How a wind farm is helping grow grass-roots football

In a classic case of a little going a long, long way, an investment from Meridian Energy’s Power Up community fund is touching the lives of kids all over rural Waikato.

Raglan Football Club is one of the country’s more geographically challenged community sports clubs. The coastal outpost, best known for its impressive surf break, is separated from the rest of the Waikato by a large hill affectionately (well, kind-of) known as The Divvy - a geographical feature that also marks the line between Waikato District Council and Raglan’s local authority.

“We are the only club west of the deviation, so we are committed to finding a place for every child that registers,” the club’s website proudly states.

And it is doing a heck of a job of it, with the numbers of four to 13-year-olds joining the club growing around 15 to 20 per cent for each of the last four years and pushing membership above 300 football-mad kids.

Of course, that kind of growth brings challenges, which is where Meridian has been able to step in to help, providing combined grants of $8000 from Meridian’s Power Up Te Uku fund for essential equipment.

“Balls, goals, nets – stuff that you need to play football,” have all been purchased through that gratefully received assistance, says club vice president Katie Lowes.

“The children that play for our club come from all over the district. It’s not just a Raglan School club. It’s the only football club that serves Te Uku, Te Mata, Waitetuna, Raglan and Te Ākau.”

Some players come from communities so remote that they travel to games over sea rather than land as it's quicker and easier, says Katie.

And it’s not just the Raglan FC players, who descend upon the club from far and wide on Saturday mornings, who benefit from this support.

“When clubs from across the Waikato come to play us, they are also using the equipment Meridian have helped to invest in. It’s a dollar that goes very, very far. It is used by thousands of young people across the Waikato.”

As well as Hamilton’s clubs, Raglan regularly hosts teams from Ngāruawāhia, Huntly, Te Kauwhata, Taupiri and Tamahere. In September Raglan FC teams travelled to Rotorua for an end of season tournament, further extending the reach and impact of that support.

“We’ll be taking our balls, taking our bags, all of the stuff that Meridian has helped fund that has kept us going for the last three years – so we’re taking that investment as far as Rotorua,” says Katie.

Located on a working sheep and cattle farm on the Wharauroa Plateau, Te Uku Wind Farm boasts 28 turbines capable of generating 64.4 megawatts of renewable energy – enough to power roughly 27,000 homes.

The terrain in some parts of the site reaches heights of more than 400 metres above sea level.

“Part of the horizon of what we see from the club is those big wind turbines,” says Katie.

“So, there’s a real physical connection there for our community.”

While the club’s all-volunteer band of administrators, coaches and managers may frequently find themselves glancing up at Te Uku’s impressive turbines, their main focus is flat ground – specifically trying to find some for desperately needed additional football pitches.

While an increasing shortage of playing fields is a common issue across the country, it is particularly acute in Raglan, where the hilly terrain means flat land is at a premium.

“I think I put in our application ‘joking not joking if you have any flat land, we will rent it from you’!” laughs Katie.

“You never know! The club is extremely grateful for the support we receive from Meridian and we certainly make sure we do our bit to ensure the benefits are spread as far and wide as possible.”