Making sport available to disadvantaged children in Canterbury.
Currently 254,000 or 27% of all kiwi kids are living in poverty.
For so many families the cost of team subs or sports gear is simply out of reach so many children are missing out on being able to play a sport.
We know that sport can teach essential life skills such as resilience, goal setting, self responsibility, teamwork, self belief and leadership.
Physical activity dramatically increases a childs sense of well being, encourages more effective learning and breaks down social barriers.
Recent research (2019) conducted by Sport New Zealand involving 60,000 kiwi children found there were a number of barriers that prevent a child in deprivation from being able to participate in sport.
The key barriers were:
COST
“My family cant afford it”
TRANSPORT
“Its too hard to get to trainings, games and competitions”
EQUIPMENT
1 in 8 kids feel excluded from sports because they don’t have the gear.
CONFIDENCE
“I’m not good enough”
Special Friends aims to remove the barriers that prevents these children from playing sport.
Every child should have the opportunity to participate in sport regardless of their circumstances.
What we do
The Special Friends Sports Trust is a registered charitable trust established to give disadvantaged children aged between 5 and 12 years the opportunity to participate in sport.
Support us.
By making a donation to the Special Friends Sports Trust, you have the opportunity to transform the life of a young kiwi kid.