Social, emergency services aided
THERE was a real flavour of supporting social and emergency services in the region at Central Lakes Trust’s first meeting of the new financial year.
More than 30 of the grants in the first meeting of the year were associated with social service provision and reflected the very import ant role that these services provide in and around our community.
One of those was Wha¯nau Awhina Plunket which was awarded a threeyear grant of $75,000 each year to continue the provision of community services across the region.
Trust chief executive Barbara Bridger said the trust was pleased to offer support to continue the much needed services for our region’s young families.
Wha¯nau Awhina Plunket southern regional operations manager Maria Van Der Plas said the charity was truly grateful for the ongoing support from the Central Lakes Trust, especially in the present environment.
‘‘The grant will go towards coffee groups, playgrounds and injury prevention education sessions and the like, which are so important to keep our families with pe¯pi and tamariki under5 connected and supported in those crucial early years, setting them up for healthy futures.’’
Wha¯ nau A whina Plunket offers clinics across Central Otago and Queenstown Lakes districts.
Support was also given to Hato Hone St John for a new ambulance in Alexandra to replace one of its ageing fleet. The trust’s grant of $100,000 will ensure an ambulance is available for the community by
Presbyterian Support Otago emergency heating fund $30,000
Multiyear Grants
Alexandra Community Arts Class Arts Support $32,149
Alexandra Senior Citizens Centre $16,000
August this year.
Over an average 12month period in Alexandra and the Central Otago Region, an individual transporting ambulance responds to more than 1500 incidents with nearly a third of them triaged as lifethreatening or time critical.
‘‘The trust started granting on a multiyear basis several years ago to make it less onerous for groups applying for funding and provide security of income. For those we have a strong working relationship with and who operate in the social service sector, we can fund for successive years,’’ grants manager Mat Begg said.
More than $2.6 million was approved for the first meeting of the trust’s financial year — about 28% of the trust’s grants budget of $9.45 million.
Of this total $1.57 million in multiyear grants were approved.