Outdoor Activity Fund

The Outdoor Activity Fund is a $1.5m (over three years) Sport NZ contestable fund, administered and managed by Recreation Aotearoa designed to support activities and programmes that connect rangatahi with outdoor recreation.

The fund brings to life aspirations in Sport NZ’s Active Recreation for Rangatahi Plan. Specifically, the actions under our commitments to honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi and incorporate youth voice, which speaks to young people having a voice and the use of Te Whetū Rehua in bi-cultural decision making.

Designed to address some of the funding inequities in Aotearoa, there are two funding panels. One is a tangata whenua panel, evaluating kaupapa Māori applications using Te Whetū Rehua. The other is a tangata tiriti panel, evaluating non kaupapa Māori applications. Both panels included rangatahi in the decision-making process.

This Outdoor Activity Fund process is authentically centric to Aotearoa and enhances our shared commitment to becoming better treaty partners while role modelling a preferred decision-making approach that includes members of communities or groups that are impacted by the decisions made.

“It’s important we establish processes like this because Māori and rangatahi must be involved in decision-making that impacts them, contributing their ideas, perceptions, and experiences. Only they know what matters to them and have that first-hand experience for themselves and their peers. This only enhances and adds value. A value matua (adults) cannot tap into.”

- Kuruho Wereta, Recreation Aotearoa Kaiarahi Tikanga Māori - Māori Cultural Advisor.