We all know about crowd funding - but now the Government is getting on the band wagon for the sake of our community sporting groups.
The Government has created a platform specifically to help groups raise money in these tough times with communities spanning from special Olympics teams on the West Coast to a rugby programme with a difference in Porirua, it’s helping keep organisations afloat.
The initiative is called Boosted Sport – a platform from Sport New Zealand which has already seen more than $130,000 raised in just a six-week pilot.
The programme is similar to other crowd-funding platforms but groups get ongoing support and advice about how to reach their goals, Sport NZ’s Shelley Empson said.
“Of course we don't want to replace the sausage sizzle - everyone loves that 0 but this is another option that the people can utilise, learn some new skills, build a crowd and really get to know their crowd,” she said.
It's helped brighten the outlook for Greymouth's Special Olympics team, getting them to access sponsors from around the country to fund this year's trip to the nationals.
“It allows us to step up onto that national stage,” coach Robbie Barrow said.
“For people coming from a small town like Greymouth, that's huge for us as a club.”
Projects on the platform are varied, from $3,500 raised for the Special Olympics to $83,000 to repair the flood-damaged road at the Mt Olympus ski field.
There’s also $10,000 for Sense Rugby, a special rugby programme run in Porirua run by occupational therapists to help kids with developmental and learning differences get involved.
“Some kids have made their very first friend some kids have been invited to their very first birthday party for some of our kids maintaining an hour of active sport has been a huge achievement,” Rugby Sense's Erin Rayner said.
The programme relied on community grants but thanks to Boosted Sport, they now have enough for a full 12-month programme.
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