Marcus Agnew: Community Drive - the silent majority

Marcus Agnew

Hawke's Bay - we've got the best climate, so why not the ultimate healthy lifestyle and performance pathways to go with it?

There is an opportunity for everyone in the community to support and play a role, in driving toward the system we need - a collaborative system aligned and coordinated across the region. However if we want what's best for the future health, wellbeing and enhanced sporting outcomes for our region - for young and old, from all walks of life - then we can't just idly sit back and watch what unfolds, we need to have a voice.

We need to make sure we seize the day, and as a community we can all have a voice. Let's not be a silent majority that sits back and misses an opportunity - an opportunity to establish a magnificent future for our region.

Some will be able to encourage and support, either through words or supportive actioning of community programmes, and some with greater capacity can play a direct role in the establishment of legacy facilities. Ultimately the community will decide - what level of facility and services we will have for our futures - we will have something. But how good will it be?

I have spoken before about the 'birthplace effect' phenomenon, for which we have got it pretty good here in Hawke's Bay - geographically and climatically we are blessed. With our twin cities combined, we have the fifth equal largest urban population in the country, conveniently sprawled out to avoid the typical congestion and hassle of other cities - added to that we have our beautiful regional towns of CHB and Wairoa.

We are a major urban population centre, yet we are also isolated, and therefore we need to be self-sufficient, we need our own systems that can provide for our people. Aligned under a coordinated Hawke's Bay wide system, integrated through schools, clubs and through to national organisations.

What is being developed at the Regional Sports Park therefore has exciting potential - the Graeme Avery led alignment of EIT, Sport Hawke's Bay, Hastings District Council, Ngati Kahungunu, all supported by AUT Millennium, and reaching out across our region. Community leaders coming together; but they need the community to come with them.
Far more than bricks and mortar - this is a chance to make the programmes happen, with fantastic socio-cultural cross-pollination.

Yes, healthy active lifestyles and involvement in sport comes back to personal responsibility, but as a community we can strategically enhance the enablers of personal responsibility, and make it a more natural part of life, through the provision of facilities and programmes (such as those run by Sport Hawke's Bay, highlighted in my article from Nov 19th).

Sometimes our contributions require much greater efforts, such as the development of game-changing facilities and the further programmes that will stem from them. Facilities that can develop our people, and inspire more to be involved - aspirational pathways we can see, taste, and make us BELIEVE.

A system of course requires the people to provide services, which means opportunities for local providers. Further local experts developed through EIT, and the attraction of others from around New Zealand and the world, to study, train, and live in the Bay. Excellence retained, and attracted.

Yes we can have it for our futures, but we all need to make it happen. We need to pull in the same direction, believe, and not be afraid to have a voice - let's not be the silent majority that misses out.

And finally well done to Amy Martin, just finishing her Year-12 at Iona College she has arrived back from America racing against a world class field, including all the medallists from the Rio Olympics. Amy battled side-by-side with Colombian Mariana Pajón, the current back-to-back Olympic gold-medallist from Rio - congratulations on all you hard work Amy.

■Marcus Agnew is the Health & Sport Development Manager at Hawke's Bay Community Fitness Centre Trust and is also a lecturer in sports science at EIT. All opinions are his and not those of Hawke's Bay Today.Mike Williams' column will resume next week.