Social and emergency services the focus of first CLT grants round

There was a real flavour of supporting social and emergency services in the region at Central Lakes Trust’s first meeting of the new financial year.

Over 30 of the grants in the first meeting of the year were associated with social service provision and reflect the very important role that these services provide in our community.

One of those was Whānau Āwhina Plunket who were awarded a multi-3-year grant of $75,000 pa to continue the provision of community services in this area. Plunket provides a number of services across our region including the Plunket rooms (where parents can come to for a quiet safe place to feed, change etc. their babies), support groups, parenting education, play groups, car seat and safety services, injury prevention services, special family events and a number of volunteering opportunities.

Trust Chief Executive Barbara Bridger said, “The Trust is pleased to offer support to continue these much needed services for our region’s young families.” Whānau Āwhina Plunket Southern Regional Operations Manager Maria Van Der Plas says the charity is truly grateful for the ongoing support we receive from the Central Lakes Trust, especially in the current environment.

“The grant is a much-needed boost to Whānau Āwhina Plunket’s local community and injury prevention services. The grant will go towards coffee groups, playgrounds and injury prevention education sessions and the like, which are so important to keep our families with pēpi and tamariki under-five connected and supported in those crucial early years, setting them up for healthy futures.”

Whānau Āwhina Plunket offers clinics across Central Otago and Queenstown Lakes districts. 

Debbie Zwies – Hato Hone St John Fundraising Manager South & National Gifts in Wills Manager said ”Hato Hone St John is very grateful for the generosity and partnership of the Central Lakes Trust. With this funding we can now purchase a much-needed Generation Four emergency ambulance to support our frontline teams in Alexandra in the Central Otago response area.

Over an average 12-month period in Alexandra and the Central Otago Region, an individual transporting ambulance responds to over 1,500 incidents with around 32 percent triaged as life threatening or time critical.

Without the support of CLT and other trusts, foundations, individuals, and corporate donors, we simply wouldn’t be able to do what we do.”

Support was also given to Hato Hone St John for a new ambulance in Alexandra to replace one of its ageing fleet. The Trust’s grant contribution of $100k will allow the organisation to move forward with ensuring this ambulance is available for the community by August 2023.

“The Trust started granting on a multi-year basis several years ago to make it less onerous for groups applying for funding and provide security of income. For those we have a strong working relationship with and who operate in the social service sector, we can fund for successive years” Grants Manager, Mat Begg says.

In total over $2.6 million was approved for the first meeting of the Trust’s financial year, being approximately 28% of the Trust’s grants budget of $9.45 million. Of this total $1.57 million in multi-year grants were granted.

See a full list of the grants here.