Changing the world, one ride at a time.
Founded in 2013, World Off-road Riding Department is a youth mountain bike charity based in Wellington and Wānaka, Aotearoa providing amazing life changing adventures for 7-17 year olds.
The charity you wish you had when you were a kid…
What started as an outsider with a crazy idea in 2013 has now exploded into the largest youth mountain bike charity in Aotearoa. WORD has taken a different approach to youth sport... Focusing on the adventure, connections with each other, self, and the environment, leadership, and a no excuses approach to gender equity, we are super proud to be truly making a difference to young people and their whanau in our communities.
OnWORD: Learning to Ride a Long Way (Video)
Featured on Bikepacking.com
That’s a wrap!
What a year it’s been! We’re stoked to have had over 1000 rangatahi and tamariki riding with us across Aotearoa! Everything from our core term programmes and holiday camps to special events like the Thumb-riaser and Bike-a-palooza. Thanks to extra funding we ran new programmes specifically targeting girls and young women like the Dirt, Soul, and LOLs in Ōtautahi, and The WONDERS in Wānaka, a 4 week programme with the grand finale of a bike packing trip!
Check out our wrap up report for more goodness!
Bike-a-Palooza 2024
New Zealand’s best, super fun, and most rad kid’s mountain bike event ever!
Our Values
Youth Centered
Young people are at the heart of ALL decisions. For youth, with youth.
Adventure
We’re fun. We’ve got grit. We’re risk takers. We’re bravely kind.
Connection
Connection to self. Connection to others. Connection to the environment.
Fight for Equity
We create access, support, and celebrate diversity + equity - always.
Embracing Change
Embrace change: Gather the knowledge to inform and guide. We adapt. We are agile.
“
He feels like he has found his ‘thing’ and it’s becoming part of who he is. “
— A happy WORD Parent
