CEO Matthew Cooper believes that sport and recreation needs to become better when working with volunteers and are committed to “A plan to celebrate, support and increase the number of sport and recreation volunteers across the Waikato region”.
 
WILSS in conjunction with KiwiSport funding run a very successful Secondary School Student Leaders program. 
 
This is headed by Nicola Blake from WILSS who now has 500 students in the programme volunteering across a wide range of activities. The students are required to complete 30 hours of community service to obtain their KiwiSport Leaders Award. 
 
A great example is four students contributing 800 hours of volunteering in the community. Ella Higgins from Cambridge High School has amassed more than 300 hours in past two years. In winter she is busy umpiring netball at secondary school and club level and has aspirations to progress to become a national umpire. In the summer she is a lifeguard at Waihi Beach.
 
Matthew McHugh, also from Cambridge High, has accumulated 170 hours as a rugby referee and is currently on the NZ Rugby Referees programme.
 
From St John's College Jaxson Fisher and Brayden Were are hitting the 150 hours mark each refereeing basketball and also coaching. Fellow student Corban Hall has advanced quickly as a Water Polo referee acquiring 70 hours experience and attaining National Level 2 status.
 
Throughout the Waikato there are 73,500 volunteers in sport delivering 4.3 million hours of work and contributing $65.1 million to regional GDP.
 
These students are certainly contributing their share and setting a great example to other youth for the future.
 
A new look Sport Waikato Volunteer web page will be launched in September with resources that will help organisations Plan – Grow - Support and Celebrate Volunteers. 

Sport Waikato new focus on volunteer awareness

More News Articles

~/getmedia/ff7f5047-e00a-4012-b1cb-93aa6f7241ab/DisasterReliefFund-copy2.png.aspx?width=480&height=270&ext=.png
Fund established to support sport and physical activity in the Coromandel

Fund established to support sport and physical activity in the Coromandel

26/05/2023

To address the challenges faced by the Thames-Coromandel community, the Thames-Coromandel Disaster Relief Fund for Play, Active Recreation and Sport fund has been established.

Click to read more

~/getmedia/1a59f101-02ce-4b40-af89-1254dfc3047f/coach-g9c0176140_1920.jpg.aspx?width=480&height=320&ext=.jpg
Why we’re always looking for coaches and what to do about it

Why we’re always looking for coaches and what to do about it

14/04/2023

I love coaching. I love almost every opportunity to coach, and I feel joyful standing out on the grass with my session set up before the players arrive knowing that I’m about to get another opportunity to coach.  But I know that too many of you do not. 

Click to read more

~/getmedia/50672599-99e6-4a10-867a-c8cbbf6e080e/TIM-YWL.jpg.aspx?width=1556&height=872&ext=.jpg
How co-design is helping more young women to be active at school

How co-design is helping more young women to be active at school

01/02/2023

Co-design can be as simple as getting students to help plan an already existing idea - just the opportunity to have their say and feel like they are actually being heard is often enough to get their buy in to being actively engaged.

Click to read more

~/getmedia/219ebf0b-39bd-4f75-8029-e98864ab1f5b/008_WaikatoSportsAwards_26Jan2023.jpg.aspx?width=480&height=320&ext=.jpg
2022 Waikato Sport & Active Recreation Awards - Winners

2022 Waikato Sport & Active Recreation Awards - Winners

27/01/2023

The 2022 winners were announced at Sport Waikato's Let’s Move Waikato event held at Claudelands....

Click to read more

Working...