Riding along with our latest grant, Spirit of Coromandel Trust
Published on 25 Jul 2023
We are so pleased to support the work of the Spirit of Coromandel Trust and their ‘Waahine on Wheels’ programme. They were provided a small grant of $2,000 using some of the proceeds from the Waahine Toa event held in October 2022,
The Spirit of Coromandel Trust’s purpose is to encourage and engage rangitahi, tamariki and waahine into outdoor activities by connecting them to nature, by bike. The grant will go to further developing opportunities for local waahine and building future capability within the region for more women and girls.
Ally Davey, mountain bike coach and faciltator at the Spirit of Coromandel Trust, explains: “We were lucky to receive an initial fund from the Tu Manawa Fund earlier this year, which enabled us to purchase some children’s bikes and helmets. This resulted in three initial coaching sessions in Coromandel and Whangamata, attended by 84 women and girls, aged from 6-72 years!
“We then applied for the Waikato Women’s Fund grant to expand our capacity within the region, so we can create more pathways for more ladies within the region to develop, gain confidence and skills. I know how much being on a bike in the outdoors has changed my life for the good, and I'm passionate about enabling other women to also be able to improve theirs.
“We are also part of a collective, which involves nine community groups on the Coromandel Peninsula with similar goals, and we are working collaboratively across the region to ensure all women and girls can create healthier lifestyles and active participation.”
The ‘Waahine on Wheels’ programme and the Spirit of Coromandel Trust was selected following a nomination process, aiming to support an organisation or an individual in the Hauraki or Thames-Coromandel districts affected by the recent weather events. Three organisations were shortlisted for the grant, which were put to Waikato Women’s Fund members for voting.
To find out more about the Spirit of Coromandel Trust, visit their Facebook page here or check out their website here.