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Over $740k of Sport NZ’s community resilience fund allocated across Bay of Plenty region
More than 100 play, active recreation and sport organisations across the Bay of Plenty region have received a total of $743,791 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 county have received funding to cover fixed and operational costs for the period 1 July 2020 to 30 September 2020.
“The fund built on the previous Community Resilience Fund Phase One, 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 county’s network of 14 Regional Sports Trusts, and Sport Bay of Plenty’s Sport Manager Nick Chambers says it has been great to see regional bodies supported by the fund.
“The Community Resilience Fund has provided some much needed security for sport, recreation and play providers across our region,” explains Chambers.
“We’re proud to have partnered with Sport NZ to help organisations facing great hardship during Covid-19. The extra support has also ensured that our community’s activity levels and wellbeing needs are met throughout the alert level framework.”
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 has supported 38 organisations including disability providers, recreation organisations and Māori national sporting organisations that did not already receive investment directly from Sport NZ.
Sport Bay of Plenty is also managing theTū Manawa Active Aotearoa Fund in the region on behalf of Sport NZ.
A list of all the CRF2 funding recipients can be found here.
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Philip Clark
Group Media Manager, Sport NZ
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