About ConnectMe Kids
Having two teenage boys who have played rugby since they were 5, we have realised the importance of kids being able to take part in weekly sports. The coaching, mentoring, training, friendships, teamwork, commitment and camaraderie - all these things have been important building blocks and have created lasting friendships and have helped shape who and how they are today.
We would love for every Kiwi Kid to have the opportunity to be part of a sports club but understand that the costs involved with subs and equipment can make this impossible for some.
ConnectMe Kids is hoping to make this possible for as many children who would love to be part of a sporting club or who have started out but can no longer afford to continue. We will be using this season to gather research from different clubs and sporting codes from around NZ to ascertain if removing the financial barriers to sign up would benefit families in their community, and if this would be a way of encourage kids and families to join a club for the long term. The idea is to get kids joining from early primary and to encourage them to stay in until their entry into high school, at which time we hope, they will choose to continue with a commitment to sport.
It is also about enabling these families to become part of a sporting community that is a big part of so many kiwi families lives, throughout their kids school years.
ConnectMe Kids will look to work with grants and funds already available in the market to cover sporting activity but we would like to see this as part of a community initiative as well, where possible. Opportunity to directly sponsor a child, or make an extra contribution to your own kids club so that funds can be collectively offered to others who need a helping hand to join a club.
If you support this initiative, we would love it if you could sign up to register your interest to be kept up to date as things progress.
In addition, we are looking to gather information from clubs, sports organisations, groups dealing with disadvantaged families etc to make sure we can make ConnectMe Kids a valuable and needed initiative so if you work in these areas or have contacts that would be open to having a conversation, please don’t hesitate to get in contact.
If you have questions or would like to discuss further, please email me directly on gerry@connectme.net.nz
Thank you.
