Kia ora,  

As winter comes to an end (hopefully) and we welcome summer and daylight savings here in Aotearoa, we also bid adieu to Paris 2024, a fantastic six weeks of competition and celebration closed out with incredible performances from our Para athletes.   

One of the great successes of these Games has been the number of Kiwis supporting the NZ Paralympic Team.   

Nearly 1.7 million Kiwis watched the Paralympic Games coverage on TVNZ 1 in the first five days – approximately one third of the country’s total population. That’s what you call captivating, inspiring and changing perceptions for New Zealanders. Congratulations and thank you again to everyone who supported our athletes in their campaigns for Paris 2024. We should all be very proud.  

On the topic of progress, in this update we share the Disability Plan progress report which shows the collective progress we’ve made over the last five years on our commitments to this plan. As a sector we are making big steps forward to ensuring disabled people aren’t missing out – but there is still work to do to see measurable change. It's great to see new resources like the Accessibility and Inclusion in Outdoor Education and Recreation Guide, which has practical advice on how to break down barriers for disabled tamariki and rangatahi so they can have quality experiences in the great outdoors.  

Lastly, Hepetema is the month when we celebrate te Reo Māori. Here at Sport NZ, we celebrated Te Wiki o te Reo Māori by learning and incorporating the waiata 'Ngā Iwi e,' composed by Hīrini Melbourne, into our daily waiata and karakia sessions. These sessions are a way for staff to learn te Reo Māori and more about Māori culture, strengthen relationships, and start the day with a positive, focused mindset. Watch some of the team here in action performing Tūtawa Mai. 

Kia kaha te Reo Māori – Ake Ake Ake.   
The Māori Language is A Forever Language.  

Ngā mihi,  
Raelene

Ngā Kōrero O Te Wā - Latest News

Read about the latest news across Aotearoa.

Disability Plan Progress Report 

It's been five years since Sport NZ launched the Disability Plan to address inequities for disabled people in play, active recreation and sport. Yesterday we released a report sharing the progress Sport NZ and the sector have made towards increasing quality opportunities and experiences for disabled tamariki and rangatahi. 

Read more in the report.

Integrity Code for sport and recreation — have your say 

The Sport Integrity Commission Te Kahu Raunui is encouraging everyone involved in sport and recreation to share their feedback on a new Integrity Code. The Integrity Code aims to help sport and recreation organisations protect their members from harm. It will work by setting consistent standards for preventing and addressing issues like bullying, abuse and harassment. 

Read more about the draft Integrity Code and share your thoughts before 1 November.

Charitable trusts to boost community funding through launch of new iGaming brand 

New Zealand Community Trust (NZCT), The Lion Foundation and Aotearoa Gaming Trust (the Trusts) are working together on an online casino initiative to protect and boost the essential community funding they provide across New Zealand. 

Read more on how they have joined forces to boost community funding with new iGaming brand.

Environmental sustainability projects 

Take a look at how organisations across the sector are improving their sustainable practices through a range of environmental projects and initiatives. These projects include the winner and finalists of the inaugural Environmental Sustainability Award at the 2024 NZ Sport and Recreation Awards.  

View the projects and read more about their sustainable practices.

Ngā Kaupapa Me Ngā Whiwhinga - Events And Opportunities

Webinar: Practical steps for creating learning content 

Tuesday 1 October 10:30am -12pm 

Does your mahi require educating or upskilling people? Are you wanting to create courses or learning content, but not sure where to begin?  

This webinar will ensure your learning content hits the mark by taking you through a process for developing learning content, using real-life examples.  

Lean more and register for the webinar.

MBIE releases new Major Events strategy 

The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) has released a new strategy to ensure future investments in major events generate significant immediate and long-term benefits for New Zealand. The new strategy reflects the important role major events play in supporting the Government’s objectives and aligns the future direction of the Major Events Fund with the Government’s priorities. 

Read more about the new Major Events strategy.

International Teaching Games for Understanding scholarships

As a partner, Sport NZ is pleased to have the opportunity to offer teachers and community coaches scholarships to attend the conference, taking place in Auckland 8-11 December 2024. 

Find out more and apply for a scholarship.

Ngā Kōrero Mō Ngā Hapori - Community Stories

Here are some stories from the community we didn’t want you to miss. 

Boosting attendance and engagement through sport in Hawke’s Bay 

At Waipukurau School in Hawke’s Bay, ākonga are taking up boxing in a programme that is showing how quality sport experiences at school can boost attendance and engagement in learning. 

Read more about how they have engaged young people in boxing.

Ngā Rauemi Hou - New Resources

Accessibility and inclusion in outdoor education and recreation  

We’re excited to share a new guide that helps to break down barriers for disabled tamariki and rangatahi by supporting outdoor providers and educators to make outdoor experiences more inclusive and accessible.   

Sport NZ, Education Outdoors New Zealand, and Recreation Aotearoa, alongside various outdoor recreation and education experts, have worked together to create guidance that ensures disabled tamariki and rangatahi can access Aotearoa New Zealand's beautiful outdoor spaces and get all the benefits of being active outdoors. 

See the guidance.

National Aquatic Facility Strategy

This recently reviewed strategy sets the direction of change to inform investment into the aquatic facility network for Aotearoa. It provides guidance on what is required to transform our current and future aquatic network to best meet community needs. 

View the National Aquatic Facility Strategy.

National Indoor Active Recreation and Sport Facilities Strategy

This strategy provides guidance for planning and investing in indoor and outdoor covered court facilities across Aotearoa.  

View the National Indoor Active Recreation and Sport Facilities Strategy.

Mēnā Kāore I Kitea – In Case You Missed It

Te Wiki o te Reo Māori on socials

During Te Wiki o te Reo Māori, we shared some kupu (words) and kīanga (sayings) from Te Reo Māori ki Parī Glossary on the Sport NZ and High Performance Sport NZ social media pages.  

If you missed it, check out our Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn pages and share with your networks. Don’t forget to follow for more updates! 

For more kupu hou (new words) to use every day with your whānau and friends, check out Te Reo Māori ki Parī Glossary (external link). 

Thanks coach! Sport NZ and Coach For Life transition coaching campaign

As winter comes to an end, and summer sport takes off, Sport NZ, in collaboration with Coach For Life, are recognising coaches for the important role they play in New Zealand communities.   

Read the media release and share the campaign.

Te Mana Whakahaere - Governance

Incorporated Societies Act 2022 re-registration

The External Reporting Board (XRB) has published a summary of financial changes for Incorporated Societies. Don’t forget to 'check' the tick box on re-registration to qualify for the exemption under the Regulations, allowing your board to have a majority of non-members. 

View the XRB summary and Incorporated Societies Act information.