First Gas partners with Taranaki secondary school sport association

First Gas is running, passing, jumping, kicking and cycling alongside thousands of Taranaki secondary school students.

The Taranaki-based gas company has signed on as the headline partner of the Taranaki
Secondary Schools' Sports Association (TSSSA), which promotes sporting opportunities for
the region's secondary school students.

With 43 regional sports organisations, the TSSSA annually runs more than 40 sporting events, involving more than 4000 students across 14 schools from Pātea to
Waitara.

First Gas, as a major employer in the region, recognises the importance of sport to the
community, and to the health and emotional wellbeing of young people, First Gas Chief Executive Paul Goodeve says.

"We are a company of families, and many of our people have children who are involved in
sport. We like to support our people, and believe sport plays a key role in promoting a happy and healthy society."

Paul says TSSSA does a fantastic job getting young people active in sport.

"We are incredibly pleased to be able to support the work they do and look forward to working alongside them."

TSSSA relies on community and corporate funding to operate.

"Our vision is that all Taranaki secondary school students participate in some form of
physical activity. We believe that meaningful engagement in physical recreation is
important to the development of a young person and is vital to a lifetime love of sport,"
TSSSA Regional Sports Director Rebecca Scott says.

Rebecca says the partnership is very important to TSSSA as First Gas are a major contributor to the wellbeing of the Taranaki community.

"First Gas's support allows us to continue to offer a growing number of sports and events to young people throughout the region and ensures we can be fully inclusive.

"It will also provide us with resource to ensure we are developing our programmes to best fit the needs of youth."