Regional Update

• Community Resilience Fund 2.0 still open
• Regional funding available
• Changes to COVID-19 Alert Levels
• Collective Conversation: COVID-19 and Alert Levels
• Understand contact tracing requirements
• Registrations open for Women and Girls Summit
• What should a central support model for our region look like?
• Webinar: Retention and Participation in Sport – Why Retention is Important Post Covid
• Learning how to be adaptable as a coach
• Recreation Aotearoa update
• Sport NZ update

Community Resilience Fund 2.0 still open

The fund is first-in, first-served, so make sure you check out the full guidelines on our website and apply now! If you have any questions, please email us at crf@sportwellington.org.nz.

Regional funding available

Apply now to the Sport Wellington Return to Play Fund and claim reimbursement for up to $3,000 (+ GST if GST registered) for COVID-19 related expenses incurred after 10 July 2020. Full guidelines and more information can be found on our website. 

Changes to COVID-19 Alert Levels

Sport NZ have recently updated their Alert Level information. The main changes affect hunting, inter-regional travel, essential contact tracing methods, and the encouragement of face coverings. Displaying a QR poster for the NZ Covid Tracer contact tracing app is also mandatory as of Wednesday, 19 August. 

The Ministry of Health are asking for people to continue to implement good hygiene practices and social distancing, stay home if you are unwell, and follow official guidelines. This week they also released a guide on how to use a face mask safely, as these are recommended for use on public transport.

We recommend you revisit your health, safety, pandemic and business continuity plans for each Alert Level, with particular consideration for new changes to the Alert Level guidelines, as well as reflections from your current experiences delivering physical activity at Alert Level 2. 

Collective Conversation: COVID-19 and Alert Levels

Yesterday we hosted a special Collective Conversation which focused on the impact of COVID-19 and the delivery of physical activity in the greater Wellington region. This webinar covered:

• updates to Alert Level 2 guidelines;
• experiences delivering sport and active recreation at Alert Level 2;
• latest updates from Sport NZ.

Understand contact tracing requirements

Contract tracing is mandatory for organisations operating at Alert Level 2. As well as having a QR code available to visitors for the NZ Covid Tracer app, you must keep a record of the contact details of all people involved in, or attending, your activity. This information should be retained and accessible at all times for contact tracing purposes up to two months after the contact was recorded. To make sure the contact tracing process is accessible to everyone, it is highly advised that alternative systems are incorporated. This can be in the form of a physical pen and paper sign-in sheet.

Registrations open for Women & Girls Summit 2020

This year's Women and Girls Summit will be hosted online from Wednesday 7 to Friday 9 October, 1:00pm - 4.00pm daily. This event is free to attend and will focus on the key pillars of the Women and Girls in Sport and Active Recreation Strategy.

Before the event, organisers are seeking insights into play, active recreation, and sport for wāhine in Aotearoa New Zealand through a brief survey. The survey will close at 5.00pm on Friday, 28 August. 

What should a central support model for our region look like? 

• A central support model will provide services to organisations throughout the region e.g. clubs and members. These services could include finance, HR, IT, legal, marketing, procurement, and more. The intent is for the model to provide consistent and responsive services and to be accountable to its customers (regional, local and community organisations) by providing a high standard of service, while at the same time generating cost savings and other benefits for all involved.
• The model does not seek to merge or disestablish any organisations, but to promote organisational sustainability and resilience by taking the administration burden away from clubs and other organisations.

Webinar: Retention and Participation in Sport – Why Retention is Important Post COVID

This webinar will share general trends in participation - including retention and drop-out - over the past years (2015 – 2018), as well as how to retain members in the COVID-19 period. It will include ideas that sports have already used to engage with members during COVID-19 and some ideas for retaining members in the future. Find out more and register now. 

Learning how to be adaptable as a coach

Being adaptable is a key skill for coaches when it comes to creating and designing activities and games for their players and teams. Over 200 secondary school students recently explored this concept and learned about the STEPS coaching model at Student Coach Winter Sport workshops around the region. You can find out more about the STEPS coaching model and Student Coach workshops on our website.

Recreation Aotearoa update

Recreation Conference 2020: Call for Abstracts

• This year's Recreation Conference will be an online event that explores lockdown learning and changing patterns. Recreation Aotearoa are now taking submissions from potential speakers for Recreation Conference 2020, so if you have a story to share, submit your abstract now.

2020 Election: Recreation Aotearoa Asks

• To support the recreation sector to better understand the political parties and their policies, Recreation Aotearoa distributed six sector-related questions to all major political parties. View the responses on the Recreation Aotearoa website. Further responses will be added as they are received. 

Recreation Aotearoa Board Elections

• Two elected positions have become available on the Recreation Aotearoa Board and are now open for nominations. The positions are for a three-year term and will commence at the Recreation Aotearoa Board meeting on 11 December 2020. Complete the following nomination form and provide a cover letter demonstrating your capability to support Recreation Aotearoa's commitment to the NZ recreation industry, as well as a CV outlining your previous governance experience by Friday 28 August 2020. 

Sport NZ update

Resurgence Wage Subsidy

• The Government has announced a two-week COVID-19 Resurgence Wage Subsidy that will be available nationally for employers, including self-employed people, who are financially impacted by the resurgence of COVID-19 and changes to COVID-19 Alert Levels. The new wage subsidy scheme is expected to be open for applications by 21 August until 3 September. Find out more 

• In May 2019, Sport NZ began considering the future of play, active recreation and sport. The COVID-19 global pandemic made this work even more important and the initiative is now a key element of Sport NZ's pandemic response. As part of this work, Sport NZ have now published 11 environmental scans to their website. These scans explore possible drivers of change and the implications they might have on play, active recreation and sport.

• Sport NZ are hiring for a locally-led consultant. The ideal candidate will be passionate about community-led development and have deep knowledge and expertise in both social innovation processes and practice (including co-design, community engagement, systems change, leadership, and learning). Applications close 30 August. View the job description and apply now. 

• The free Vitae Counselling Service has been extended through to 30 September to offer confidential one-on-one counselling sessions for people who are facing work and/or personal issues. If you are interested in taking up this offer, please contact Carolyn Casey. 

Ongoing support