Karitāne School Pump Track

Funding Stories

At Karitāne School the focus is on learning and overall student well-being, established in 1876 it has long since been an integral part of the local Karitāne community. Two years ago, the Board of Trustees began developing plans to create a bike track in the school's field.

The vision was to create a pump track with a larger meandering bike track around the perimeter of the paddock, developing a safe place for the local children to develop their motor skills, improve bike handling capabilities and build fitness. The ethos of the project was that learning to ride a bike is a pivotal part of childhood, not one to be taken for granted. Some of the local tamariki did not have the privilege of having access to a bike or a safe space to learn. As the school promotes equity for all their students it was important to create a space where all could learn to cycle on school bikes/scooters and gain confidence in their abilities.

Otago Community Trust was delighted be a part of making this vision a reality for Karitāne School. The Trust approved a $40,000 grant to support the project and it is pleasing to hear how popular it has been with pupils and the wider community.