Sports Camps are a natural flow on for our Community Workers in local high schools who are already positively influencing significant numbers of youth through the Kia Mahi Tahi programme, as well as by coaching school sports teams. Youth they are working with are then invited to be part of the teams for two super positive Summer Sports Camps, led by Max Guptill (Community Worker Manager) and a team of adult volunteers.
Both camps offers the opportunity for youth to participate in a large number of different sports e.g. Rugby, Netball, Volleyball, Hockey, Soccer, Basketball, Athletics, Swimming, Cross Country to name a few. The first camp held at the beginning of December has a more relaxed atmosphere where the focus is on encouraging participation across the various sporting codes. The second camp held each Auckland Anniversary weekend (end of January) is competitive by nature, and with the experience gained from the first camp the youth have the confidence to take part competitively in sporting codes they may not otherwise participate in competitively in school settings.
These camps are positive professionally run events and our team of volunteers make it possible to transport and supervise the youth for what is an enormously positive experience for them. Many of the youth that participate are from below average income families and it is not realistic for them to be able to pay to attend these camps or for uniforms. So the Trust does its best each year to secure funding to give as many full camp scholarships away as possible and at least a partial subsidy to the other participants. The uniforms are also provided free of charge. We know that this will enable many to take part who would benefit enormously not to be excluded because of their home financial situation.
