TE KŪITI Year 13 student Callum Hedley was recently named in the New Zealand Kī o Rahi team and will travel to the South Island in the coming months with the team.
NEW ZEALAND Carbon Farming, a business responsible for replanting former King Country farmland in pine trees, has recently developed a partnership with Te Kūiti High School. “Our wider school community will see the positive outcomes from this sponsorship initiative from New Zealand Carbon Farming, and it will make a real difference in the lives of our students,” principal Gareth Williams said. “Thanks to a recent funding injection from New Zealand Carbon Farming, our students have been able to enjoy the benefits of playing sport without some of the financial burden,” he said. He said Te Kūiti Year 13 student Callum Hedley was recently named in the New Zealand Kī o Rahi team where he will travel to the South Island in the coming months with the team. Kī o Rahi is a traditional Māori game played with a small round flax ball called a kī. Two teams of seven, known as kaioma and taniwha, play on a circular field divided into zones and score points by touching the boundary markers or hitting a central target. With a school roll of approximately 300 students, Te Kuiti High School has a love for sport but like many rural schools, there can be financial barriers to ongoing participation. Due to their location, they compete against other schools across the Waikato region, which can create high travel costs for the school and their athletes. His students gain a number of key skills from being part of a sports team, including how to have positive social interactions and learning to collaborate, which will help them in the workplace in the future, Gareth said. “But the major challenge we face is ensuring we can compete at events, and we regularly find ourselves asking for support from the same local businesses and members of the community for assistance and donations,” he said. “The rising costs of equipment, uniforms, accommodation, and travel expenses can place a burden on families.” Sports co-ordinator Rangi Te Whare said the funding was going to help a lot of Te Kūiti High School students like Callum by assisting parents with travel and accommodation costs. The partnership with NZ Carbon Farming has ensured students like Headley will be able to compete in sporting events and chase their dreams, Gareth said. “As a school we are incredibly grateful for the support of New Zealand Carbon Farming, and it means a lot to us that they have provided us with the opportunity to take part in sport and compete further afield.” New Zealand Carbon Farming director Bruce Miller said they are delighted to have partnered with Rob Waddell and Associates on a nationwide programme to provide greater access to a wide range of sports and activities for young people. “Rising costs can prevent our young people from having access to all the benefits sporting participation brings – from healthy exercise to positive social skills and interaction. We’re proud to be helping local schools in the regions where NZCF works share in the benefits of this programme,” he said. Te Kuiti High School is receiving a share of $30,000 per annum specifically dedicated to local schools. The programme is initially for a two-year period and then NZCF was hoping to continue and to grow. There were 6 high schools currently being supported by NZ Carbon Farming in Taranaki and King Country as part of its national schools sports programme investment of more than $100,000.
