Local charity to benefit from Australasian Police and Emergency Services Games in Rotorua

Rotorua is hosting the Australasian Police and Emergency Services Games next year. Photo / Supplied

When more than 3000 people come to Rotorua for the Australasian Police and Emergency Services Games next year, local youth will benefit.

The Graeme Dingle Foundation has been announced as the national charity partner of the games.

The games will attract more than 3000 competitors from throughout New Zealand and Australia for the eight-day event held in Rotorua from March 4 to 11 next year.

Event director Dave Gallagher said: "The games are all about building camaraderie, promoting a healthy lifestyle, bringing all the emergency services together from across New Zealand and Australia and putting a face to emergency services for our communities.

"That is why Graeme Dingle Foundation is a great fit – they teach the next generation key values and life skills through games, activities and the outdoors."

The foundation delivers programmes to more than 27,000 young people in over 40 communities, including Rotorua, every year.

Sir Graeme Dingle and Jo-Anne Wilkinson co-founded the organisation 25 years ago to help turn around negative youth statistics in Aotearoa.

The Foundation's Rotorua manager Nicola Smallwood said she was "ecstatic" to partner with the games.

"We're thrilled to be chosen. The event itself is an incredible opportunity to showcase our rohe, so to also give back to our rangatahi and tamariki is really special."

In Rotorua, the Graeme Dingle Foundation currently has programmes in six schools; Sunset Primary School, Horohoro School, Kaitao Intermediate, Mamaku School, Rotorua Intermediate and Western Heights High School.

"We would love to support more tamariki in kura around Rotorua. Funding is often the main barrier so support from the games is significant not just for us, but for all the communities we deliver programmes in across Aotearoa."

Entrants and games supporters can donate when they register via the website. Members of the public can still get behind the foundation by donating at the Graeme Dingle Foundation website.

A biannual event, the games were first held in Melbourne in 1984. Hosted in a new location each time, New Zealand first hosted in Whanganui 1988 and most recently 2012 in Lower Hutt.

While the games are open to current, voluntary and retired staff from New Zealand and Australia, there will be plenty of opportunities for locals to get involved as spectators and volunteers.

Volunteer manager Michelle Chapman is tasked with finding more than 400 volunteers to support the games.

Many local groups, clubs and committees have jumped on board to help in their specific sporting area.

"We are also looking to recruit volunteers to help with the opening and closing ceremonies, with Te Rito, our Games Hub, to assist with the delivery of our over 60 sporting & social activities, and local ambassadors to assist our many visitors to Rotorua. It's been fantastic to already have loads of people register."

Event and volunteer registrations are now open online at www.apes2022.co.nz.