Exciting projects such as Volleyfest, a Girl Guiding Community Programme and off-road mountain biking are amongst those selected by Sport NZ to be funded through the Young Women’s Activation Fund.

Sport NZ received applications from a wide range of organisations with the focus being on creating opportunities for young women aged 12 to 18 to increase their time spent being physically active and to take up leadership opportunities in play, active recreation and sport.

Investment of $2 million has been confirmed across nine projects which target young women who have lower levels of physical activity. The project teams will work together with Sport NZ over the next three years to deliver their initiatives, share lessons and experiences.

The Young Women’s Activation fund was launched by Sport NZ in April this year with eligible organisations applying for $30 - $300k per project over a maximum of three years to support their initiatives.

Sport NZ has committed to $3 million of contestable funding over three years to support projects designed to get more young women physically active and develop leadership opportunities through play, active recreation and sport. Further funding opportunities will be available next year.

The new investment delivers to the leadership and participation outcomes of the Women and Girls in Sport and Active Recreation Strategy and is split across two new funds, Young Women’s Activation Fund and Innovations for Young Women.

The funded projects are:

Community Programme Project: Girl Guiding New Zealand

The Girl Guides Community Programme is aimed at engaging young women not currently involved with guiding by offering a series of community based active recreation and outdoor recreation experiences.

Empowering Young Women through Sport - Ignite Sport Trust

This project will focus on young women identified by schools as “at risk” or disengaged with education as well as supporting young women who were former refugees and new migrants to engage in physical activity and feel more confident in their new environment.

Fast 5 Centre Competition Innovation: Netball New Zealand

Netball New Zealand will enable the roll out of a youth Fast 5 Programme (a modified 5 aside version of Netball) to Netball Centres over three years, where youth will be a key part of the co design of both the programme and delivery models.

YEAH! GIRLS: New Zealand Cricket

Building on and expanding its YEAH! GIRLS pilot which is part of the ‘Women & Girls and Cricket Strategic Framework’. The project will increase young women’s participation in cricket across both competitions and informal forms of active participation.

Just Shift IT: The Shift Foundation

This project will co-design initiatives with small groups of young women to engage them in physical activity, active recreation and sport opportunities, with a focus on holistic wellbeing, building confidence and connection.

ACTIV8: Sport Tasman

ACTIV8 is about activating girls (#activ8her) to be physically active. This project is focussed on working with schools, using elements of co design and collaboration to provide fun and non-traditional activities to young women who are less active.

This is ME® Secondary Schools Programme: Sport Waikato

The This is ME® Secondary Schools Programme is an expansion of the current project into new districts. It addresses barriers to participation, engagement and leadership opportunities for young women.

Dirt is good - encouraging a lifelong love of riding bikes: WORD (Wellington Off-road Riding Department)

This project will offer an opportunity for young women in Porirua to get active through mountain biking programmes. The focus is on ‘girls-only’ camps to improve participation numbers and create pathways to outdoor leadership.

Volleyfest: Volleyball New Zealand

Volleyfest is a holistic, fun, festival programme co designed with young women. It is focussed on the activity of young Pasifika and Maori women and is community-based to include wider Whanau/Fono.

Further information can be found on the Sport NZ website.