HUTT CITY COUNCIL NEWS RELEASE

27 September 2016

Free sports gear for hire to Wainuiomata families

A new initiative offered at Wainuiomata Library encourages an active lifestyle by offering sports equipment to the community at no cost.

The Action Replay campaign offers big and small sports gear items as a free community loan. Hutt City Council Community Sport Advisor Mark Curr says, “As summer approaches, this is a great chance for Wainuiomata families and community groups to sample a range of sports with no cost or risk”.

The Action Replay campaign recycles sports gear and distributes it in communities where cost is a barrier to being active. A bumper response to the programme has created lots of options for new community activity. Curr says, “While most of this gear has been distributed for use through schools and community centres, we have made a big pile of it available for this pilot”.

Wainuiomata Library is supporting the idea by offering the equipment through its facility. Library and Community Hub Manager Annie Reilly says, “We might be the first library in New Zealand to loan out sports gear. Wainuiomata is really lucky”.

The programme targets families, schools, churches and sporting groups who may not be in a position to prioritise paying for the equipment needed to play.

Groups can borrow a range of complete sets of balls, bats, rackets, nets, and much more from Wainuiomata Library as and when needed, and return it when they’re finished. If the programme proves to be a success, more equipment will be added, creating more opportunities.

ENDS

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