NZCT has awarded $16,458 to cover the cost of new equipment for Sports Canterbury Track Cycling.
Treasurer Martin Veitch said, "It is important to us to have sufficient cycling and track equipment to provide to the community that would like to give track cycling a go. A common barrier of entry is having to own or know someone with a track bike. Being able to provide equipment to those members of the community who are unable to participate in the sport for financial reasons means we will also be able to grow participation and involvement in track cycling."
The grant will mean a lot to those new riders who are keen to try Track Cycling without the outlay of cost to buy equipment. This spans all ages and genders and is specifically targeted to those who have not been able to give Track Cycling a go in the past. The new equipment will be available to all those attending our structured development programme.
The reason we applied for the grant was to enable more community members to try track cycling by breaking down the significant barrier of needing to own the required equipment. Being able to provide our own equipment to local community members encourages a much more diverse number of riders to participate. In turn, this will increase the number of community members who benefit from the social, mental, and physical benefits that come from participating in organised sporting events.
Chairperson Rachelle Anne Spencer adds, "Canterbury Track Cycling has been the home of track cycling in Canterbury for nearly ten years. We operate out of Denton Park, Christchurch’s only cycling track, and facilitate the sport by hosting twice-weekly track sessions with races for multiple age and gender groups, running a development programme for new riders, and hosting the Canterbury Track Cycling Championship and the Summer Carnival Event. We also send riders to compete nationally in Cambridge and Invercargill at both Age Group and Masters levels."
