Since 1987, Sport Bay of Plenty has been helping more people in our community get more active, more often. A not-for-profit organisation, Sport BOP advocates for and helps produce a stronger physical activity system across the rohe.
Their efforts have been aided by the support from various supporters, including funding from the Rotorua Trust. This funding has allowed them to work collaboratively with individuals and providers to deliver physical activity opportunities that elevate the well-being of our community.
One area of focus for Sport BOP is addressing the decline in physical activity among those aged 15 and above. Sport BOP notes a noticeable drop off in physical activity from the age of 15. Alongside secondary schools and providers, Sport BOP’s Active Young People (AYP) team is helping to ensure the collective voice of rangatahi is heard in order to advocate, influence and provide for better physical activity options and develop future student and sector leaders. As part of the AYP team, Sport BOP has two specialists working in the rangatahi Māori and women and girls spaces respectively, bringing their expertise to the fore to ensure the nuances and needs of these groups are sufficiently met.
The Sport Development team advises across the sector, ensuring a strong system continues to provide better ways to be active while the Spaces and Places lead is engaging with Council to help guide a play, active recreation and sport (PARS) strategy, enabling more holistic and impactful decisions for investment in regional PARS and sport infrastructure.
Recent successes include the AYP team now leveraging the Voice of Rangatahi (VoR) secondary school survey, providing data-driven insights, which help highlight the needs and wants of this key demographic. This data-driven approach has resulted in increased co-design processes, ensuring that rangatahi in Rotorua receive the physical activity opportunities they desire in a manner that resonates with them.
Through their Community Sport Advisor role, the Sport Development team continues to contribute to the development of sustainable and coordinated delivery of high-quality physical activity opportunities for the community. Solutions, such as shared facilities between codes and clubs and the utilisation of previously abandoned land, have paved the way for forward-thinking strategies.
Sport BOP’s future aspirations include further engaging rangatahi, co-designing initiatives, and promoting a coordinated approach to sports provision.