Sport Leadership
Selwyn Sports Trust
Movement is medicine for the soul, and here in Selwyn, we are grateful for sports, and the subsequent teams behind the scenes that keeps us all moving and active.
The Sport Leadership Award recognises the leadership within groups and clubs and their outstanding contribution to actively promote participation and excellence within the sport and recreation environment in the Selwyn district.
One organisation that stood out was that of Selwyn Sports Trust who humbly accepted the award in 2021.
Established in 2013, the Selwyn Sports Trust has a vision to inspire participation through opportunity and leadership in Selwyn. Since its creation it has only grown, in size and reputation, and now provides all manners of sporting events and active programmes. With its focus on community events and primary school introduction to sports and activities programmes, it aims to inspire participation and give opportunities for the Selwyn community to be active for life.
The Trust also share the philosophy that movement is medicine. Creating a gateway for everyone to be more active, and to focus their passions on physical activity is something that the Trust has achieved and continues to achieve.
The award itself, that they graciously accepted, gave the Trust recognition for their hard work and dedication in the award category.
“On behalf of the Board and the staff behind the Selwyn Sports Trust, I can say that we were thrilled to accept the award in 2021. The award recognised our commitment and reconfirmed that the Selwyn Sports Trust is heading in the right direction to making the difference we want in our community. It endorsed our vision for sports leadership within Selwyn and reminded us just how important the work that we do, is.”- Doug McSweeney, General Manager of Selwyn Sports Trust
Doug McSweeney has only recently transitioned to his role as General Manager of Selwyn Sports Trust, and he is very proud of his organisation. Coming from a background working with professional sports, he commented that the work the Trust does in the Selwyn community does so much to deliver many positive outcomes.
“The Board and the staff have a clear vision and understanding of what is important in the sport and physical activity space, and we look forward to growing our support and delivery over the coming twelve months and beyond”
The Selwyn Sports Trust has a real focus on leadership within its primary school activator programme, supporting the development of young people to lead withing their school peers so that they will take what they learn with them as they move through life. The Trust also delivers the iBike educational programme in collaboration with the Selwyn District Council. This programme gives young people the skills they need to be safe while riding their bikes, and it also creates confidence that riding a bike can give young people, with the overall benefit of physical activity – which is a win-win!
The award brought recognition to Selwyn Sports Trust. To be recognised and applauded by their community reinforced that the work they do is important to the people of Selwyn. The publicity that came from winning an award for their leadership skills boosted their reach to the public and it has been an exciting year for the Selwyn Sports Trust.
With several fantastic events they deliver, in cooperation with Selwyn District Council, there are an abundance of activities that the community can try out and build connections with others. From road running groups and events all over Selwyn to multisport events such as the Lake Crichton Series, to larger cluster primary school events held around the region; their work matters. And let’s not forget the Koru games, an annual South Island tournament consisting of team sports for year 7 & 8 students!
Selwyn Sports Trust’s vision is to enrich people’s lives and community well-being through sport and recreation. They actively create the pathway for children and young adults to get involved with sports while also encouraging and assisting their development through these sports.
The award they won for Sports Leadership in 2021 was well deserved and we are honoured to learn that their acceptance of the award and their subsequent own success has brought them a wider reach of people with whom to share their mission with.