2022-2023 Drowning Prevention Funding

Water Safety New Zealand is pleased to announce that the 2022-2023 funding rounds for both the Kia Maanu Kia Ora Drowning Prevention Fund and the Water Safety New Zealand Drowning Prevention Fund are now open. Any application for funding must be received before 3 pm on Wednesday 15^th June 2022.

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Wai Ora Aotearoa 2025, the New Zealand Water Safety Strategy, shone a sobering spotlight on Aotearoa’s drowning statistics. Despite the best efforts of all involved in the New Zealand water safety sector, progress has stalled. As a result, close to 80 New Zealanders continue to drown each year. The picture is more dire for Māori; whose drowning rate is getting worse. Māori are now almost twice as likely to drown than others in Aotearoa New Zealand. This isn’t good enough as we can clearly see that business as usual, even if improved, isn’t delivering the result needed. So, with the support of funders and partners, we are trying something different this year and we are committed to a wider review of our funding mechanisms.

Alongside the existing Water Safety New Zealand Drowning Prevention Fund, a new fund has been created, the Kia Maanu Kia Ora Drowning Prevention fund. This fund focuses on the urgent challenge to turn the increasing rate of Māori drowning around by investing more in te ao Māori inspired solutions. This dedicated resource will stimulate interest from a wider range of partners drawing more knowledge, ideas, networks, capabilities, and resources together to develop innovative solutions to reduce Māori and Pasifika drownings.

Whilst the case for making this change is clear, the resources had to come from somewhere. So, we’ve made the difficult decision to reduce the amount available via the Water Safety New Zealand Drowning Prevention Fund. This means that we won’t be able to fund initiatives under this fund to the extent that we have been able to in recent years. We understand the real impact that this will have on organisations that have relied on this funding but are confident that this change is necessary.

Guidance for those applying for funding

Along with information on the website, a prospectus (link below) has been prepared to guide your application. It contains more information on the key problems that these funds are looking to solve and it also outlines important requirements such as how to report progress, child protection requirements, Code of Conduct, Kia Maanu Kia Ora Ko te Mana o te Tangata, and other application details that can be found on this page.

2022 – 2023 Funding Prospectus

Ko te Mana o Te Tangata / Code of Conduct for Funded Partners

Template to help describe what you want to do and the difference it will make

Your application must focus on the strategic areas that have been highlighted for investment in this year’s funding rounds, so together we will make a real difference to water safety and drowning prevention in Aotearoa.

The following funding priority areas are where it is considered WSNZ drowning prevention funded initiatives will provide the greatest impact on drowning prevention in New Zealand. These priorities sit under the Education and Communication, Collaboration and Partnership pillars of the Wai Ora Aotearoa Strategy. If your programme is/ was a pilot in one of these priority areas, please ensure that this is highlighted in your application.

1. Under-Fives

This age group continues to be vulnerable to drowning fatalities and injuries, and projects and initiatives that focus on parental education on active supervision will be preferred.

This includes expanding existing initiatives and developing effective campaigns to improve the knowledge/mātauranga, attitudes/whakapapa and behaviours/tikanga of parents and caregivers.

2. Water Skills for Life

WSFL focuses our education funding on 5 to 13-year-old children learning a fundamental set of water survival competencies by year eight. WSNZ will again prioritise the ongoing implementation of WSFL and would particularly welcome applications from those looking to provide WSFL in localities where it has not been provided before.

For first time organisations intending to apply for WSFL funding, it is recommended that they upskill themselves on the objectives and operation of the WSFL and WSNZ’s contractual and accountability reporting requirements. More information can be found by following this link: www.watersafety.org.nz/Get Funded

The seven WSFL skills sets and other supporting information, including a teachers’ guide, can be found on the WSNZ website at: https://watersafety.org.nz/forlife0

3. Māori water safety education

Kia Maanu, Kia Ora focuses on improving water safety outcomes, especially for Māori. It outlines a portfolio of projects and initiatives focused on the way WSNZ partners with Māori and on key Māori drowning prevention.

WSNZ is seeking proposals for initiatives that aim to reduce Māori preventable drowning through a strengthened connection with wai/water, as aligned with Dr Chanel Phillips’ Wai Puna model (https://kmko.nz/wai-puna). These are programmes that reflect Māori values and strengthen the connection to wai through a Wai Puna lens by,

Increasing the awareness of water safety risks amongst Māori,
Providing Māori with opportunities to learn water safety survival skills and knowledge,
Providing Māori with the opportunity to learn about Māori water safety (i.e., kaupapa Māori approaches),
Using Māori-led research and evaluation to identify new drowning prevention interventions for Māori.

4. Reducing male drowning and improve decision making in the 15-34 age range

Males in this age group are at heightened risk of drowning. WSNZ has been running a targeted social media campaign for this group over the past five summers. Targeted water safety projects and initiatives aimed at changing the risk-taking behaviour around water of males aged 15 – 34 years are welcomed.

5. Programmes and tools that aids people’s awareness of the difference between their perceived competencies and real competencies

Analysis of drowning fatality data has identified that many drowning victims over-estimate their in-water ability and underestimate the conditions, particularly when undertaking high-risk activities e.g. free diving, snorkelling and scuba diving. Projects and initiatives that focus on practical education and awareness raising about effective competency assessment, will be preferred.

6. Targeted interventions are in place for overrepresented groups, activities and environments

WSNZ invests in projects that reduce drowning deaths and injuries in priority areas. Applications are invited for projects that deliver strong water safety outcomes for high-risk communities, activities and environments, particularly related to one or more of the following:

Communities where there is a disproportionate risk of poor water safety outcomes and participation in water safety training activity is low, including: Māori, Pacific peoples, Asian, new immigrants, and hard to reach or remote communities.
Projects and initiatives aimed at improving water safety knowledge and understanding in high risk communities are being sought.

High-risk activities including scuba and free diving, snorkelling and rock fishing. An example of what is sought would be the design and provision of training programmes for activities where water safety interventions are not well developed.
Environments that pose particular drowning hazards such as high-risk rivers, dangerous swimming holes, beaches or high drowning incident fishing areas.

Strategy

Water Safety New Zealand recently launched the New Zealand Water Safety Sector Strategy 2025 (Wai Ora Aoteraroa) which details the roles and responsibilities everyone has to work collectively to instil respect for the water, and encourage safe behaviours/tikanga by all people in Aotearoa New Zealand so that drowning fatalities and injuries are reduced.

NZ Water Safety Sector Strategy 2025

Questions and answers

What are Water Safety New Zealand's funding priorities?

Each application must align with the following funding priorities to ensure that they meet the vision of the New Zealand Water Safety Sector Strategy 2025 and its vision that 'everyone connects to and enjoys the water safely'. The priorities are:

1. Under-Fives

This age group continues to be vulnerable to drowning fatalities and injuries, and projects and initiatives that focus on parental education on active supervision will be preferred.

This includes expanding existing initiatives and developing effective campaigns to improve the knowledge/mātauranga, attitudes/whakapapa and behaviours/tikanga of parents and caregivers.

2. Water Skills for Life

The seven WSFL skills sets and other supporting information, including a teachers’ guide, can be found on the WSNZ website at: https://watersafety.org.nz/forlife

3. Māori water safety education

Increasing the awareness of water safety risks amongst Māori,
Providing Māori with opportunities to learn water safety survival skills and knowledge,
Providing Māori with the opportunity to learn about Māori water safety (i.e., kaupapa Māori approaches),
Using Māori-led research and evaluation to identify new drowning prevention interventions for Māori.

4. Reducing male drowning and improving decision making in the 15-34 age range.

5. Programmes and tools that aid people’s awareness of the difference between their perceived competencies and real competencies.

Analysis of drowning fatality data has identified that many drowning victims overestimate their in-water ability and underestimate the conditions, particularly when undertaking high-risk activities e.g. free diving, snorkelling and scuba diving. Projects and initiatives that focus on practical education and awareness-raising about effective competency assessment, will be preferred.

6. Targeted interventions are in place for overrepresented groups, activities and environments.

Communities where there is a disproportionate risk of poor water safety outcomes and participation in water safety training activity is low, including: Māori, Pacific peoples, Asian, new immigrants, and hard to reach or remote communities.
Projects and initiatives aimed at improving water safety knowledge and understanding in high-risk communities are being sought.

High risk activities including scuba and free diving, snorkelling and rock fishing. An example of what is sought would be the design and provision of training programmes for activities where water safety interventions are not well developed.
Environments that pose particular drowning hazards such as high-risk rivers, dangerous swimming holes, beaches or high drowning incident fishing areas.

What do we fund?

Drowning prevention initiatives such as water safety education and skills training, social marketing and/or information campaigns.

What don’t we fund?

Water Safety New Zealand does not fund:

Search and Rescue. Funding for this may be available through the New Zealand Lottery Grants Board Outdoor Safety Committee.
Costs arising from changes to government policies, regulations or legislation.
Core rescue capability.
Research.
Capital expenses such as pool maintenance and development.
Professional development for organisations or individuals.
Clubs if they are affiliated to a national organisation.
Schools.

In general, applications for capital expenditure, debt repayments and organisations' day to day operational/running costs are unlikely to be funded.

Which of the two funds should I apply to?

Water Safety New Zealand will be looking to run two funding rounds simultaneously, the WSNZ Drowning Prevention Fund and the Kia Maanu Kia Ora Drowning Prevention Fund.

Reviewing the assessment criteria in the prospectus will help you with your decision as to which fund to apply to.

The WSNZ Drowning prevention Fund criteria will be based on

Benefits and Evidence
Monitoring and evaluation
Warranty
Collaboration and Leverage

The KMKO Drowning Prevention Fund criteria will be based on the three principles of the Wai Puna model. Your application will need to address the three Māori focus areas that demonstrates the importance of strengthening our connection to the water, reflecting a Māori worldview.

Whakapapa: Attitudes & Beliefs - The source of water safety knowledge
Mātauranga: Knowledge The deepening of water safety knowledge
Tikanga: Behaviour - The application of water safety knowledge

If you are unsure how to relate your programme/initiative to these focus areas, please get in touch with us at funding@watersafety.org.nz and our WSNZ kaihautū will be able to help and advise.

What is the most important part of the application?

Providing the Evidence and Benefits of your initiative.
Applications must state why there is a need to undertake this project, and demonstrate that it will address a particular drowning problem/s.
Benefits: How will this project meet the funding goals and priorities outlined in the Water Safety New Zealand Funding Prospectus 2022/23), and how will it improve water safety? Who and how many people, will receive those benefits?
Evidence: How do you know your project will deliver these benefits? How do you record the changes your project has made to its audience (prove how successful the initiative was)?

Can two or more organisations jointly apply for funding?

Collaboration and partnership-based applications are particularly welcome. These should identify one responsible lead organisation for application and accountability purposes.

What if I need help submitting my online grant application?

If you need help submitting your online application, email funding@watersafety.org.nz and we will be able to help you through the process.

When should applications be submitted?

Applications open Monday 16^th May at 10 am and close Wednesday 15^th June at 3.00 pm. Submit your application between these dates.
Remember you can start your application and save it and come back to it over the period until you're happy with it. No late applications will be accepted.

If my application is successful, at what point can we begin spending grant money

You must wait until your grant application has been approved before paying for goods or services. This includes using the grant to pay deposits for goods and services bought before your grant was approved.

When do we have to have spent the money by?

In most cases, contracts are for 12 months with money spent by 30 June 2023.

Do we need to account for funds received?

Yes, you will need to fill out two accountability reports over the period (approximately 12 months). The templates will be provided.

First accountability report is due early February 2023 - the six-month report.
This Accountability Report will cover what was delivered, Its results and grant expenditure up to 31 December 2022.

Second and final accountability report is due July 2023 - the year-end report.
This final Accountability Report covers what was delivered, its results and grant expenditure for the full period up to 30 June 2023.

What do we need to do if our grant is approved?

After being notified that your application was successful, we will send you a contract to sign. These will be sent in mid to late August 2022.

Who considers my application?

A panel comprising Water Safety New Zealand and sector experts will review each application.

How will we know if our application has been successful?

Water Safety New Zealand will notify you by email mid-August 2022.

How long will it take for a decision?

Applications close on Wednesday 15^th June at 3 pm. Review period is approximately eight to ten weeks with applicants notified in August 2022.

How is payment made?

Payment will be made on receipt of invoice via bank direct credit, split into two payments over the 12 month period. One when the contract is signed and the final payment will be made in February 2023.

Do we have to acknowledge Water Safety New Zealand’s support?

Yes, we expect that you will acknowledge Water Safety New Zealand's support wherever possible, through your programme delivery, collateral, in the media and on your website.

Where can we find Water Safety New Zealand logos and branding for acknowledgement?

Our logos are available for download here.

Where does the money come from?

Water Safety New Zealand receives funding from NZ Lotteries Grants via Sport New Zealand, ACC and funding from Corporates, Trusts and Foundations.