Scholarships
The Adastra Foundation has been providing scholarships to extraordinary young New Zealanders since 2007. In that time, the Foundation has supported hundreds of athletes and performing artists with more than $2m and dozens of customised mentoring programmes.
In mid-2022, the Board completed a strategic review of its vision and purpose and agreed to refine its priorities. It wanted to ensure that it provided support where it was most needed and to those exceptional young people who might otherwise struggle to achieve their dreams. As such, priority is given to exceptional young people who face financial or personal hardship.
Adastra offers scholarships to extraordinary young athletes and performing artists (dancers and musicians), from Waikato and Bay of Plenty, who are facing hardship in their pursuit of excellence. Our programme includes a cash scholarship and personal development workshops, specifically designed for young adults aiming to be the best they can be – on and off their stage. A key part of the Adastra ethos is the personal development programme guided by leading professionals in their field.
Adastra is grateful to be supported by Grassroots Trust, The Lion Foundation, TECT, The Brian Perry Charitable Trust, Craigs Investment Partners, the Merito & Hill Families, BDO Tauranga and Construction Advantage Limited.
Sponsored Scholarships
Adastra is delighted to offer sponsored scholarships where recipients are “tagged” with a sponsor.
We are excited to be able to offer Craigs Investment Partners scholarships. Craigs is one of New Zealand’s leading investment advisory firms. Their network of investment advisers are supported by an award winning research team to help clients achieve their investment goals. Achieving goals is important to the team at Craigs Investment Partners and they share that same passion for achieving investment goals with seeing young adults in the Waikato and Bay of Plenty communities achieve their life goals by pushing boundaries on the national and international stage.
We also offer sponsored scholarships with Brian Perry Charitable Trust, BDO, Construction Advantage and the Merito & Hill Families.
The Brian Perry Charitable Trust is part of the Perry Group headed by Simon Perry. It is an integral cog in the Adastra wheel and has supported the programme since it’s inception.
The “Merito & Hill Family” scholarships are offered by Codi Merito, previous NZ representative BMX athlete and one of our Adastra alumni and Britt Hill. These scholarships are offered to 2 recipients who embody the values of Codi and Britt and show promise and drive in their endeavours.
Construction Advantage Limited is a Cambridge based construction company that delivers innovative construction projects, design and build, feasibility studies and management of commercial projects. The director and staff have a keen interest in sport and providing opportunity for a Cambridge recipient through their support of the Adastra programme.
BDO delivers leading accountancy, advisory, tax and assurance services to leading businesses and has offices nationwide. The Tauranga branch of BDO selects and supports a local recipient that aligns with the company values and brand.
Sponsored Scholarships are awarded after the standard application process (i.e. no further specific application is required).
The Sponsored Scholarships come with standard Adastra reporting requirements, plus further responsibilities to the sponsor, such as reasonable personal appearances and performance updates.
Sponsors
The Adastra Foundation acknowledges the support of:
Our Supporters
Meet @macka_wagstaff an awesome triathlon and multisport athlete from the Bay of Plenty. He has always been into running and biking, but found swimming didn’t come until he got a bit older. He completed the famous 2 day Coast to Coast for 2025, has set a course record in Rodney and qualified for the World Triathlon Wollongong 2025 🏃🏽🏊🏼🚵
If he wasn’t doing tris/multisport Macka said he’d still pick something demanding like orienteering or cross-country mountain biking. “I enjoy pushing my limits in unpredictable environments” he says, gravitating towards things that require grit and versatility.
An active relaxer - Macka winds down outdoors. Walks, the beach, active recovery and hanging out with mates is his chill time. When asked why he applied for the Adastra Scholarhsip he said “I was drawn to the chance to connect with like-minded, high-achieving individuals and be part of a program that genuinely values development on and off the field.”
Macka said most don’t realise how much of a triathlon is mental. Pacing, staying calm and learning how to suffer smart is how he pushes through. Looking up to NZs Hayden Wilde who has next level work ethic, sportsmanship and versatility. He comes from a background Macka can relate to.
We can’t wait to watch you continue to push your own boundaries. Welcome to the Adastra whanau Macka ☺️ ... See MoreSee Less
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It’s a privilege to have Graeme Maw’s experience as Chair of our Adastra board, but also share his wisdom with our recipients.
Such a fantastic way to wrap up the day and to set the group on their pathways to success. Thank you Graeme!
Adastra appreciates all of our trustees, who give their time voluntarily to guide and support the programme.
We also thank all of our funders and sponsors, who without them, we could not deliver these workshops and opportunities for our young recipients.
Many thanks to:
@thelionfoundationnz
Grassroots Trust
@tectnz
@craigsinvestmentpartners
@acornfoundationnz
@bdotauranga
Construction Advantage Ltd
Callum & Lindy Malcolm
Merito & Hill Family ... See MoreSee Less
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Always a pleasure having Codi Merito back to talk Money!💲💲💲
As a previous recipient, Codi and partner Britt, have a keen interest in the development of our current scholarship group. He also has some pretty good financial tips to share coming from someone who has walked in the shoes of a young athlete and now working in the area of finance and wealth advice. We are very grateful to Codi, Britt and Craigs Investment Partners for their support and passion for what we do.
Thank you 🙏 ... See MoreSee Less
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Thank you Construction Advantage Ltd for your support of the Adastra Foundation programme and our dance recipient Elise Carr.
A great dance session to add some groovy moves to our workshop day! 🕺💃 ... See MoreSee Less
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Rolling into the first session of our workshop day with Siobhan Terry, a previous Adastra recipient, sharing her journey.
Awesome venue once again at @grassrootstrustvelodrome and we are always grateful for the support of our funders.
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Meet @david_moraaaaaa - a shot put and discus thrower from the Bay of Plenty. David found his way to throwing through one of his neighbours. He didn’t like running so it was suggested he try the shot put and discus events. However if he wasn’t throwing he would be playing rugby.
As a very accomplished thrower already - having various medals at national and Oceania competitions he found that not every competition goes to plan. His biggest challenge coming at a Secondary School Nationals in Timaru. 3 no throws in discus meaning no score for the competition. David said the support he had from friends, family and teammates help him through the disappointment and he was reminded that no matter what sport we all have bad days
David’s never give up mentality keeps him going and he has Commonwealth and Olympic aspirations in the future. His coaches, friends, family and fellow athletes are who he looks up to as everyone has something different to offer. Playing video games and hanging out with friends to relax David is looking to experience things he might have not otherwise had access to through the Adastra Foundation. Welcome to the whanau David ☺️ ... See MoreSee Less
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New release out today from Anna Olivia Music 🙌🎶a song written in my cozy little bedroom. a song that shares all the feels of growing up. and most importantly, a song just for you.
you are all what make these moments what they are. endlessly grateful for our little community.
stream, vibe, dance and share with your friends far and wide.
the biggest thank you to the adastra foundation for providing me with the opportunity to continue to share what I love. the work you do for us young people is appreciated beyond measure. we couldn’t do it without you 🫶🏼
officially all yours.
happy listening.
anna olivia x ... See MoreSee Less
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Meet @jaycobkingmusic . A talented singer/songwriter at Hauraki Plains College in the Waikato. First inspired by seeing people out busking on the street he has released some of his own music. Although he plays mainly pop and indie music he loves rap and is in the process of producing a couple of his own rap songs 🎶
With accolades already mounting including paid gigs and an opportunity to go to Berklee School of Music for 5 weeks, he knows he has experienced forms of burnout. Now making a conscious effort to live a balanced lifestyle, telling his younger self to “never give up because the reward and progress we’ve made are incredible” he has regained his passion for music.
Jacob is looking to Adastra for support around growing social media presence and learning how to talk to media outlets through the educational workshops. With the financial support as a bonus Jacob said the process has been worthwhile.
Jacob loves the entertainment industry and said if he wasn’t doing music he would be doing streaming. He looks up to young new artist Benson Boone who showed the pathway from social media to success. All the best Jacob, we can’t wait to hear your new music as it’s released. Welcome to the Adastra whanau ☺️
Follow Jacob and his music on YouTube youtube.com/@jaycobkingofficial?si=kqTSp7oHsat1SnrR ... See MoreSee Less
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Meet @_asher.hart a passionate and talented mountain biker from Tauranga. When he’s not training or competing you’ll still find him out riding. He’s always been on a bike but after one mountain bike with some friends he’s was hooked and has never looked back.
Mountain biking has taken Asher to some really cool spots to compete, including Italy and Switzerland. Another highlight he’s had on his bike was completing the Everest Challenge on a tough track in Rotorua’s Redwoods. Riders had to ride the elevation of Everest (8848m). The realities of this feat were 160km of riding, 32hrs no sleep and 9000m of climbing 🏔️
Adastra has opened Asher up to different pathways to improvement and ways he can grow as a rider. His love and confidence on the bike is seen by everyone who knows him and he would tell his younger self to ‘keep doing what he is doing’.
Asher knows the risks of such a sport but is smart about it. Injuries come and go but he makes sure to focus on getting ready for what’s next. Welcome to the Adastra whanau Asher ☺️
@tectnz ... See MoreSee Less
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