Funding for Technical Officials
Without volunteers most of the Triathlon events around the country and internationally would not take place. Being a Technical Official is a great way to get involved with the sport and Tri NZ has a pathway which can be followed by officials who want to be more involved with the sport. The levels go from NZ level 1, the very basics of triathlon officiating, to NZ level 2 as you gain more experience and then on through international levels 1, 2 & 3 at which stage you are qualified to officiate at the Olympic Games.
To move through the pathway there is a financial commitment required by the official as the positions in NZ are voluntary and to get to various events around the country can cost a lot of money let alone time. There are various trust and regional lottery grants available which officials can apply for - one of these is the Prime Minister Scholarships offered by SPARC - they are avaiable to athletes, coaches and officials.
The SPARC Prime Minister Scholarships are awarded in December every year and applications close on the 1st December. More information on how to apply can be found here.
Regional Trusts and Liquor outlets that have "pokie" machines on site are required by law to donate a percentage of money from these machines to community projects. There are a wide variety of trusts set up to do this, funding different projects around the country. Many of these trusts support sports but their criteria should be read carefully. Many trusts also require endorsement from the NSO. The grants are ususally awarded to officials wanting to climb the officiating ladder and cover expenses such as travel costs, accommodation and course fees.
