About Us

Active kids are connected and capable, happy and engaged, and are learning a load of life-long skills.

We all benefit when our communities are active but a great many of our tamariki and rangatahi, community groups and schools face some challenges with trying to do so – one of these challenges is not having the right sport gear, or any gear at all.

Here at REPLAY, along with our collaborative network, our goal is to help reduce this barrier and increase the opportunity for particpation levels by connecting (new and used) donated sports gear to those in our community who need it.

REPLAY values

Increasing opportunities

For our communities to be active – helping tamariki and rangatahi, community groups and schools to be active and participate in play, active recreation and sport by helping provide the sport gear needed. This is made possible by our fantastic communities donating sport gear they no longer need or use, for us to reconnect this to those that do.

Being active is a priority…

There are loads of physical, mental and social benefits when our kids and communities are active. Self belief, resilience, team work, confidence – one piece of gear can help develop these life-long skills. Together, we can make a small positive difference, helping keep our communities participating in physical activity.

Community Connecting

Raising awareness in our community and helping enable the reconnecting of sport gear. We often co-ordinate the exchange of sport gear, from one school PE shed to another.

How it all started

REPLAY began in February 2017, founded by the McLean Family in Palmerston North. An overdue clean up in their garage resulted in a large amount of sport gear that was no longer needed, but still good enough to be used again.

Aware first hand of the many benefits to having active kids, the McLean’s knew this gear could be of some beneficial use to others. A few phone calls later, the gear was passed onto one of the local schools, in need of all sorts of items for their well used, but depleted PE shed.

What followed, after checking in with friends, neighbours and the local sporting community, was more sport gear, new and used, that could be reconnected out in the community. This was the start of REPLAY.

Now, nearly 8 years later, over 52,000 pieces of sport equipment including balls, boots, bats, sticks, shin pads, sneakers have been gratefully donated from families, sport organisations, businesses and sport teams.

With the partner organisations we collaborate with, we are NZ wide, receiving and reconnecting gear, from our base here in the Manawatu.

REPLAY became a registered charitable entity (REPLAY NZ Charitable Trust) in 2021, and is 100% voluntary run by a small dedicated team.

Today, the REPLAY goal remains the same – reconnecting sport gear that is no longer needed to enable others in our community to be active.

Denise McLean

Denise heads the REPLAY team from her base in the Manawatu, with the support of an experienced Trust Board and key stakeholders. “Connecting & collaborating with like minded people and organisations to help our communities thrive” is the highlight of her work with REPLAY. Denise, along with husband Andrew, has two teenage daughters. She has a background in Marketing, has worked as a Professional Tennis Coach, and has been heavily involved with active youth through her own children’s involvement in various sports. Denise is of Ngai Tahu (Ōtakou) descent.