15th February 2019

$300,000 granted through Trust’s new online application system

Central Lakes Trust launches online applications with over $300,000 granted in the first funding round for the 2019 calendar year.

Grants Manager, Vicci Lawrence says applicants can now easily track the progress of their application and manage their grant.

Otago Goldfield’s Heritage Trust treasurer, Odette Hopgood-Bride, who applied for a grant to enable a region wide review of heritage sites, confirmed the online application process was “really easy.”

The grant approved for over $40K will enable the heritage trust to commence a five-year heritage site review. “The goal being to join with other heritage organisations to review heritage sites throughout Central Otago and Southern Lakes and create a comprehensive inventory,” Odette says.

“As heritage site assessments are completed, records will be updated with the NZAA (New Zealand Archaeological Authority) and available for all to use,” she says.

Preserving our heritage for future generations and identifying new heritage sites is one of our current five key priority areas for Central Lakes Trust, says Chief Executive, Susan Finlay.

“This information will not only assist heritage groups but local government, developers, businesses, education providers, historians and other agencies with an interest in heritage,” Odette comments. “We are very excited to be able to get this project underway. While other areas throughout the country performed a national heritage site review in the 80’s, this wasn’t done in our region, and is key to preserving our heritage for future generations.”

Other applicants to use the system included Alexandra Toy Library, whom receive a much-needed boost towards replenishing the toys in their library. The programme has been successfully running for several years. The library is available to all families on a membership basis to borrow toys, rather than buy.

“This can be an excellent option as small children go through growth stages relatively quickly and require differing toys for stimulation. Play is a very valuable educational component, says CLT Grants Advisor, Mat Begg, “Much like the Holy Family Catholic School can tell you, as they too have spent many years building up their play spaces to cater for the school roll at 225.”

“Extraordinary roll growth has overcrowded play equipment at the school. The new creative play space will include an outdoor stage, fixed percussion instruments along with other fixed and movable structures, Grainne Power, Voluntary Grants Coordinator says.

Psychological research has established that there are five fundamental types of human play, commonly referred to as physical play, play with objects, games with rules, symbolic play and pretence or socio-dramatic play.

“Stages 1-3 of our project addressed the first three types of play. The creative play space will address the latter two types. We are delighted with the grant from Central Lakes Trust towards its inclusion,” Grainne states.

The equipment will be available to the community as a whole outside of school hours.

The Snow Farm, a charitable trust and our preeminent and only Nordic Ski area in New Zealand sought funding to replace their old and out-of-date snow groomer. The facility’s reliance on this equipment is critical to be able to maintain operations. Contributing $150,000 themselves, Central Lakes Trust are contributing 20% at $96,000 to the charitable trust towards the purchase of the new groomer.

The facility is widely used by locals and has a strong educational focus running programmes for nine local schools,” says Susan. The farm operates year-round providing heavily discounted rates in the ski season, and bike and walking trails the rest of the year.

“The Trust’s annual grants budget is $8.5m and the latest rounds of grants takes the total approved for this financial year to almost $5.9m,” Susan says.

GRANTS APPROVED – FEBRUARY 2019

Project grants

Alexandra Toy Library Toy upgrades $3,010

Holy Family Catholic School Creative play space $34,180

Snow Farm New Zealand Snow groomer $96,000

Operational grants

Central Lakes Breastfeeding Operational Grant 2019/20 $23,000
Cromwell Resource Centre Operational Grant 2019/20 $45,000
The Brain Injury Association (Otago) Operational Grant 2019/20 $11,300

Heartland Life Education Trust Multi-Year 2 of 3 $20,000

Roman Catholic Diocese Dunedin Multi-Year 2 of 3 $35,000

Programme Grants

Otago Goldfield Heritage Trust Heritage site reviews $42,500

TOTAL: $309,990

ENDS

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