Hutt sports club amalgamation
The Hutt City Council have tied local sports club?s fortunes together with a three year project called Sportsville. The scheme is a collaborative effort between the Council and SPARC (Sport and Recreation New Zealand), and aims to streamline administration, improve financial sustainability and develop joint facilities for clubs. Leisure Active Manager for Hutt City Council Marcus Sherwood says Sportsville will strengthen the capacity of clubs by encouraging like-minded or geographically located clubs to work together for shared benefit.? ?A common issue is the ongoing cost of maintaining clubrooms on Council land that have fallen into disrepair because of financial constraints.? ?Sportsville aims to identify and be proactive about these issues to support sport to grow in the city,? he says. Major sporting hubs with multiple clubs, codes and facilities have been identified as ideal candidates to take part during the schemes first three years. Fraser Park is the first place ear-marked for attention. Mr Sherwood says the project is not about the amalgamation of sports clubs.? ?The most successful Sportsville models around the country have been where clubs maintain an identity within the overall structure. ?Having a separate body taking care of the administrative and operational duties allows individual clubs to concentrate on getting sports teams on the park,? he says. One of the outcomes of the project will be a move away from the traditional concept of a sports club to a more collaborative, community-owned facility. ?One example would be the development of a single high quality clubroom with training and playing facilities where individuals can play soccer, cricket, softball or bowls and where you can take the family for a meal and also attend a yoga class?, he says. Research conducted by the Council and SPARC indicates most sporting clubs struggle with similar issues including attracting and retaining members, finding enough volunteers to coach or administer teams, and attracting enough funding to be able to maintain or redevelop facilities. The Sportsville project is the councils answer to these issues. ?It?s been recognised nationally that sport needs to change to meet the different demands of social and casual participants,? says Mr Sherwood. In addition to SPARC, the project is supported by Sport Wellington, New Zealand Community Trust, Pelorus Trust and the various clubs and regional sporting organisations.
