Wellington - Push Play Outreach
Project collaboration - events planning for multi-agency outcomes
The best examples of collaboration in the Push Play Outreach Programme have been where the co-ordinators, community groups and agencies have aligned their planning and supported each other in delivering their initiatives. This has involved sharing planning strategies and resources to build programmes that link community needs with common organisational outcomes. Being aligned with a local authority has been helpful i.e. access to park and garden bookings, event infrastructure, increased publicity for events and programmes.
A good example of this was the Street Ball Open Sessions in the Eastern Suburbs. Push Play Outreach Co-ordinator for the southern and eastern suburbs, Anna Hobman worked with young people at Arlington Flats Housing Complex to design a street ball, krumping and skateboarding event. Anna worked with young people to develop their ideas and used WCC risk management templates to plan and make the event safe.
The event itself then morphed from a one off event into a series of summer street ball programmes. This was a result of planning sessions where it was recognized that a one off event may not increase active participation and might attract gangs and alcohol abuse among participants. Wellington basketball legend Kenny McFadden, was contracted to provide programming assistance, teaching youths the rules and culture of street ball. Parks and other locations were chosen with a deliberate emphasis on areas of high need and deprivation. It is hoped the series will encourage more regular use of local parks and courts and once local youths have learned the culture of street ball, the programme will become self managing.
The Active Communities application and the project brief
Use the application as an opportunity to start planning early.
Given the importance of planning to make a project a success, it is worth investing in good planning skills from the outset i.e. application stage. In this case, a great deal of time and resource went into the project application. This investment was not wasted because the actual project plan was built on this foundation. Similarly, the SPARC investment schedule for the project was derived from the project plan.
A pilot programme is a good idea and can help with getting it right.
Before the current programme there was a pilot, which has made planning the current programme easier. For example, the team was more aware that it would take time for the programme to develop to effect change in the community and in the behaviour of target groups. This experience was reflected in the decisions about which KPIs to use (see Good Practice Lessons below), and managing expectations regarding programme outcomes.
Despite the current programme already yielding outcomes, the project team continues to view Push Play Outreach as a pilot. They see the next stage as ensuring the programme continues to be self-sustaining.
Are more people active?
29,416 people activated in the last 2.5 years.
This graph shows the increase in participation over the last 3 years. 2005/06 was a pilot year for WCC- Push Play Outreach project, with one push play coordinator employed. In the middle of the 2006/07 financial year WCC were able to hire two more coordinators.
Now, in 2007/08 the project is seeing a huge increase in the number of people taking part due to SPARC’s Active Communities funding in 2006/07 and the ability to employ 3 fulltime coordinators.
Updated | 09 Jun 2008.
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