Sport & recreation  |  Yesterday

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A community-driven project to help children play sports by recycling gear has been recognised nationally.

Gear Up Ōtautahi took out the top spot in the Outstanding Community Recreation Programme category at the 2025 Recreation Awards. The awards celebrate the projects, programmes, facilities, and people who are shaping the future of recreation across Aotearoa.

“This is a fantastic result for a project that has helped hundreds of tamariki across Christchurch and Banks Peninsula get involved in sport,” says John Filsell, Christchurch City Council’s Head of Community Support and Partnerships.

“This win reflects the creativity, collaboration, and commitment from the many people that make this project a success.”

Gear Up Ōtautahi – originally known as Give Gear Get Great – started in 2015 as a one-off sports equipment drive to be redistributed at community events. The idea, which was the brainchild of then Spreydon-Cashmere Community Board chair Karolin Potter, quickly gained momentum and became a city-wide movement.

People can donate used or outgrown sports gear, excluding helmets and clothes, that is in good condition to the more than 30 collection bins around the city. This is then redistributed at community events.

Mr Filsell says thousands of items of sports gear including boots, balls and equipment have been re-homed, directly reducing financial barriers for our young people to participate in sport.

“They can then join teams, stay active and feel included. And the project also helps combat the waste generated by unused or outgrown sports gear.”

A key goal for the project was to establish a functional model that meant the community could eventually take over ownership from the Council. As of the beginning of 2025, the Council has taken a step back and Gear Up Ōtautahi has become a fully community-led and operated programme that is making a lasting, city-wide impact.

The Council was also a finalist in the award’s Outstanding Event category for its Children’s Day 2025 event. This category celebrates vibrant recreation events that bring communities together.