Brent Eastwood Sport Thought: Ester Keesing-Styles, swimming stalwart's vision realised

Sport Northland chief executive Brent Eastwood (left) with Okau Swimming Club members Heather Atkins and Shirley Gray (right). Photo / Supplied

In 1969, Ester Keesing-Styles established the Okau Amateur Swimming Club, which provided competitive swimming activities and swimming lessons for their community in Tikipunga.

Ester was the driving force behind the club and the lessons, and remained involved until her death in 1997. Little did she know then that the club's activities would eventually cease, but that her vision for water safety lessons would remain via a legacy fund.

Ester's original vision for the swimming lessons was that all kids, regardless of their situation, should be taught to swim and to be safe around water so as to safely enjoy the waterways in the Whangārei district.

The Okau Swimming Club provided the learn-to-swim lessons for kids in Tikipunga during the summer season, in addition to the club's competitive swimming activities. In 1997, Ester passed away and bequeathed funds to the club, with the intention of the club continuing the swimming lessons.

Heather Atkins and Shirley Gray, members of the club at the time, were able to continue delivery of the lessons charging a minimal fee, targeting families that could not afford mainstream learn-to-swim lessons.

However, with both Shirley and Heather recently retiring from providing this service, they wanted to ensure Ester's dream lived on.

They were able to partner with the Northland Community Foundation to transfer the residual funds from the club, along with a substantial donation from Heather, to establish a Learn2Swim Assistance Fund under the umbrella of the Northland Sports Fund within the foundation.

The result is an endowment fund which the foundation will add to their investments they have with Craigs Investment Partners. The main portion of the interest/annual yield from this investment will go towards providing a learn-to-swim/water safety service to families who cannot afford lessons.

A portion of the interest/annual yield will be used to increase the capital sum in an on-going capacity. In this respect the capital sum will live forever, ensuring the service does likewise.

"Both Shirley and I are extremely grateful to the Northland Community Foundation for providing the vehicle for Ester's vision to live on into the future," Heather said.

"With the disestablishment of the club, we did not know how the service that we provided for so many years was going continue, so to have the foundation's help is fantastic – it's great that Ester's legacy will live on forever."

Foundation general manager Greta Buchanan said, in addition to sports clubs, this is a critical service for ailing community organisations that have a residual sum of money but no way of using those funds into the future.

"We are aware of many community organisations with this challenge, so we are happy to provide a solution for them and continue the great work that they were established for in the first place," she said.

Sport Northland has agreed to provide this service as part of what it does in the Northland Water Safe initiative. Interest from the fund will enable Sport Northland to expand the Northland Water Safe initiative, which will help keep our children safe in the water.

The Northland Community Foundation is accepting further donations to the fund – go to their website www.northlandcommunityfoundation.org.nz.