MERC has received funding for a programme entitled 'Exploring My Place in Aotearoa’. This programme, run in partnership with local iwi, is designed to provide recent migrants and other targeted groups a chance to learn about their local outdoor area over a series of events including an overnight activity.

Adventure Specialities has received funding for their Ko Tira Te Maramatanga programme in Christchurch This programme, run in partnership with the Purapura Whetu Health Trust, involves providing outdoor education and adventure therapy for a group of young people in the form of a day long adventure one a week for 8 weeks to focus on Hauora (physical, social, emotional and spiritual wellbeing).

Sport Tasman received funding to support their outdoor adventure initiative for Kaikoura youth in partnership with Whenua Iti and other Kaikoura community groups.

All these programmes focus on providing outdoor recreation and education opportunities for groups that are poorly represented in outdoor recreation participation statistics.

Part of the funding requirement requires that these operators report back their learnings around how to work with underrepresented groups back to the outdoor sector, so we look forward to hearing back from these groups, probably in late 2018 or 2019.