Pictured above, the Wairarapa Spitfires baseball club.

Club secretary for the Spitfires, Eileen McWilliam, says the grant that her club received from the WBS Charitable Trust has helped make baseball accessible to all Wairarapa youth. 

‘Receiving a grant from the WBS Charitable Trust was the final key to getting a storage container delivered and installed on-site for our club’s baseball training and playing equipment. These include training nets and large portable pitching mounds, catcher’s gear, helmets, batting tees, bats, gloves, balls and uniforms for multiple teams and age groups. The club has a good array of quality gear that will last for longer, now that we can store our equipment in a dry and secure container. Previously we had used a combination of short-term storage in an old, damp shared container, and coaches and volunteers’ garages and sheds during the off-season. Gear was often found to be mouldy after winter storage, and storage arrangements also left our gear vulnerable to damage, loss or misuse.

‘The Wairarapa Spitfires Baseball Club is a relatively young and growing baseball club, established in 2016, with a dedicated group of volunteers. We focus on developing baseball skills locally in a positive and encouraging environment with high-quality coaching. In the past 6 years we have also fostered regional, national and international playing opportunities for our club members with our wider affiliation to Wellington Baseball and Baseball NZ.

‘Our Club is extremely grateful to the WBS Charitable Trust and other community grant providers that give us the opportunity to provide a low-cost baseball playing experience that is accessible to all Wairarapa youth.’