Who are Recreational Services... Recreational Services (RS) is New Zealand's largest parks management specialists, and we are proudly responsible for more than 5500 parks and reserves across 12 council districts throughout New Zealand. We are a kiwi owned and operated business since 1992, and our service delivery spans across various industries like councils, schools, stadiums and golf courses. We have 480 staff with depots located in: The Far North, Whangarei, Auckland, Tauranga, Hastings, Gisborne, Central Hawkes Bay, Horowhenua, Manawatu, Masterton, Christchurch and Queenstown.

RS originally provided golf turf and then expanded... The motivation has always been people-driven and delivering on a service that the customer is needing. Our passion has always been in golf courses, parks and open spaces. When the councils went through the process of shifting from delivering the parks maintenance internally to outsourcing, the timing was right for us to expand on our service delivery offering.

Their biggest project... It is hard to pick our biggest project, but if we had to pick one, it isn't the biggest in dollar value but the biggest in terms of being a world first. Our consultancy division Sports Surface Design and Management (SSDM) designed the first fully enclosed stadium turf field within the Forsyth Bar Stadium in Dunedin. Other than projects, the majority of our business is large maintenance contracts focussed, and our biggest strength here is our ability to adapt and be agile within the political and contract style environment.

Why we should invest in our recreational spaces... New Zealand is renowned for its natural beauty which includes our recreational parks and spaces. As a service provider, we have been charged with looking after community facilities and green spaces that are pivotal in creating that community feeling and sense of belonging. This is not only a benefit for the people of New Zealand but also a big drawing card for tourists which has a positive economic impact. Having access to recreational facilities has many wellbeing benefits, including mental and physical health.

They love their customers... Our four organisational Pillars (People, Ownership, Knowledge and Professionalism) underpins everything we do and guides our actions. The most important of the four being People, as such our relationships with our customers, staff and communities are paramount.

We are fortunate to make an impact in the parks and recreational space which extends to the facilities management, horticulture and turf industries, through panel representation on various advisors boards like; NZITO, STANZ, STIPG, and our partnership with Recreation Aotearoa. This creates an opportunity for sharing knowledge and best practices with our customers which extends on to our performance and service delivery outcomes. We derive great satisfaction from seeing an existing customer choose us for new work or to extend our contract for a further contract term. Our "customer first" philosophy is the core of our ability to retain our contracts for many years.

The culture of family and community is the heart of Recreational Services, and the most rewarding is the impact we make on the communities we are involved in through various initiatives. Some examples include the RS Foundation, our national drink bottle sponsorship programme, complimentary BBQ trailer and marque hire available to the community and gold supporter of the national Blue Light Foundation. Uplifting and contributing to our communities is our higher purpose of being part of something bigger than ourselves. There is nothing more satisfying than knowing you have played a part in providing well-maintained parks for the local community and tourists to enjoy.

Managing under COVID-19... We were really clear from the start that we wanted to save every employee's job, and wanted to ensure that our philosophy of family was upheld and shined through in everything we did. It was important to communicate with our staff to feel reassured. We wanted to stay connected and still be the fun place we always strive to be, this was highlighted by our Directors and Senior Managers being accessible through Facebook Live Q&A's and regular video updates from our CEO, Cameron. Our customers are many people, and we managed to connect on a personal level and got through it with little fuss.

For many years we have had our Business Continuity Plan in place and conducted annual reviews and testing. Before COVID-19 we've never had to formally activate the plan; however, we were grateful that we prepared as best we could. This enabled us to continue our critical operations like customer service, ICT, and essential operations like cleaning and burials. Our key take away points were that quick decision making and communication with all stakeholders, especially staff, is critical, which our Senior Managers and BCP committee did exceptionally well during such an uncertain time. As a result of the lockdown, a newfound appreciation for access to recreational spaces and facilities has emerged, which is promising for the future of the parks and recreational industry. Considering the world turned on its head, we are proud of the part we played for our customers and our team.

How you can work with RS... One of our organisational goals is to continually raise the profile of our industry and therefore, encourage youth employment, especially during the summer when we offer casual work during holidays. There are many wonderful opportunities within Recreational Services across all facets of parks, maintenance and management. Our opportunities can be viewed on our website; www.rs.kiwi.nz. You can also talk directly to Christine Shone, our HR Recruitment Advisor.