Parkour and freerunning have active communities in New Zealand's cities — gyms in Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch offer structured training, while practitioners also use urban and natural environments. Parkour NZ governs the sport. This guide covers the key funding sources for parkour gyms and programmes.
Parkour NZ is the national governing body:
- National competition events
- Gym and club affiliation
- International connections
Contact Parkour NZ for access to Sport NZ investment and national programme guidance.
Sport NZ funds parkour through Parkour NZ:
- National programme investment
- Growing sport development
RSTs fund community parkour development.
RSTs fund parkour gyms and programmes:
- Equipment grants for gyms
- Junior parkour development
- Women's participation
Key RSTs:
- Aktive Auckland: Auckland parkour — largest market
- Sport Wellington: Wellington parkour community
- Sport Canterbury: Christchurch parkour gyms
Gaming trusts fund parkour gyms:
- Four Winds Foundation: Community sport organisations
- Grassroots Trust: Youth sport and recreation
- Pub Charity: Equipment and programme grants
- Lion Foundation: Junior sport
Gaming trust applications for parkour:
- Vault boxes and bars
- Landing mats and crash pads
- Foam pit blocks
- Obstacle frames and structures
Indoor parkour requires:
- Obstacle equipment: Vault boxes, bars, walls, platforms ($5,000–$30,000)
- Foam pit: For learning new techniques safely
- Crash mats: Thick landing pads
- Wall padding: Foam wall covering for safe wall training
- Open space: Large, unobstructed floor area
Local councils invest in outdoor parkour:
- Parkour parks alongside skateparks in some NZ cities
- Outdoor fitness infrastructure
- Youth-friendly recreation space
Building council relationships for outdoor parkour space is important for NZ clubs.
Youth parkour:
- Kids' classes: Movement, balance, and confidence for children
- Schools: Physical education with parkour elements
- Junior competition: Age-grade events
- Youth development: Building confidence and spatial awareness
Women's parkour participation:
- Sport NZ women in sport: Female participation investment
- RSTs: Women in sport development
- Women-only classes and sessions growing
Parkour in NZ communities:
- Sport NZ equity: Participation for underserved communities
- RSTs: Equity in community sport
- Urban youth sport — relevant to communities with lower access to traditional sport infrastructure
Lottery Sport and Lottery Community Wellbeing: Both accessible for parkour programmes.
Strong applications demonstrate:
- Participant numbers: Practitioners by age, gender, and skill level
- Youth development: Children and youth — the primary parkour market
- Women's participation: Female parkour engagement
- Equipment: Obstacles, mats, foam pit — justified per programme
- Safety: Progressive training, qualified instruction, safe environment
- Community access: Making parkour accessible regardless of ability to pay
- Outdoor/indoor: Both dimensions of the sport if applicable
- Governance: Financial health, affiliation to Parkour NZ
Tahua's grants management platform helps parkour gyms and clubs manage grant applications across Sport NZ, gaming trusts, and RSTs, tracking youth development, participation, and equipment outcomes.