Upper Clutha A&P Society gives $60,000 to two Wanaka organisations

Two important Wanaka community causes are better off thanks to generous donations from the Upper Clutha A&P Society.

The Society, which organises the popular annual Wanaka A&P Show, is giving $50,000 to the Upper Clutha Hospice Trust and $10,000 to social services provider Community Networks Wanaka.

Each donation has been split over two years – the Hospice Trust receives $25,000 this year and the remaining $25,000 in 2015. Community Networks receives $5000 this year and $5000 next year.

Money the Hospice Trust receives will pay for the entire fit-out of one palliative room and family room at the soon-to-be-built hospice at the Aspiring Lifestyle Village on Golf Course Road. Community Networks will use its money to pay for essential operational costs.

Upper Clutha A&P Society president Beau Trevathan says the Society is delighted to be able to give two worthy community organisations some much-needed money.

“We are grateful that the whole Wanaka community supports us each year when we hold the Wanaka Show, which is why we are dedicated to giving back to the whole community in return. We believe these two organisations represent all aspects of the community – from young and old, to sick and needy people living here.”

Hospice trustee Ray Rudkin says the money from the Upper Clutha A&P Society is the largest lump-sum donation that the Trust has received to date: “It came as a complete surprise; we were blown away. Sometimes ‘thank you’ just doesn’t seem enough. It’s a huge help.”

Community Networks manager Kate Murray says she’s grateful for the donation as it makes life easier: “It’s very hard for us to find funding for our ongoing costs like rates, power and phone. The majority of our funding is for one-off projects so to have money for two years to cover operational costs is just fantastic.”

It’s the first time in three years that the Society has been able to give larger amounts of money back to the community, after a period of consolidation and saving to upgrade the woolshed on the Showgrounds. Previous recipients of donations include the Christchurch Earthquake Recovery Fund and the Christchurch SPCA, both in 2011.

The not-for-profit Upper Clutha A&P Society also gives about $25,000 each year to community organisations in exchange for working at the Show. It also awards a total of $3000 each year to people for its Agricultural Scholarship. Three successful applicants get $1000 each for three years.

ENDS

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