Netball on the North Shore has received a huge boost this month thanks to combined funding of $187,000 from Kaipātiki Local Board and Auckland Council’s Environment and Community Committee.
Of the $129,000 granted by the Kaipātiki Local Board, $88,150 will be spent on improving and expanding netball facilities at Glenfield College to enable Netball North Harbour to run a satellite programme there for local primary school age children.
Kaipātiki Local Board funding will enable three high-quality netball courts to be added alongside the three existing multi-sport turf courts currently at the school.
Netball North Harbour requires a minimum of six high-quality courts to run a satellite programme, like those already running at Westlake Girls High School and Pinehurst School.
“This partnership, between the local board, Netball North Harbour and Glenfield College is a win-win for the whole community,” says Glenfield College Principal Paul McKinley.
“Our students will benefit from having these great facilities located within our school, and our community will also benefit as we intend to provide full community access to the facilities outside of school hours."
Kaipātiki Local Board deputy chair Danielle Grant, who has worked on making this happen for a number of years, says she’s excited for families in the surrounding Glenfield, Manuka, Bayview, Marlborough, Windy Ridge, Birkdale and Beach Haven areas.
“Currently, families with year 1-6 age girls in our area are travelling all the way to Albany or down to Northcote Netball Centre if they’re lucky, to play netball on weekends.
“These new facilities will enable a quality competition closer to home for many in our area - facilities within walking or cycling distance too,” says Grant.
Local Board Chair John Gillon agrees and says, “It will be great to see the college bustling with netballers and their families on weekends.
“It’s great for Glenfield College, our community, and for the game on the shore.”
Kaipātiki Local Board also provided funding of $40,850 towards a two-year operational subsidy for Netball North Harbour, which topped up $56,000 granted earlier in the month from Auckland Council’s Environment and Community Committee.
North Shore Councillor Richard Hills says running a satellite programme at Glenfield College makes a lot of sense.
“With huge growth taking place in the Albany and Upper Harbour areas, there is continued pressure on netball in terms of capacity, so it makes sense to have our own competition closer to home.
“As a former Glenfield College student, I congratulate my old school for continuing their focus on serving the wider community while also providing more access for sport.
“With the regional funding I worked to secure at the Environment and Community Committee, followed by the funding allocation from the local board, agreement from Glenfield College and Netball North Harbour – it shows how working together can achieve significant results for our community,” says Hills.
The new facilities are expected to be built and opened in time for the beginning of the 2019 netball season.
