Otago Community Trust is pleased to announce that a $600,000 grant was approved on Tuesday to support the Waitaki District Council with stage two of the Waitaki Museum & Archive - Cultural Facilities Development Project.

Chloe Searle, Director of the Forrester Gallery and Waitaki Museum & Archive said the entire Waitaki Museum & Archive team is delighted to receive this grant from Otago Community Trust. These funds will contribute to greatly improving our collection storage. It will also allow us to purchase exhibition lighting and install new displays on the recently refurbished upper floor of the museum.

“We can’t wait to open the upper floor later this year and to share more of our district’s stories.”

Otago Community Trust chair Diccon Sim highlighted that when the trustees visited the facility late last year, they were impressed with the careful consideration that has been given to the best way to preserve the important heritage of the Waitaki region.

The new cultural facility is recognised as meeting industry best practice for the display and preservation of heritage items and access to the space will be greatly enhanced with the installation of the modern lift, said Sim.

“We are aware that the Waitaki community have spent quite some time exploring the best solution for the restoration of the Waitaki Museum and Archive and the Forrester Gallery and we recognise things as being well on track for the completion of a modern contemporary facility to showcase the Waitaki districts heritage and collections.”

Capital projects were also a driver behind several other applications for funding in May. Alexandra based IceInLine Central Inc were approved a $250,000 grant to assist with the new outdoor ice rink roofing project.

Hugh McIntyre of IceInLine Central said the roofing project is the third and final stage of three-stage development of the IceInLine facility. The installation of a roof to cover the existing facility, along with proper lighting will transform the user experience and enable the season to be extended and more competitions to be hosted.

“Regrettably, at the moment a number of competitions get allocated to other indoor rinks who can provide guaranteed ice surfaces. It is our hope that we can extend our season somewhat, with the ideal situation being have the facility open from early May to the end of August.

Otago Community Trust chief executive Barbara Bridger noted that the $250,000 grant is the third significant grant Otago Community Trust has approved to support IceInLine Central since the group started the staged approach to the upgrade back in 2010.

“The Trust is pleased to have been able to support IceInLine throughout each stage of the facility upgrade. Ensuring people have access to well-resourced recreational facilities is incredibly important for healthy, vibrant communities and strategically this grant fits well with our new strategic plan and funding pillar ‘Improved Health and Wellbeing.”

Additional grants included the Order of St John South Island Region who were approved a $50,000 grant to assist with the cost of the purchase and fit out of a new First Response vehicle for the Wanaka service area. This new 4WD First Response unit for Wanaka will greatly improve coverage in the remote rural Upper Clutha communities.

The Catlins Area School were approved a $49,423 grant to assist with resurfacing the existing courts with new asphalt, lines and equipment to provide four courts that can be utilised throughout the year. The current courts were designed and constructed in the mid 1980's and are in poor condition.

New Zealand Red Cross Inc were approved a $19,700 grant to assist with the cost of expanding their Settlement Youth Work Programme in Dunedin. The city is deemed a priority location due to high needs of refugee youth in the city and the expansion of the Settlement Youth Work Programme is seen as critical to fill the gap in the current service provision and reduce the current inequity of support for refugee background youth in Dunedin.

In total Otago Community Trust gave $1,391,793 to 31 community organisations in May 2022.

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