Every local club has a group of people who quietly hold the whole thing together. The ones who sort the draw, chase up subs, wash the bibs and show up early to set out the cones. At Wolves Netball, that group is made up of wāhine, and recently the club put on a night to say thank you.
Wolves Netball is a women’s netball club with a straightforward kaupapa: uplift and support women to be active and involved in local sport. For plenty of women, getting back into sport after work, study, kids or simply a few years off is more of a hurdle than it looks. A club that makes that easy, affordable and genuinely welcoming does a lot of good, and it does not need to be complicated.
The club’s end of season prizegiving was a chance to celebrate exactly that. Players, volunteers and supporters came together to mark the season and hand out awards recognising the talent shown out on court.
A Supporters Club grant from The Trusts, through the team at Good Home, went towards those awards.
“Wolves Netball had a wonderful night celebrating all of the incredible wāhine who help to make the club what it is,” the club said. “This night would not have been possible without this grant and allows us to keep our costs low and encourage women to get involved.”
Why does this matter to The West? Because this is where our profits come from, and this is where they go. As a community-owned business, the surplus from our venues and stores gets reinvested back into local groups through our five funding streams, including monthly Supporters Club grants led by our venues. It means a team like the one at Good Home can back a club down the road, and the money stays right here.
To everyone in the Wolves whānau, from the players to the people on the sideline, ka mau te wehi. Here is to the next season.
Keep an eye out for Wolves Netball on social media to follow the club’s next season.
If you or your organisation could use support from The Trusts, find out how to apply at thetrusts.co.nz/our-funds.
