West Auckland’s Regional Sports Trust, Sport Waitākere, has announced the launch of its ambitious impact strategy, supporting the people of West Auckland to live healthy, connected, and active lives now and towards 2043.
It’s launch comes on the back of the appointment of Kerry Allan into the new role of Impact Strategist for Sport Waitākere, alongside her role as Manager for Healthy Families Waitākere. Allan continues.
“Sport Waitākere has been supporting the people of West Auckland to lead healthy, connected, and active lives for over 30 years. Our new impact strategy recognises there are many whānau in West Auckland that do not have the same access to healthy and active lives, which is why our new focus will be on reducing inequities for those who have been missing out.”
Sport Waitākere has a history of being responsive to Māori, alongside a recent commitment to honouring its commitments to Te Tiriti o Waitangi. The organisation recognised its natural next step is reviewing its approach, engagement with and prioritising Māori in West Auckland. Sport Waitākere CEO, David George, continues.
“West Auckland is also home to people from many places, cultures and traditions, and this diversity will continue to increase. In the next few decades, there will be greater numbers of Māori and people in the broad Asian and Pacific groupings. The new impact strategy recognises the need to continue to grow and develop to work alongside these communities.”
Alongside a concerted effort to serve communities missing out, the impact strategy reflects the changing environment and system it operates, including a shift away from structured sport towards movement, play and health and wellbeing. It also recognises the organisations’ role in shifting mindsets and effecting systems change. Approaches to enable these shifts include:
- Prioritising social innovation and systems change
- Providing leadership and a robust backbone function for collaboration with relevant partners
- Supporting community-led approaches that contribute to healthy and active lives
- Building capability and leadership of our community to lead/participate in collective action for system change
- Understanding and responding to our diverse community and prioritise those experiencing inequity
- Influencing investment, planning and regulatory environments to support healthy and active lives
- Building capability in and prioritise mātauranga Māori approaches
Under the new impact strategy, the following community groups will be prioritised by Sport Waitākere:
- Māori whānau
- Pasifika whānau
- Asian whānau
- First 1000 days (conception to two years)
- Under 5s
- Tamariki
- Rangatahi
The Impact Strategy demonstrates Sport Waitākere’s commitment to a more vibrant and equitable West Auckland community. George continues.
“By prioritising social innovation, collaboration, back boning community-led initiatives, and fostering leadership within the community, we collectively aim to enable systemic change to support people to lead connected, healthy and active lives.”
Launching the impact strategy marks a new pathway for Sport Waitākere in supporting the people of West Auckland.
For more information on the impact strategy visit here.
