Te Awakairangi Access Trust

TAKA Trust seeks to provide tamariki with more experiences and opportunities giving them access to sports, technology, cultural events, modern learning and the arts - things which should be accessible to all New Zealand tamariki. We aim to make this a reality.

Our primary focus is on the Northeast area of Lower Hutt (Naenae, Taita, Pomare and Stokes Valley) as well as other key areas across the Hutt Valley where our support is needed. The Trust also offers support to other communities across New Zealand, that need it the most.

TAKA Trust has partnered with Ride Holidays who continue to share our kaupapa and raise funds for brand new bikes and helmets for schools. The bikes continue to be enjoyed by many tamariki and with our generous partners, more tamariki will be able to enjoy the gift of riding.

Ride Holiday’s target for 2018 was originally 25 bikes for one school. They ended up providing new bikes to both Taita Central Primary and Randwick Primary Schools.

We are very proud of our tamariki with their skills and capabilities and we want to be able to provide opportunities that will enhance and help grow their talents.

In 2019 bikes were supplied to Tui Glen, Naenae, Pomare and Pukeatua Schools. 2020 was a big year (despite Covid) and we supplied bikes to Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Ara Whanui in the Hutt, and then provided bikes for no less than 4 more schools - Baird’s Mainfreight in Otara, Natone Park, Cannons Creek in Porirua and Koraunui School, Stokes Valley.

Despite lockdowns and international shipping problems in 2021 the momentum kept going with bikes going into Glenbrae Primary in Auckland, and Te Kura o Hau Karetu in Upper Hutt-Heretaunga.

2022 was a massive year. Bikes were delivered to Petone Central Primary, Arakura, St Michaels, Epuni and Konini. (All in the Hutt) Jean Batton and Favona schools in Auckland also received bikes. And, we also delivered brand new bikes to Tiaho School in Wairoa, Hawkes Bay. That’s 8 schools for 2022. 2023 has also been really successful with bikes gifted to schools in Christchurch, Auckland, Hawkes Bay, Tokoroa and also Wellington.

Each school costs us about $15000.00.

To ensure the new bikes remain in safe working order for the tamariki we also formed a small group of volunteers to visit schools and undertake a bike maintenance programme. We visit up to 10 schools a year. Not just the schools we’ve supplied bikes to but any school that needs help.