Sport – Over $4.2 million of Sport NZ’s community resilience fund allocated across Auckland

548 play, active recreation and sport organisations across Auckland have received a total of $4,236,590 in funding from Sport NZ’s $15 million Community Resilience Fund Phase 2 to help alleviate the financial impact from COVID-19. The fund, which closed on 30 September, is part of the $265 million Sports Recovery Package announced at Budget 2020 and focused on providing support to help play, active recreation and sport organisations recover, rebuild and grow stronger as a result of COVID-19.

The fund was increased from $10 million to $15 million due to the volume of applications received over the first few weeks. A total of 2,070 organisations across the country have received funding to cover fixed and operational costs for the period 1 July 2020 to 30 September 2020. In addition, Aktive worked with Sport NZ to extend the fund and remove the financial cap for Tāmaki Makaurau when the region went into a second lockdown. “The fund built on the previous Community Resilience Fund Phase 1, in which a total of $6 million was awarded to nearly 2,000 clubs and regional organisations to cover fixed costs. This second resilience fund provided an opportunity for further support, but this time allowing applications of up to $25,000 to cover both fixed and operational costs,” says Sport NZ CEO Peter Miskimmin.

“The broadening of the eligibility criteria from the previous Community Resilience Fund has meant more organisations were able to apply for support, including applicants that were not affiliated to Sport NZ national partners. This has helped a wider range of community organisations to continue to deliver activities and programmes that have a key role in maintaining individual and community health and wellbeing.”

The Community Resilience Fund Phase 2 was distributed on behalf of Sport NZ by the country’s network of Regional Sports Trust investment partners, and Dr Sarah Sandley, Aktive CE says it has been great to see hundreds of Auckland organisations supported by the fund.

“This fund provided a much-needed helping hand for play, active recreation and sport organisations experiencing financial hardship due to COVID-19. Together with the help of our community delivery partners, CLM Community Sport, Harbour Sport, Sport Auckland and Sport Waitākere, we were able to distribute over $4.2 million to play, active recreation and sport organisations across Tāmaki Makaurau.

“This was further supported by our free six-point plan for the sector, including legal support, survey assistance, HR resources and webinars, accounting services and various online forums, along with free financial forecasting.”

Dr Sandley adds: “The COVID-19 pandemic will continue to have widespread implications on sport and active recreation, as well as on people’s physical and mental wellbeing. We are committed to supporting the sector however possible – we are in this for the long term and here to help.”

The Community Resilience Fund Phase 2 is part of a much broader recovery programme being managed by Sport NZ to help the sector through the impact of COVID-19.

Other initiatives include the $68 million Tū Manawa Active Aotearoa Fund for community-based programmes and projects helping children and young people get active, as well as additional investment to provide ongoing support for Sport NZ’s national partners and their national leagues and key programmes.

In addition, Sport NZ’s Exceptional Systems Support Fund provided $1.88 million and has supported 38 organisations including disability providers, recreation organisations and Māori national sporting organisations that did not already receive investment directly from Sport NZ.

Aktive, with support from community delivery partners CLM Community Sport, Harbour Sport, Sport Auckland and Sport Waitākere, is also managing the Tū Manawa Active Aotearoa Fund in the region on behalf of Sport NZ. For more information click here.

A list of all the CRF 2 funding recipients can be found here