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National and Regional Sport Organisations are having their voices heard through the inaugural Organised Sport Survey, organised by Aktive - Auckland Sport and Recreation.

The recently conducted survey saw close to 50 sporting organisations share their views on different aspects, including current areas of focus and what support may be required from Aktive and its delivery partners CLM Community Sport, Harbour Sport, Sport Auckland, Sport Waitakere and College Sport.

Luke Morriss, Coaching & Sector Development Manager, Aktive says the insights provide reflection and direction, advising "we are committed to supporting national and regional sport organisations in the recruitment and retention of more Aucklanders taking part in their sport. These findings enable us to prioritise our resources and efforts over the next year.

"Organisations identified funding, strategy and policy development as important priorities for the next 12 months, with key challenges including financial sustainability, facilities, participation and volunteers."

Other notable points from the Organisation Sport Survey include:

• Membership numbers - 63% of respondents had increased membership numbers over the past two to three years;
• Programming changes - the time, day and/or length of the programme were changing aspects, with 72% of organisations planning to make further changes to appeal to a wider group of participants (juniors, females, target population groups) over the next 12 months;
• Participation priorities - engaging with youth, providing club support and development and increasing membership and participation were identified as the top participation priorities for the next year;
• Coach development - nearly half (48%) of organisations have a coach developer employed;
• Workforce - coach development, recruitment and capability building were noted as the top ‘people (paid or unpaid) priorities’ over the next 12 months;
• Boards/Committees - 44% of board members are female - a figure which ranges from 11% to 87%. Nearly three quarters of Board /Committee Members are New Zealand European.
• Technology - most organisations have an online presence (website and social media) and either utilise or plan to use cloud-based accounting software and membership management systems.

Morriss adds "we’re here to help the sector and value the responses, ideas and suggestions received. There are various resources already available and we are building on these to boost support for the sector."

This includes a pilot Sector Developer Course taking place later this month. This new initiative focuses on National and Regional Sport Organisations staff who provide club capability support, and looks at common challenges, tools and techniques.

Aktive is a charitable trust that has been established to make Auckland the world’s most active city. It is a key strategic partner of Sport New Zealand, Auckland Council and major grant makers and funders. Aktive invests more than $11 million per annum in a range of delivery partners, organisations and projects that will get more people recreating and playing sport in Auckland, with focuses on young people and identified communities.

For more information go to aktive.org.nz

Schools rugby imsge courtesy of NZSSSC.

Related Articles

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7th February 2019 - Auckland’s Aktive awarded Governance Mark for Sport and Recreation

28th January 2019 - Aktive Fund boosts opportunities for target populations in Auckland

19th March 2018 - Study shows New Zealanders appreciate the Value of Sport

31st May 2016 - New Zealand’s major sports commit to diversity and inclusion

8th October 2015 - New study shows parents see the power of sport

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