Sporting grant buys badminton gear for Tamatea High

Tamatea High School badminton players (from left) amokura tamatāne (head boy) Sam Adams, Farsai Butthisan, Nicole He, Parkarwat Phrommahaxay, Ken Bolland and Kaylee Kleynhans (front).

Tamatea High School is one of several Hawke's Bay Schools to receive a share of more than $400,000 in sports funding over two years, thanks to a new sponsorship initiative from one of Aotearoa's major design and construction companies, Apollo Projects.

The company is sponsoring 13 schools across Hawke's Bay, Taranaki, and Gisborne for two years in an effort to help more students play sport. Apollo Projects opened a Hawke's Bay base in March and is currently building the Hawke's Bay Aquatic Facility and the Pettigrew Green Arena extension.

Although Tamatea High School careers adviser Cindy Morgan is mainly focused on helping students on their career path, she also finds funding opportunities to fill gaps related to learning and sports, says principal Robin Fabish.

"She worked with Apollo to identify a project that would meet their criteria."

In August the school found out their application had been successful. Robin says Apollo is focused on helping sports teams who might not be able to participate at the level they are capable of because of resourcing.

"We will use the funds to support our badminton teams. Our boys' and girls' teams have performed very well in the C and D grade competitions and we'd like to work towards qualifying for the B grade."

Robin says not all of their students have the disposable funds necessary to purchase their own high spec gear, so the $3000 grant will have a positive impact on the school.

It will be spent on 12 new rackets, new uniforms for the girls' badminton team, new shuttles and competition grade nets and the Hawke's Bay Champs entry fee for 10 people.

"Top quality gear will support the students in their goals to continually improve and compete at higher levels."

He says the grant allows students the chance to compete at a higher level of badminton with better equipment and access to an experience they may not have had.

"It also gives a sense of pride to be looking good in new uniforms."

Although only one sporting code will benefit from the grant at this stage, Robin says it will allow the school to increase their badminton intake from three to six teams. It also meant the school can now prepare for 2022 and "hit the ground running".

"Once the uniforms and extra equipment arrive in early 2022, the students will be given the opportunity to start training in Term 1, as opposed to starting in Term Two when the competition begins."

Robin says the school is grateful for the support Apollo have given to them and other schools in the community.

"All of the students in our schools deserve the assistance. It is great to see them achieve their goals with the help of entities like Apollo."