We provide skateboard lessons and coaching to children in Whitianga.
We have volunteers and have 108 children enrolled at our skate school.
The need was evident for us. We have 108 children attending and have now established a Saturday class to run for a term to accommodate some of the children on the waiting list. We have increased class sizes for beginners with volunteer help to accommodate all the new beginner skateboarders. We have been lucky enough to continue seeking sponsorship to provide lessons to some children for free. We also give fruit and biscuits for afternoon tea to children of the skate school and others around at the time. The other barriers we have broken are running raffles, bake sales, and getting sponsorship to keep costs down for all who attended. The parents often comment on how affordable and accessible this is, making it something most families can do. We are also fortunate, and through networking, we have procured ten skateboards this year and given these away to children who don't have the financial backing to get them. We are constantly reviewing how to address barriers and have enjoyed providing this to our tamariki this year.
We have gained more volunteer help and formatted the classes to accommodate more students. We have begun doing Saturday classes to help fit those on the waitlist. We have sought sponsorship for children who can't afford to pay and have also given away skateboards to those in need, which has helped them to engage in this activity in their own time. Our primary focus has been accessibility and keeping costs low so that those in our community can afford to send their children. Our community is going through a tough time of late, with the cost of living at an all-time high and incomes at an all-time low due to road closers and weather events. We are constantly in touch with parents and whanau to ensure this is not an issue for them and help when needed to give discounted or sponsored classes to these families. Our lessons have become a highlight for many families in our area, creating a natural connection point for them. The children are excited to come each week, and the parents often stay and talk while the younger siblings enjoy the atmosphere, too.
Our Skate school has changed the whole atmosphere at the skate park and turned our skatepark into a hub for families and children. There was some anti-social behaviour at our skate park, but now there is a real family presence there, which wasn't before. It has made the park a natural connection point for families as they all chat and watch the children enjoy themselves at this facility. The home-school families also demonstrate how much of a connection point this is for them. Many have connected through the skate school and now spend time as a collective doing other activities and learning throughout the week. Providing food for the children is another massive bonus, and we often offer fruit to not just the children of the skate school but those in need at the skate park as well. We are also very grateful to our sponsors so far, who have helped with fees for the children, and this has been an excellent connection for them as they are proud to support children's engagement in sports within our community.
We have kept a full roll and grown by over 20 children. We believe that this is important to be able to keep costs down. Having an affordable, fun thing to do for the children in our community is a real win when engaging the children. We hold fun lessons, not competition-based, and categorize classes as best we can. We have three girls groups, which are great to have as these girls respond so well and enjoy being together. We now have four advanced, five intermediate, and four beginner classes. The feedback from families and those within our community has been fantastic. One family suggested that it has changed their lives as they now have an outdoor activity that all three of their children enjoy, thanks to the skate school. They now plan holidays to places with skate parks, and all spend time together on the weekends enjoying our skatepark together. There are many stories of children who didn't do other sports and felt anxious about engaging in different aspects of their lives. Engaging with our skate school has helped as a stepping stone for these children, curating emotional well-being and confidence to make friends and connect with others. Helping them to find inner mana and wairua to engage again with other aspects of community life. We feel so blessed and grateful to have this program be so successful and are thankful to everyone who is part of the skate school and our community for making it all possible.
