Sam Downing has a pretty exciting job title – information ninja. 

Technically, he’s the new Active Southland data coordinator, working within the newly formed Spaces and Places team, but he reckons ninja sounds better. 

A Southlander born and bred, Sam has joined the team to help pull together data being used in the new Southland Spaces and Places Strategy, a collaborative initiative involving Active Southland, Sport New Zealand, Invercargill City Council, Gore District Council, Southland District Council, Invercargill Licensing Trust, ILT Foundation, Community Trust South, and the Mataura Licensing Trust. 

The strategy aims to create and implement a more aligned approach to the regional planning of spaces and places, relating to play, active recreation and sport, across Southland. 

The data collected will help inform current and future community needs and evidence-based decisions. 

For Sam, who has a Bachelor of Science majoring in Sport Development and Management, it is an opportunity to be involved in a sector he has always been passionate about, even if it is in a role that is new and uncharted territory for him. 

“I always loved sport growing up, and I always knew it was the place I wanted to be in. 

“This (the data coordinator role) is something I am not really used to but it’s something where I’ll have to think outside the box, and that’s exciting.” 

A keen cricket player (he is currently a member of the Southland squad contesting the Hawke Cup), he played most sports as a youngster, and on most weekends you will find him playing cricket or doing something else physically active. 

Article added: Friday 21 January 2022