Volunteers form the backbone of community sport in New Zealand.

Did you enjoy the TV ad?

We've had lots of great feedback about the 'Volunteers: the heart of sport' TV ad, which acknowledges and celebrates teh fantastic contribution that volunteers make to sport. The music is 'Pulled along by love' by the Muttonbirds.

Watch the new SPARC television commercial 'Volunteers; the heart of sport' (WMV. 1MB)

Be in to win!

To assist SPARC in reviewing the effectiveness of these Case Studies we would like your feedback please.

All participants who complete this online survey will go into the draw to win one of three $50 Rebel Sports vouchers. Fill in your details at the end of the survey to go into the draw.

The survey closes on 27 June 2008.

Enter the survey.

The case studies below highlight some of the innovative projects and initiatives that have been undertaken.  They include information about why the project was initiated, the organisations involved, the lessons learned and how success is measured.

Use the links below or left-hand menu to learn about some Active Communities projects:

• (NEW!) Sports House in the Taranaki – a model for regional sporting development
  
• (NEW!) Wellington City Council - Talent Development Programme
• (NEW!) Rotorua World Mountain Bike Champs – Taking an Event into the Community
• (NEW!) Hutt Valley No Exceptions District Declaration
• (NEW!) Mythbusting: what the regional data says
  
• (NEW!) Waitakere - A case study in relationship building
• (NEW!) Wellington - Push Play Outreach
• Tauranga - City On Its Feet Programme
• Auckland Facilities Partnership Scheme
• ARPASS (Auckland Regional Physical Activity and Sport Strategy)
•  Active Canterbury

• How SPARC supports the development of physical activity strategies
• A Step-by-Step Guide to Strategic Planning for Physical Activity
• Changing Physical Activity Behaviour

The New Zealand Sport and Physical Activity Survey (NZSPAS) is a national survey that measures participation in sport and recreation, and the physical activity levels of New Zealand adults aged 16 years and over. 

Three surveys have been run to date - 1997/98, 1998/99 and 2000/01. A total of 16,500 New Zealanders have been interviewed - including 12,500 adults (people aged 18 and over) and 4000 young people (5-17 year olds).

Creating and running a sports or recreation club can be a hugely rewarding experience and it's a great way to get involved with your community. SPARC is dedicated to getting New Zealanders moving and your club has a big part to play in this.

Running a sports or recreation club doesn't need to be a complicated or difficult job and with the right information you'll be able to achieve your club's goals easily. Whether your club is just a few people or a larger group – Club Kit will give you tips and resources to run a successful club and have a lot of fun while you're there!

SPARC provides a platform for planning to create activity-friendly environments (AFEs).

Activity-friendly environments make activity - such as walking, cycling to work or school, or taking the stairs - the easy choice.

Research shows that 840,000 New Zealand adults are sedentary and that environments are obstacles to action.

Below you can find out about:

• Planning for activity-friendly environments
• Examples of activity-friendly environments in New Zealand

The results of this study are presented in a number of reports called 'Obstacles to Action: A Study of New Zealanders' Physical Activity and Nutrition'.

• Read the Overview Report online
• Download the reports