NORTHAND SPORTS COALITION​​​​​​​

Regional sports connecting all Northlanders - Nāku te rourou, nau te rourou, ka ora ai te iwi

The Northland Sports Coalition (NSC)  was formed in 2015 on behalf of Northland’s regional sporting organisations, with the idea of supporting and advocating for the on-going development of sport.

The NSC aims to strengthen the engagement between sport and the various Northland councils, along with identifying areas of common interest and advocating for regional co-operation on sport, active recreation and play issues in Northland.​​​​​

PURPOSE
The Northland Sports Coalition (NSC) is a forum of members which exists to speak on behalf of and collectively support, promote and advocate for the on-going development of sport in Northland.

OUTCOMES

  • Speak as a collective voice for active recreation and sport on behalf of the member organisations
  • Strengthen engagement and voice of active recreation and sport with Northland Councils
  • Provide submissions to Northland Councils on matters of planning and infrastructure
  • Ensure regional awareness of challenges, issues and opportunities affecting the provision of active recreation and sport in the region
  • Develop and recommend solutions-based initiatives to enhance regional participation in active recreation and sport
  • Identify areas of common regional interest and advocate for regional cooperation on active recreation and sport issues in these areas
  • Collaborate on other regional active recreation and sport initiatives that may arise from time to time
  • Provide a Te Ao Māori perspective

NSC INITIATIVES

  • Development of Kōkiri at Te Waka Hourua - Northland Play, Active Recreation and Sport Strategy (Current)
  • Northland Balance is Better Project 
  • Māori Participation and Engagement - Partnering with NSO’s, RSO’s and the wider sport sector through a kaupapa Māori approach to grow Māori involvement at all levels of sport
  • Professional Development for RSO Boards and Staff – Including Board 101 & 102 workshops, Volunteering Northland Governance Bites Sessions, and CE/GM development opportunities
  • Northland Sports Governance Forum - Establishment and facilitation of regular forums providing professional development and critical networking opportunities for RSO Chairs and Deputy Chairs
  • Centralised Database of Potential Board Members
  • Promotion of Sport in Media – Highlighting local achievements, stories, and opportunities to enhance sport visibility
  • Structure of Seasons Agreement - Developed and maintained between codes at Kensington Park
  • Council Submissions - Regular submissions made to all four Council plans, including support to RSOs through provision of information and suggested wording
  • St John Service at Kensington Park - Winter codes now have access to St John services at Kensington Park
  • Support for NorthTec Sport and Recreation Programme - Successful advocacy for the continuation of the NorthTec Sport and Recreation programme at Kensington
  • Workforce Forums - Supporting the professional development and connection of the Northland RSO workforce
  • Secondary School Engagement - Building stronger connections and engagement between RSO's and the secondary school sector
  • Advocacy for Regional Rate - Successfully advocated for the continuation of the Regional Sporting Facilities Rate
  • Organisational Capability and Leadership - Ongoing work to strengthen RSO governance and operational effectiveness
  • Coaching Strategy Implementation - Rollout and development of the regional coaching plan to support coach development across Northland

NSC EXECUTIVE
An Executive is in place and is responsible for recommending to the full membership (the 40 Northland RSOs affiliated with Sport Northland) the initiatives and work programmes to be undertaken by the NSC.

The Executive comprises up to 11 representatives:

  • Six elected by NSC member sport organisations
  • Four appointed members, one from each of Northland's councils
  • One representative from the non-sporting organisations category (schools)

There is also the potential for an advisory group representative from Ngā Tai Ora - Public Health Northland. Sport representatives are nominated by the governance groups of member organisations, aligned to the category in which their sport sits.

Representatives are drawn from the following sport categories:

  • Water based (1* representative)
  • Grass fields (3* representatives)
  • Indoor (1* or up to 3* representatives)
  • Other (1* or up to 3* representatives)
  • Northland Councils (4* representatives)
  • Non-Sporting Organisations - Schools (1* representative)

Advisory Group

  • Nga Tai Ora, Public Health Northland (1* representative)

Water Based Sports
Gabrielle de Latour Surf Life Saving Northern Region (Member Services Manager - Acting) Email: gabriella.delatour@surflifesaving.org.nz

Grass Field Sports
Pele Wharawhara-Phillips - Rugby League Northland (Academy Lead) Email - pelewp@rln.co.nz
Dave Mullan (NSC Chair) – NorthGolf Association (Club Development Officer) Email - david@northgolf.nz  
James Coleman - Northern Region Football (Area Manager - Far North Region & Northland Team Lead) Email james.coleman@nrf.org.nz

Indoor Sports
Gaye Trimble - Squash Northland (District Manager) Email: admin@squashnorthland.co.nz 

Other Sports
Anna Hewitt – Parafed Northland (General Manager) Email - anna@parafednorthland.co.nz  

Northland Councils
Jenny Roonie – Kaipara District Council 
Sarah Snowden – Whangarei District Council (Parks and Recreation Manager)
Phil Heatley – Northland Regional Council (Strategic Projects Manager)

Non-Sporting Organisations
​​​​​​​
Natasha Hemara – Kamo High School (Principal)

For further information, contact Joey Yovich, Regional Sport Connector, at josephy@sportnorth.co.nz 

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