Tamai Sports programme receives funding

NZCT has granted $35,000 to Tamai Sports in Strowan, Christchurch, for administration costs and salaries.

“The Tamai programme is built on that passion of access and availability. Everyone should be equal, and everyone should have the same opportunities to participate.” - Parent.

“When my son comes home, he can’t wait to tell me all about it, how they're planning to go flatting, and how they're going to play rugby for the All Blacks or Canterbury. They all have their little talks about it - “I reckon at the game, if you do this, I'll do that.” - Whānau.

“I've noticed a great improvement with my child around areas of personal responsibility. Before he'd just leave his stuff lying around, but now he knows ‘I need my mouth guard, etc.” The first thing he does on Wednesday and Saturday mornings is to get his uniform. He’s so proud!” - Whānau.

Programme Director Ben Hamilton says -

Tamai Sports was born out of community need. Through extensive research and our work within the community, we identified four key barriers to participation that we are committed to removing - transportation, uniforms and equipment, food, and access to coaches and positive mentors. We build programmes in collaboration with relevant partners to provide tamariki and whānau with inclusive and culturally centred opportunities to participate.

This grant from NZCT is a major boost to our programme and will help secure the resources we need to provide opportunities for these tamariki. Tamai Sports prides itself on being a full service programme that carries no cost to whānau or schools and NZCT’s funding will enable us to continue our programme for at least the next year.

This financial assistance is crucial to the functioning of our full-service community programme. Having the ability to pay a full time employee and add part time employees will allow us to grow and provide more services to the community. We now enable participation for over five hundred tamariki each calendar year and this wouldn’t be possible without our paid employees.

Tamai Sports supports healthier communities by enabling wider participation in sport and removing barriers. We do this by providing a safe and positive social and culturally appropriate experience for tamariki, whānau, and schools. Our young participants are identified by teachers of the Tamai Community of Learning/ Kāhui Ako Learning in Christchurch East as tamariki who would benefit from the participation and learning this programme provides. The outcomes continue to live long after the programme has finished.

The Kāhui Ako involves seven multicultural decile 2-4 schools close to each other in Christchurch East, with Māori and Pasifika the predominant ethnicities. While sport serves as the primary avenue for participation, the benefits extend far beyond physical activity. Our tamariki also gain valuable skills in terms of teamwork and leadership, engage in our cultural and well-being programmes, receive nutritional meals and education, and have access to free health and well-being services for both themselves and their families.

Tamai Sports exists because we believe regular physical activity in a safe team environment not only strengthens an individual’s physical well-being, but also improves his or her social, emotional, and mental health. Youth sports also provide a powerful social adhesive within whānau and communities.

We’re well aware of the many hurdles preventing youth involvement in sport, particularly in regard to marginalised, low-income and indigenous populations, which is why we strive to provide a safe sporting environment for those communities which have historically faced the highest barriers to participating in sports. This grant from NZCT is a major boost to our programmes and will secure the resources needed to provide opportunities for these tamariki in the future.