Helping Young New Zealanders Participate in Sport

In 2019, ANZUK Education was looking for ways to support our wider community. After some investigation, we met with Thomas from The Waterboy and were blown away. The Waterboy’s vision is “to make sport and personal development activities an achievable option for every kid” and their sponsorship programme helps young people to participate in sport by matching young New Zealanders with sponsors.

Our value of excellence in education aligns directly with their vision to break down barriers and give Kiwis opportunities to participate in personal development activities.

When we were matched with Tylah and Kainuku Nikara, we knew that they were deserving of some help with accessing sporting opportunities. Through our sponsorship, we were able to organise sports gear for Tylah and Kainuku and enrol them in classes that they were keen to be involved in. Not long after this, a surprise visit was arranged for Tylah and Kainuku to visit our Auckland office and receive a donation of sports gear and clothing – they were very surprised and grateful!

Following this, we have kept in touch with the family and we were excited to hear about Tylah and Kainuku taking part in swimming lessons. We caught up earlier this year and it was great to see that Tylah and Kainuku’s confidence had grown. They were excited about the opportunities they had experienced so far, and the new adventures ahead. In the last few months, Tylah has begun a new chapter with Kapa Haka and is about to head to Nelson for the Kapa Haka nationals.

Building this connection with the Nikara whānau has been an amazing experience. The family have worked hard to get to where they are now and are instilling great life habits in their children. We’ve seen clearly that participation in sport goes so much further than having a bit of fun with a group of mates – it encourages social connections, health and community wellbeing, and the opportunity for personal development. This flows on to many positive habits in life, building self-belief, and fostering confidence and courage.

We are so grateful that we have been part of the Nikara family’s journey and we can’t wait to see what they do next!

Claire Foy
ECE Recruitment Consultant