Melanie Short, Marketing and Sponsorship Manager Sport Bay of Plenty

Sport Bay of Plenty can't be described in a one-minute elevator speech as the work that's undertaken by the organisation is diverse and wide-reaching throughout the region.

In simple terms, we work in the community across the following areas – sport, health and recreation – with supporting functions in the background.

Our overarching goal is to get more people more active, more often – and each area works towards this, achieving multiple outcomes.

The Sport Bay of Plenty three-year Strategic Plan defines our key priority areas into 17 work streams, which reinforces the organisation's diversity.

Examples of the work streams are:

- Advocate and influence decision makers to ensure sport and recreation is a priority.

- Empower disengaged youth through sport to be actively engaged in the community.

- Contribute to better health outcomes by preventing and reducing the harm from chronic diseases.

- Develop capability of deliverers to ensure a variety of quality recreation opportunities.

- Improve delivery, variety and priority of sport within the school setting.

- Develop capability and sustainability of sporting organisations to deliver sport.

- Celebrate success and contribution in all aspects of sport and recreation.

We work from three sports hubs in Tauranga, Whakatane and Rotorua, and support communities from Waihi Beach, down to Turangi and across to Opotiki.

We have a team of 49 staff, who work in diverse roles engaging with early childhood centres, primary and intermediate schools, secondary schools, health providers, sporting and recreation clubs, coaches, local and regional councils and the community in general.

Sport Bay of Plenty is a charitable organisation funded through a variety of streams, including SportNZ, Bay Trust and other funders, health and education investors, among others.

We have strong connections with the organisations that fund us. They have expectations we will deliver and we're happy to undertake the work, as it allows us to strive towards the goal of a more active and healthy community.

Sport Bay of Plenty is a regional sports trust and is a busy, diverse and innovative organisation working towards the ultimate outcome of more people becoming more active, which has a myriad of benefits attached.

For more information on Sport Bay of Plenty or to read our strategic plan, visit our website or find us on Facebook.