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Councils

Here’s where you'll find the latest information for councils, as well as related material from across our site and answers to frequently asked questions.

The Active Communities section has information and resources for councils, and you can use Search to find information on a specific topic.

Related programmmes

Volunteers

Volunteers form the backbone of sport and recreation in New Zealand. Please join SPARC and say a huge thanks to your volunteers.

Thank your volunteers – send them an e-card!

We want to make it easy for you to say thanks to all those important people who give up their time and energy to help make your sport happen. This could be your coach, trainer, referee, judges, orange cutters, uniform washer or perhaps someone who just takes you to the game. 

Send your e-card now.

 

How to get funding
SPARC provides funding to support participation by communities in sport and physical recreation programmes. Our aim is to invest in projects that will deliver strong outcomes in terms of making New Zealand the world’s most active nation.
Sharing Good Practice
Active Communities projects and council initiatives encourage people to lead active lifestyles through sport and recreation opportunities.

The case studies below highlight some of the innovative projects and initiatives that have been undertaken. They include information about why the project was initiated, the organisations involved, the lessons learned and how success is measured.

Use the links below or left-hand menu to learn about some Active Communities projects:

Collaboration

Young people

Sport

Facilities

Community initiatives

Events

Environment
Physical Activity Strategies
SPARC recognises the importance of strategic planning and in previous years has invested in and supported the development of regional and district level strategic plans, aimed at increasing levels of participation in sport and recreation.
Active New Zealand Survey
The Active New Zealand Survey is a national survey that measures participation in sport and recreation, and the physical activity levels of New Zealand adults aged 16 years and over. 

The survey provides information on how active we are, and in what sports and physical activities we participate and the duration and intensity of physical activity and involvement in sport and recreation as a volunteer, club member or in organised events/competitions.
Club Kit

Creating and running a sports or recreation club can be a hugely rewarding experience and it's a great way to get involved with your community. SPARC is dedicated to getting New Zealanders moving and your club has a big part to play in this.

Running a sports or recreation club doesn't need to be a complicated or difficult job and with the right information you'll be able to achieve your club's goals easily. Whether your club is just a few people or a larger group – Club Kit will give you tips and resources to run a successful club and have a lot of fun while you're there!

You’ll find great video examples of some sports and recreation clubs that have used the resources offered within Club Kit. To find out what benefits Club Kit has to offer your club, click on the link below to see how Club Kit can work for you.

Activity-friendly environments

SPARC provides a platform for planning to create activity-friendly environments (AFEs).

Activity-friendly environments make activity - such as walking, cycling to work or school, or taking the stairs - the easy choice.

Research shows that 840,000 New Zealand adults are sedentary and that environments are obstacles to action.

Below you can find out about:

Obstacles to Action
In 2003, SPARC and the New Zealand Cancer Society undertook a study of over 8,000 New Zealanders to find out about motivators and barriers to physical activity, nutrition, community facilities, obesity and sources of health information. 

The results of this study are presented in a number of reports called 'Obstacles to Action: A Study of New Zealanders' Physical Activity and Nutrition'.

Sportville Model Review
Since the mid 1990s the term sportville has been used (rather loosely) to refer to a variety of partnership arrangements entered into by sports clubs. The idea of traditional single-purpose sports clubs forming collectives is not new but in more recent times there has been a growing interest in the cost/benefit of consolidating resources, and a desire to know “what works and what doesn’t.”

What's new?

FAQs

Updated | 17 Sep 2008.

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