Friday, 12 August 2011
H2O Xtream achieves Gold with Halberg Trust

Upper Hutt’s aquatic facility makes accessibility standard through auditing process.

UPPER HUTT, Wellington NZ, 12 August 2011—Upper Hutt’s aquatic facility H2O Xtream recently achieved the prestigious SportAccess Gold Award from the Halberg Trust. The Trust is committed to “honouring sporting excellence and linking people with a disability to sport and active leisure” and the SportAccess objective is to “develop and increase accessible sports clubs and facilities that provide sustainable inclusive sport and physical recreation opportunities for disabled people.”

The Award was presented to H2O Xtream during a ceremony at Upper Hutt City Council’s Civic Centre on 11 August. The ceremony was led by Andy Roche and hosted by Upper Hutt Mayor, Wayne Guppy. It was also attended by other representatives from the Halberg Trust and Sport Wellington— including Paul Cameron, Roger Brennand, and Marguerite Christophers—along with representatives from H2O Xtream, Upper Hutt City Council, and the wider community.

H2O Xtream’s Aquatics Operations Manager, Kerry Granshaw, who applied for the award, said she was humbled by the experience. “The process of the application made me look at every aspect of this facility, on every level, and from a very specific perspective. Although we’d felt we were already doing well in this area, the process really opened my eyes to see just how much more deliberate we could be in our approach to accessibility across the whole organisation.”

H2O Xtream is the seventh facility to receive the SportsAccess Gold Award, making it also the second aquatic facility, and the first facility outside of Auckland.

Upper Hutt Mayor, Wayne Guppy, who has also been advocating the Halberg Trust’s No Exceptions Training programme, was excited about the presentation, “This is a very significant award for us. We are serious about inclusiveness and value for all people in the services we provide. It is fantastic to gain such prestigious recognition but more importantly, knowing that the entire process has added significant value to our offering as well.”

For more information on the Halberg Trust’s SportAccess Awards, go to halberg.co.nz

About Upper Hutt City Council

Upper Hutt City Council is the steward and custodian of Upper Hutt City, providing governance, infrastructure, and community services and resources, and promoting opportunity in the city for business, recreation, lifestyle, and leisure. Upper Hutt City is located 30 km north-east of Wellington City (41°07'34" S, 175°04'06" E) and boasts 70% of the region’s parks and reserves, along with state-of-the-art entertainment and leisure facilities.

Contact
For more information on Upper Hutt City and the City Council, go to www.upperhuttcity.com

© Scoop Media