During the first week of the Term 3 school holidays, Hawke’s Bay Community Fitness Centre Trust (HBCFCT) proudly launched its inaugural School Holiday Programme at Mitre 10 Park, catering to children aged 5 to 10 years old. The programme offered a fantastic blend of water activities and games in the sports hall, and it was embraced by the local community, with close to 150 bookings over the five days.

Feedback from both participating tamariki and their parents has been overwhelmingly positive since the programme concluded.

One parent shared: "Our kids recently attended the new school holiday programme run by HBCFCT. They spent 3 days there and had an amazing time making new friends and keeping active. The kids have attended numerous school holiday programmes over the years, and the point of difference with this one was the passionate and caring staff, the variety of activities that included team-building based ball games to aquatic safety in the main pool, all of which were run by experienced staff, and finally, the inflatable Waterworld! We will definitely be back next holidays."

One of the highlights of the week was a special visit from 2008 Beijing Olympian swimmer, Willy Benson. Willy shared his journey to becoming an Olympian, detailing the hard work, dedication, and resilience it took to reach the international stage. He also spoke about his current efforts to give back to the community, inspiring the children to chase their dreams while emphasizing the importance of staying connected and supporting others. His talk captivated the kids and left a lasting impression on everyone.

Ally Hislop, Education and Community Outreach Manager, expressed her excitement about the programme’s success: "We’re absolutely thrilled with the turnout for our first holiday programme and are excited to broaden our horizons, welcoming more tamariki into our facility over the school holidays. We are so fortunate to work in a world-class facility that allows us to incorporate unique opportunities into our programme—whether it’s water safety, meet-and-greets with high-performing athletes, or learning more about hauora. We look forward to developing the programme further and continuing to provide a fun, engaging space for our young ones to thrive in the holidays ahead.”

With such a fantastic start, we are eager to continue growing and offering even more exciting experiences in future school holiday programmes. Keep an eye out for the next adventure at HBCFCT!