Aktive – Auckland Sport & Recreation announces independent KiwiSport Advisory Group in Counties Manukau

Aktive – Auckland Sport & Recreation (Aktive) is pleased to announce an independent KiwiSport Advisory Group in Counties Manukau, which will facilitate funding for projects and initiatives that provide new or increased opportunities of organised sport for children in the area.

The Group includes representatives from a cross section of organisations, including a number of Counties Manukau locals: Martin Devoy, Auckland Council; Tapuvakai Vea, Healthy Families; Karla Mutua, primary school delegate; Temepara George, College Sport; Jamie Archibald, Community Leisure Management (CLM); and Murray Lockwood, organised sport delegate. Papakura lawyer Sue Styants has been appointed Independent Chair of the Group.

Debbie Curgenven, Aktive Community Sport Manager says the Group is responsible for recommending the investment of public funds through KiwiSport so results are all-important.

“This independent KiwiSport Advisory Group has been recruited to make recommendations on investment applications made to the Counties Manukau KiwiSport Fund,” says Ms Curgenven. “Community is at the forefront through this process so, with a lens on Counties Manukau, this team is focused on ensuring there are more opportunities for more children to develop skills that will enable them to participate in sport.”

KiwiSport is a government funding initiative to promote sport for school-aged children. It aims to increase the number of school-aged children participating in organised sport, build the availability and accessibility of sport opportunities for all school-aged children, and support children to develop skills that enable them to participate confidently in sport.

The Counties Manukau Local KiwiSport Fund will see a full $868k deployed in 2017/18 across two rounds, with expressions of interest for the first round due 17 September 2017 and full applications due 1 October 2017. This is a contestable fund distributed to support regional and/or national sporting organisations for projects/initiatives that can provide new or increased opportunities of organised sport for children aged 5 to 18 years in the Counties Manukau area.

Ms Curgenven adds: “Community consultation has been completed and the Group is expecting and looking forward to more applications – which is positive news for the Counties Manukau community.”

The announcement of independent KiwiSport Advisory Group in Counties Manukau follows the appointment by Aktive of Community Leisure Management (CLM) as a significant delivery partner for The Auckland Approach to Community Sport in the area, and College Sport Auckland’s appointment of Tessa Wilson as Regional Sports Director for Counties Manukau secondary schools.

In addition, the last three financial years have seen Aktive significantly increase direct local investment in to Counties Manukau; this figure is expected to rise further.

Direct investment will continue to be supplemented by the delivery of regional programmes such as Talent Leadership Character (TLC), the Greater Auckland Aquatic Action Plan (GAAAP), He Oranga Poutama, and Pathway to Podium in to the Counties Manukau area.

ENDS

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