation Aotearoa for supporting the bicultural kaupapa of this fund, and to our Tāngata Whenua (Māori) and Tāngata te Tiriti (non-Māori) panels."

Highlighting Recreation Aotearoa’s journey as a Te Tiriti o Waitangi focused organisation and improving recreational accessibility for Tāngata Whenua (Māori), this round of funding has seen more than 50% distributed to projects and programmes targeted at engaging with Māori rangatahi.

Recreation Aotearoa Kaiarahi Tikanga Māori (Māori Cultural Advisor), Kuruho Wereta adds “we took a double hulled approach to the evaluation process by engaging with two panels, one Tāngata Whenua (Māori) and one Tāngata Te Tiriti (non-Māori). We also positioned rangatahi on each panel to honour the kaupapa of the fund, which is to support rangatahi in engaging with the outdoors.”

“Through the programmes for Tāngata Whenua, we hope to shine light on Māori processes, practices, and values within the outdoor recreation space. We look forward to watching these projects evolve and flourish.”

The full list of successful applicants is below:

• Adventure Specialities Trust

• Ahikaa Associates

• Aurora College

• Duke of Edinburgh’s Hillary Award

• E Tipu E Rea Whānau Services

• First Step Outdoors

• Graeme Dingle Foundation

• Hawaiki Kura

• Hillary Outdoors

• Ignite Sport

• Living Springs

• Mangakino School

• Ngā Kura ā Iwi o Aotearoa

• Ngaa Taiohi o Te Rangitaupi

• NZ Sailing Trust

• Raglan Rock Adventures

• Scouts Aotearoa

• St Therese School

• Toi Tangata

• Te Toki Voyaging Trust

• Te Wharekura o Manaia

• Tuhourangi Tribal Authority

• Waka Abel Tasman

• Wilderness Canoe Trust

• WORD – World Off-Road Riding Department

For more information about what has been funded, visit the Recreation Aotearoa website.

Image top: Students at Hillary Outdoors learning teamwork in the outdoors https://www.hillaryoutdoors.co.nz/; Image above courtesy Ignite NZ