Grant applications open for Auckland Regional Sport and Recreation programmes

Eligible organisations have until 8th March 2019 to apply for a share of the $508,000 regional fund designed to get Aucklanders more active, more often. 

Councillor Penny Hulse, Chair of the Auckland Council's Environment and Community Committee, advised “grants will be awarded to sport and recreation organisations that inspire and provide opportunities for Aucklanders to lead healthier and more active lifestyles.. 

“We want to ensure Auckland is a place where sport and recreation is a part of our everyday lives. Sport and recreation make a major contribution to our quality of life, health and wellbeing; it’s also great fun and contributes to stronger communities." 

The Auckland Council Regional Sport and Recreation Grants Programme has been running for four years and has over this time allocated 28 regional grants and distributed over $2 million.

Applications are now invited from Auckland-wide organisations that are:
•    Organisations with a region-wide mandate;
•    Regional federations or groupings of local or sub-regional sports code organisations;
•    Regional sport and recreation providers or advocacy groups; or
•    Iwi and other Māori organisations active in the sport and recreation sector.

Funding is targeted towards programmes that enable children and young people to develop skills for lifelong participation in sport and recreation, as well as programmes that support easy and affordable access for communities with low participation rates. 

Applications will be assessed by the Environment and Community Committee for funding decisions, with funds made available to successful applicants from July 2019. 

Netball Northern received funding from the 2018/19 grants programme, with Anita Coy-Macken, Netball Northern Community Netball Manager, advising “the funding has been instrumental in supporting Netball Northern’s delivery of the junior netball programme across 15 sites in Auckland, enabling over 20,000 young people to have fun, learn netball skills and develop a life-long love of being active.

“As part of the junior netball programme we also ran 96 coaching workshops for 993 participants and delivered 640 skill development sessions in schools for 3654 children to build their netball skills.” 

Applications close at 5pm on 8th March 2019.

For more information visit aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/sportgrant