Sport Hawke’s Bay is getting in behind the national Play Week celebrations with a range of promotions and opportunities for tamariki to get active.

Coinciding with Play Week, Sport Hawke’s Bay has today announced 12 new projects from across Hawke’s Bay who have been funded through the ‘Let’s Talk Play’ Tū Manawa Active Aotearoa Fund.

The fund was set up to support kura and organisations to look at new ways to get tamariki active through play. Applicants were supported through the Sport Hawke’s Bay Healthy Active Learning and Play teams.

Sport Hawke’s Bay Play Lead, Pia Bradshaw says “Play Week and the Lets Talk Play fund are important opportunities for us to highlight an important Kaupapa for all of us here at Sport Hawke’s Bay. Play is vital for tamariki as we look to support them get more physically active”.

“We trialled this funding round in 2022 with great success and this year it is exciting to see more kura and organisations incorporating play for their tamariki”.

This year 12 projects were awarded funding 11 of which are schools or kura. Projects ranged from play stencils to roller skates and skateboards through to loose parts play.

Sport Hawke’s Bay Community Partnerships Advisor said “This funding round has enabled Sport Hawke’s Bay to work with its community and school partners to deliver an diverse range of play experiences for tamariki across Hawke’s Bay”.

Tū Manawa Active Aotearoa is a partnership between Sport NZ and Regional Sports Trusts, including Sport Hawke’s Bay. The fund aims to support programmes or projects that focuses on play, active recreation and sport experiences for tamariki and rangatahi.

The announcement of the new funding has been announced on the first day of Play Week Aotearoa. Play Week Aotearoa 2023 is all about celebrating the value play brings to tamariki, whānau and communities across Aotearoa. Play is vital as it gives us freedom and chances to take risks. It’s how our tamariki learn to problem solve, get creative, make mistakes, create new friendships, learn skills and build a life-long love of being active.

“We encourage everyone to make the most of the summer weather and get outside and visit your awa, maunga, playground, and neighbourhood.”

To help celebrate Play Week, Sport Hawke’s Bay has partnered with Sport Gisborne Tairāwhiti, Sport Northland, Sport Bay of Plenty and Sport New Zealand to develop the Play Passport. This resource is available for download via the Sport Hawke’s Bay Facebook and website with prizes available across November.

Bradshaw adds “We also encourage everyone to come along and play with the Sport Hawke’s Bay team at the park – a lovely big open space for whānau to get together, unwind and play everywhere. We’ll be setting up at Anderson Park in Napier from 2.00pm so bring your tamariki after school and if the sun is shining take a picnic dinner. Have your Play Passport handy and show us where you have been playing. If you don’t have one, collect a Passport from us and start playing everywhere in the Hawke’s Bay!

For more information on Play Week Aotearoa 2023, visit https://sportnz.org.nz/playweek/about-play-week/

For more information on what is happening in Hawke’s Bay, visit https://www.sporthb.net.nz/Play-Active-Recreation-and-Sport/play/play-week-2023

A full list of successful applicants for the Let’s Talk Play funding round can be found below.

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Article added: Monday 06 November 2023