Sport Hawke’s Bay Urges Sport Organisations To Take Up Government’s Funding Offer

Sport Hawke’s Bay is calling on the local play, active recreation and sport sector to take up the Government’s latest funding support opportunities.

Minister of Sport Grant Robertson today announced a $80 million Sport Recovery Package including $10 million towards a second tranche of the community resilience fund and $68m for a new fund - Tū Manawa Active Aotearoa, which replaces the previous KiwiSport Regional Partnership.

Tū Manawa Active Aotearoa will provide quality opportunities for young people who are missing out, particularly in higher deprivation areas.

Sport Hawke’s Bay chief executive Mark Aspden is urging sport codes and clubs to take advantage of the government’s second round of the Community Resilience Fund CRF).

Mr Aspden said Sport New Zealand has widened the funding criteria to include wages and some operational costs.

Sport Hawke’s Bay distributed $329,000 of an available $595,000 to a wide range of sport organisations and clubs across the region. Nationally $6.5 million in support was paid to over 2000 community and regional organisations.

“We had just over 50 percent uptake, but we hope that more clubs will now come forward since the assistance criteria has been broadened to include some operational costs.

“We know that sport codes and their clubs, especially those with winter competitions, have suffered by the shortened winter season, and we urge them to come forward.

Mr Aspden said a key change is that organisations that are not affiliated to Sport New Zealand, such as Sports Hubs Partnerships and others that align to Regional Sport Trusts strategic priorities, will now be considered.

The Community Resilience Fund will specifically target support towards local and regional organisations to help them meet their operating costs for the period of July-September 2020, including partial replacement for the wage subsidy once it expires.

The maximum grant will be $25,000 per organisation and applicants will need to demonstrate the impact that Covid-19 has had on their organisation. The fund is expected to open before the end of July.

Sport New Zealand are working on the criteria and processes for the fund and will provide more information shortly.

The Tū Manawa Active Aotearoa fund replaces the Kiwisport Regional Partnership Funding which Sport Hawke’s Bay has administered locally since 2009.

It is significantly larger than the fund it replaces, and will be open to organisations which support play, active recreation, and sport and provides quality opportunities for young people who are missing out, particularly in higher deprivation areas.

The fund is likely to open for applications in mid-late August.

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