Active recreation investment
Active recreation investment
We work with national and regional partners to support a wide range of active recreation opportunities across Aotearoa through:
Focused investment
National recreation partnerships
Focused investment
12 organisations have received one-off funding to support strategic initiatives that create more active recreation opportunities for rangatahi. The fund is a targeted investment and is not open for applications. The investment period is from 2025 – 2028.
A key focus of this investment is helping more rangatahi to be active in ways that work for them. It recognises the importance of diverse opportunities that support wellbeing, connection and belonging.
Our focus
We’re working with partner organisations to:
increase access to inclusive opportunities
support locally led approaches
build capability across the sector
share learning and strengthen connections.
What success looks like
Over time we expect to see:
more rangatahi active in ways they enjoy
more inclusive opportunities across communities
a more connected active recreation system
improved wellbeing, connection and participation.
Organisations we’re supporting
The organisations we’re supporting work across a wide range of active recreation domains. We’ve listed them by their primary domain below, but many work across more than one domain
Domain | Definition |
|---|---|
| Aotearoa New Zealand Circus Association: Co-designing a national rangatahi strategy to strengthen circus arts pathways and sector cohesion. Digital Natives Academy: A pilot programme that uses ‘gaming’ as an entry point for rangatahi who are less likely to participate in sport, supporting their transition into active recreation. MOVE Ōtautahi: A home for dance, circus and acrobatics in Christchurch Ōtautahi. Building a national resource to grow artistic movement. |
| Hawaiki Kura: Delivering Hawaiki Tū wānanga that use taonga tākaro to build rangatahi leadership in Te Tau Ihu. The Polyfest Trust: Building digital resources that extend learning about Pacific cultural movement beyond the festival. |
| Just Move Charitable Health Trust (BBM Motivation): Leading a ‘Collective’ of 7 organisations working to create lasting change across Aotearoa by strengthening support for movement-based programmes for rangatahi. |
| Adventure Therapy Aotearoa (ĀTA): Connecting a fragmented sector through a national Collective: Te Ara Oranga Taiao. Adventure Works: Developing sector-wide online learning about risk management and disability inclusion for outdoor education. Graeme Dingle Foundation: Growing Project K across 4 new regions to help build life skills and resilience for rangatahi. |
| Recreate NZ: Providing recreation, adventure and social programmes for young people with disabilities in Hawke’s Bay and Otago. Skateboarding NZ: Leading the national co-design of skate school’s accreditation, code of conduct and best practice. WORD (World Off-road Riding Department): Growing rangatahi mountain biking through leadership opportunities, instructing pathways and bikepacking journeys. |
National recreation partners
We also invest in national recreation partners that play an important role in strengthening active recreation across Aotearoa. They help build capability within the sector and provide opportunities for people to be more active.
National recreation partners include:
