The small peninsula communities of Ōtākou and Harington Point were celebrating late last week after learning that further funding had been secured for the Te Rauone Beach project.

In its latest funding round, Otago Community Trust awarded a $180,000 grant to the Te Rauone Beach project, which will assist in the cost of constructing the groynes at Te Rauone Beach as part of the restoration project

Our committee of five were very emotional last week when we found out our grant application had been approved, said Te Rauone Beach Coast Care Committee representative Des Smith.

“This has been a hugely challenging project, and while we still have some way to go, this brings our total fundraising to $300,000 and is a wonderful achievement for a very small but totally committed community.”

“This will give the local community the much-needed lift they thoroughly deserve,” Smith said.

Te Rauone, on the Otago Peninsula, is a site that has rich Māori heritage and historical significance for local rūnaka and Ōtepoti Dunedin. Otago Community Trust are very pleased to be providing funding support to this project and the peninsula communities, said Otago Community Trust chair John Wilson.

Community Builders received a $20,000 grant which will assist with the ongoing activities and initiatives of the Community Builders Group. The Community Builders Group work closely with a wide range of greater Dunedin communities supporting grass-roots community development, established and emerging community leadership, alongside sharing knowledge, expertise and providing professional development opportunities.

Otago Community Trust chief executive, Barbara Bridger said the trust is very pleased to be offering funding support to assist community-led development activity in the Otago region.

“The Trust is pleased to support place-based community leadership, sharing knowledge of best practice and building resilient local communities to empower themselves in the current COVID-19 environment” said Bridger.

The Taieri Rugby Football Club received a $40,000 grant that will support the club’s renovations. The club has suffered from a leaking roof for the past couple of years and is now at the point where it must be replaced or risk damage to the interior of the club rooms.

Other organisations benefiting from grants in June included the Milton Community Health Trust who were awarded $31,000 grant to assist with the cost of delivering community-led initiatives that support the wellbeing of whanau in the Milton area. Aspiring Biodiversity Trust were awarded a $12,000 grant to support their ongoing Makarora Catchment Threatened Species project and the Waitaki Community Gardens Trust received a $5,000 grant to help with their community garden site development.

The Otago Community Trust gave a total of $364,455 to 18 community organisations in June 2020

About the Otago Community Trust

The Otago Community Trust is a philanthropic organisation which applies its Trust funds for charitable and other purposes which are of benefit to the community. The Otago Community Trust has its origins in the Dunedin Savings Bank, established in 1864 by public spirited citizens seeking to encourage thrift within the community, and distribute surplus profits to charitable causes.

In 1988 the Government restructured the ownership of regional savings banks and gifted the ownership of the Otago Savings Bank to the community through the establishment of the Trust Bank Otago Community Trust.

The amalgamation of the regional savings banks resulted in the establishment of Trust Bank New Zealand Ltd. In the mid 1990’s the Otago Community Trust as it is now known sold its shares in Trust Bank New Zealand Ltd for $131M and invested the proceeds.

The Trust now has over $265M invested and since inception has granted more than $170M into the Otago Region. The Trust aims to make wise investment decisions that preserve the original capital for future generations as well as having a healthy grants budget each year.

© Scoop Media