The Joyful Movement - an initiative led by Auckland Council’s Community Action on Youth and Drugs (CAYAD) team - has been recognised with the New Zealand Rugby Innovation Award at the 2025 NZ Rainbow Excellence Awards.
The awards, held on Friday 24 October at Sky City Theatre in Tāmaki Makaurau, brought together organisations from across Aotearoa to celebrate leadership, visibility, and inclusion for rainbow communities.
New Zealand Rugby’s Head of Culture, Inclusion & Safeguarding, Judy O’Brien, says the NZ Rugby Innovation Award recognises programmes, policies, or practices that demonstrate creative thinking adapted to unique contexts, with clear measures for progress.
“Congratulations to Auckland Council and The Joyful Movement for taking home the New Zealand Rugby Innovation Award at the Rainbow Excellence Awards 2025!
“This award recognises a programme that shows the willingness to try something new and bold. Taking a community-led approach, The Joyful Movement works for a bold future where trans and non-binary people can enjoy a lifelong, mana-enhancing relationship with exercise and movement,” she says.
The pilot programme
In September it was announced on OurAuckland that The Joyful Movement was a finalist in the 2025 New Zealand Rainbow Excellence Awards.
The Joyful Movement’s entry showcased the success of a recent pilot programme, led by Auckland Council, supported by AUT School of Sport and Recreation and Sport NZ, and funded by Health New Zealand - Te Whatu Ora.
The pilot aimed to remove the many barriers young transgender and non-binary people may face in gyms and fitness centres, by upskilling staff and personal trainers to provide more inclusive programming.
Rhion Munro and Danny Kittner from CAYAD, a team within Auckland Council’s Community Impact Unit, led the pilot project.
They are thrilled The Joyful Movement has been recognised at a national level, as they believe increasing Rainbow access to exercise has the potential to deliver multiple benefits to many youth in Aotearoa including mitigating drug and alcohol harm.
It is built on industry-wide research, including feedback from 250 Rainbow youth about their challenges to access movement and exercise. Key findings and recommendations of this work are available online.
In the pilot, five personal trainers worked one-on-one with five members of the transgender community. All participants reported feeling empowered, respected and included in decision making during their training sessions and participation in the programme.
Personal trainers involved in the pilot programme have applauded The Joyful Movement. One said: “This programme has changed the way I think about exercise. It has given me a deeper purpose, a greater sense of wanting to support communities who might want to move their bodies but don’t know how to.”
Evidence exercise is life-affirming
Rhion Munro explains that movement can be life-giving and life-affirming. However, he adds that there can be complex and harmful barriers that inhibit this group from enjoying a positive relationship with physical activity.
“It is known that transgender people move less and can experience discrimination in sports and exercise environments that strip the joy out of participating.
“Building on the positive findings in the pilot, The Joyful Movement aims to shift the barriers that hold this community back. Our hope for the future is that we see a generation of empowered transgender and non-binary people who enjoy the benefits of movement and are part of safe, inclusive communities where they participate with confidence and joy.
“Working with exercise professionals to grow their capability and understanding is one of our first steps to help realise this future,” Rhion says.
National recognition
Auckland Council Head of Community Impact Dickie Humphries says seeing the council team recognised for building this innovative and compassionate programme to reduce harm within the region’s transgender and non-binary community, is transformative.
“We’re thrilled that Auckland Council and The Joyful Movement have won this award for a project that is a true community effort.
“Together, we’ve created work that has the potential to make a real difference, now and in the years ahead. It’s wonderful to see everyone’s dedication recognised, and celebrate that moment together,” says Dickie.
It is hoped that The Joyful Movement is seen in the future as a continuing professional development opportunity for personal trainers, fitness instructors, and allied exercise professionals.
“Movement is an important protective factor for young people. Research tells us that it strengthens their holistic wellbeing and provides a sense of connection and belonging to their community. In its various forms, movement can also be both a prevention and treatment strategy for reducing alcohol and drug harm in our community,” says Rhion.
Rhion hopes that in the future all transgender and non-binary people are able to find a personal trainer who knows how to work safely and confidently with transgender people and support them toward their goals in a way that is affirming and fun.
The support network
CAYAD is funded by Health New Zealand - Te Whatu Ora - to reduce drug and alcohol harm among young people. It operates in 20 locations throughout New Zealand, Auckland Council being the only council among the 20 affiliates.
Auckland Council is a Pride Pledge partner and was the first council in New Zealand to obtain the Rainbow Tick in 2019.
Auckland Council kaimahi and leaders celebrate the win alongside The Joyful Movement community members.
