My mum sent me a nice message of support before RSL embarked on a busy week last week. Her wise words were “sharing knowledge is one of the most powerful things we can do”. As a 100% New Zealand owned and operated company, RSL love learning and sharing and was chuffed to be able to sponsor the Recreation Aotearoa | Te Whai Oranga Recreation Summit and sponsor and support the development of the Master Class.

Transforming facilities from one purpose to another is commonplace in some countries. In most cases in New Zealand, we do this re-purposing because it is identified as the quickest and cheapest option to increase supply in a network (think warehouse to indoor courts). In other countries, heritage preservation and reducing carbon emissions are also overt drivers of re-purposing.

There is something special about our sector. The willingness for people to come together and share knowledge helps us all learn and grow. This was my last appointment of a couple of weeks of exploration, and it did not disappoint.

It felt a little bit like the first day at high school, with nerves of anticipation. Attending the IAKS 2025 Congress in Cologne was always going to be full of excitement and so far it has kept me buzzing.

What do you do when the field trip is cancelled due to low numbers? Easy, you create a field trip yourself. In this instance I got to combine two of my most favourite things; 1. Checking our facilities and all things planning, while 2. On a bicycle – the perfect combo.

The value that recreation brings to individuals / whānau and the wider community has never been more important. If you are a Recreation Professional, then you are an important leader in your community, and I hope to see you at the Recreation Aotearoa | Te Whai Oranga Summit and Master Class.

Call me old school, but I love reading our local community paper, and this page brought a smile to my face (photo attached). The entire page focused on women and girls playing sport.

Communities evolve and change, some more quickly than others. However a common thread through change appears to be the need for connection and belonging; something recreation and sport can deliver so well on.

In this age of economic austerity, where some leaders are saying we need to focus only on roads and rubbish, this article from Bryce highlights the need to think differently when it comes to your strategy for investment in projects.
This article intercepts some thinking I've been doing recently about inter-generational investment. More education needs to be given about how an investment in projects now is often for the benefit for multiple generations; many whom have not even been born. We can only kick the can down the road for so long...and it may take different investment strategies to get things done.

The power of people coming together; whether it is meeting for the first time, or reacquainting; this is the value of networking. It was great to see a good turnout in Christchurch for the Canterbury Region Recreation Aotearoa | Te Whai Oranga networking breakfast. As a sector that focusses on people, it's more important than ever before to continue to connect, share and support each other.

The social cohesion benefits of sport, recreation and community (much of which cannot be monetised or quantified) are alive and well in New Zealand. This was apparent at the Lake Kaniere Triathlon in the weekend on the West Coast. Attending as a supporter for my daughter offered a chance to observe things from the relative comfort of my proverbial armchair.