New fund to help secure longevity of Ngatapa Sports Club

The committee at Ngatapa Rugby and Associated Sports Club have established an endowment fund at The Sunrise Foundation to secure longevity for the club.

Lou Livingston, Ngatapa president, says the committee works hard every year to raise funds to maintain the club’s facilities in Patutahi. “The clubs assets continually need upkeep, whenever we finish one project there’s another waiting around the corner.”

“We hope our endowment fund will grow to the point where it can help future committees with the big task of running and improving the club, so they won’t have to be reliant solely on seeking sponsorship.

She added that Ngatapa strives to nurture a positive, supportive environment for the community to participate, learn and grow within their sporting codes. “When we were established 61 years ago we were a small country club. Now we have over 500 members coming from as far afield as Tolaga, Matawai and Mahia, and many are coming out to us from town.”

The club’s volunteers make dinner for the nippers after their mid-week practice. “We’ve got families driving big distances to come to practice. They are travelling home when it is dark and cold, not getting home until late. By providing dinner we hope to make it easier on parents. We know this is working, we regularly feed over 100 kids a week.” says Lou.

Stu Smith, Ngatapa vice president, says they aim to cater for everyone, especially young people that may not normally have sporting opportunities available to them. “We provide them with a place to belong and include them in the Ngatapa club family.”

“Ngatapa is a family orientated club, in many instances we have four generations of families that have been, and still are, involved. Our vision is to create a club with an inviting culture that will grow player numbers, as well as encourage people to join us as coaches, managers and volunteers.”

Charlie Allen, Ngatapa club captain, says the success of the club is due to the generous support they have received from members and sponsors over the years. “One of our key strengths is that we are an intergenerational club. This fund will ensure current and future supporters have an avenue to continue their support and help us build a legacy for the club for generations to come.”

Kay Twigley, Ngatapa club captain, says the club hopes to inspire success through sports by providing guidance and positive role models. “Through the support of our volunteers we are continually growing our knowledge base, in both the sporting arena and within the management and infrastructure of the club. We are fortunate that we have people who choose to share their time and skills with our club. Their commitment helps our members to grow in their sport, as well as promoting fair-play and respect for others.”

Glenda Stokes, Sunrise executive officer, says Ngatapa has a hugely positive impact on our community. “When kids are involved in sports it helps them build self-esteem, confidence and social skills. For a small volunteer run organisation, Ngatapa does a phenomenal job of providing well maintained facilities and sporting opportunities for their members and we’re delighted to help them build a strong endowment fund, to help future generations of the club prosper and grow.”

She added that the establishment of their endowment fund will ensure they have a regular source of income in the future. “It will be a secure and guaranteed source of income every year, which will benefit the club more and more as the fund grows.”

All donations to the Ngatapa Rugby and Associated Sports Club Endowment Fund will be invested, protected and grown to keep up with inflation. The surplus investment income will be returned to the club each and every year forever.

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