Rattling old cash for young New Zealanders

Rattling old cash for young New Zealanders

The unique and unusual Lions Clubs New Zealand project that collects everything from old shillings and cents through to roubles and rupees is holding its first ever awareness week this April.

The Heads Up for Kids National Awareness Week runs from April 12th – 19th and Lions are aiming to let the country know old New Zealand and foreign currency can be used to benefit Kiwi kids.

The obsolete currency is redeemed for legal tender and used to fund education programmes and courses for New Zealand youth. For the past two and half years Lions have been busy collecting, and with the help of Resene and Fastway Couriers have gathered a hefty 14 tonnes of this obsolete currency.

“The Reserve Bank has estimated that there is over 80 million dollars in old New Zealand pre-decimal and decimal coins and 36 million dollars in old bank notes unaccounted for, so there’s plenty to be dug out,” says Heads Up for Kids campaign chairman, Simon Hayes.

“We are hoping to reach out to New Zealanders and let them know that all those old New Zealand coins and banknotes, as well as foreign coins and banknotes they haven’t any use for can be given to Heads Up for Kids and turned into something really special,

“Over 75 young people have benefited, receiving funding to attended programmes such as the Hillary Step, Spirit of New Zealand and Outward Bound - that’s the magic of the project; turning out-of-date cash into life changing experiences for a young New Zealanders,

“We’re encouraging people to get behind the project and support our youth. Whether it’s a quick look down the back of the sofa, joining in the activities or setting up an office collection. Every bit of effort makes a difference, and every bit of old and foreign currency counts, “says Mr Hayes.
. . .

If you would like to support Heads Up for Kids, please take any old New Zealand money and any foreign currency to a Heads Up for Kids collection point,
this includes all Resene Colorshops or by calling 0800 OLD MONEY for a Lions Club member to collect.

For information on Awareness Week activities, school competitions and Facebook campaigns, please see details www.lionsclubs.org.nz/oldmoney

Watch the Heads Up for Kids TVC - http://bit.ly/11TsYBf

For more information and a local photo opportunity please contact:
Olivia Lacey, project manager, 04 471 0335 olivia@morrimac.com

Attached Photo: Olive Northrop gets behind the Become a Heads Up for Kids Pirate Facebook campaign

Old Money Facts: from the Reserve Bank of New Zealand
• The average household has 200 old and foreign coins
• Men hoard far more coins than women
• The average New Zealander carries 9- 10 coins with them when they go out.
• The Reserve Bank issued over 500 million 5 cent coins between 1967 and 2006. About 350 million were never returned. If you put them in a line they would stretch from Wellington to Auckland and back 5 times

Heads Up for Kids benefits New Zealand youth, it also:
• Saves the taxpayer the cost of buying new coins, as the old coins are recycled
• Recycling copper and nickel. The metals that the older coins were made from can be sold for scrap metal and recycled.
• Boosts the economy, as it brings idle money back into circulation.

About Lions Clubs

The Lions movement started in Chicago in 1917. It is now a worldwide organisation with more than 1.3 million Lions in 205 countries.

Lions play an important role in the volunteerism sector. New Zealand’s 430 clubs and 11,500 members collectively raise an estimated $100 million plus each year for charitable organisations here and in the Pacific region.

Internationally former U S President Jimmy Carter still actively campaigns for Lions and J F Kennedy’s nephew Tim Shriver has picked up his mother’s charity of the Special Olympics, which gets key financial support from Lions.

In the past Prime Ministers John Marshall and Norman Kirk, Mayors Sir Dove Myer Robinson, Sir Clifford Skeggs, philanthropist Sir Robert Kerridge and the incomparable Sir Edmund Hillary have all been active Lions.

An international survey of 1000 business executives by the prestigious Financial Times, ranked Lions Clubs International as the best non-government organisation worldwide to partner with for education, the environment and microfinance projects.

Lions Clubs International Foundation, the official charitable organisation of Lions Clubs International, was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2008. Since it was founded in 1968 it has awarded 9550 grants totalling US$680 million.

Lions bridge religious, political, economic and social boundaries and the organisation has enormous strength of numbers with a very broad geographical spread

ends

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