Sport Canterbury, along with three other Regional Sports Trusts across Te Waipounamu, is piloting emergency play packs in several Te Tai Poutini West Coast schools.

This initiative is designed to support tamariki and their whānau during times of crisis and emergency. It adds to the important work many organisations are doing to assist communities during crises, emergency responses and trauma recovery.

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The project is a collaboration between Sport Canterbury and Sport Tasman, supported by Sport Otago and Active Southland, in partnership with the West Coast Regional Council’s Emergency Management team.

“These play packs are designed to support communities during emergency response and trauma recovery,” says Adam Gard’ner, Sport Canterbury’s Tamariki Lead - Play and Sport. “They offer tamariki and their whānau something to help ease the mental and emotional strain that comes with crisis and natural disasters.”

All the items were chosen through co-design with tamariki from Lake Brunner School and Westport South School, facilitated by Sport Canterbury and Sport Tasman’s Healthy Active Learning kaimahi, and are designed to provide comfort, distraction and connection during stressful times.

One tamariki explains what’s inside the packs: “Bouncy balls, cards, frisbee chalk; play with them, make everyone calm, stay safe.”

“Well, there are a lot of different kids and they all like different things; some like playing outside with sports stuff, some like playing inside with cards and stuff like that,” another tamariki says of the play packs. “I think it will just help everyone get together and obviously, in a stressful time, they can just play together.”

Emergency Management staff on the West Coast have welcomed the play packs initiative, recognising its potential to enhance welfare support.

“The more we can give people things to do in an emergency, the less time they'll have to think about what's affecting them and give them a little respite from the trauma that's been affecting them,” says Janis Lennon, Buller Emergency Management Officer. “Being able to bring that extra element to their welfare makes a huge difference.”

Te Tai Poutini frequently faces natural disasters, and isolation remains a significant concern. Local schools Lake Brunner and Westport South have already been working in the resilience space and were keen to get involved.

Westport South School Principal Craig Adams highlights the initiative’s significance for their community. He notes some of his students and staff were directly affected by the 2021 Westport flooding, “so the idea of being prepared through creating an emergency pack that enables play resonates strongly with us.

“Our students engaged enthusiastically with the facilitators and contributed thoughtful, creative ideas throughout the process,” Adams says. “It was heartening to see their understanding of resilience and preparedness grow through such a hands-on activity.

“This is a good news story for our community, and I am incredibly proud of the effort, teamwork and positive attitude shown by our students.”

Lake Brunner School Principal, Amanda Bailey, adds, “For us, we're very aware that we can have several natural disasters that can occur.

“These packs, for us, will be just so wonderful in times of need because we could be quite isolated here on the West Coast if something major were to occur for a long period of time.”

Tara Papworth, Community Outcomes Advisor for Buller at Sport Tasman, reflects on the collaborative nature of this project.

“It's been a privilege to collaborate as part of a cross-organisational team across the motu, coming together to deliver this important project,” she says. “By listening to tamariki and working hand-in-hand across communities, we created play packs that put play at the heart of crisis response, offering joy, comfort and connection for children and families when they need it most.”

Sport Canterbury West Coast Regional Manager, Jack O’Connor, says this initiative was the perfect opportunity to engage Play, Active Recreation and Sport in a different context.

“Normally, we are thinking about getting out there and kicking a ball around or running, jumping or maybe even biking, but here we are planning for an event that may or may not even happen, and involving a different component of the community and spreading our reach and impact into the sector.”

Mel Packham, Sport Canterbury West Coast’s Healthy Active Learning Advisor, says play is vital for building connections, supporting wellbeing, and helping tamariki feel safe and empowered.

“It’s been awesome to be part of a kaupapa that ensures play remains a priority, even in emergency situations.

“I’ve especially enjoyed supporting our tamariki to co-design the resources.”

Gard’ner adds the initiative reflects a broader commitment to community wellbeing and preparedness.

“We're just so grateful that the Emergency Management teams in the West Coast Regional Council have been so welcoming of this kaupapa and inviting us to be in and to be part of something which can contribute hopefully towards the mahi that they’re doing, supporting whānau and communities in these times of need.

“We hope to gather some stories of impact if/when the packs are activated in the future.”

Article added: Thursday, November 13, 2025