The Otago Community Trust is pleased to announce that Trustees approved a $600,000 donation last week to support the Waitaki District Council with the development of the new Waitaki Cultural Facility. The multimillion-dollar project for the new cultural facility in Oamaru will see the amalgamation of the Forrester Gallery, North Otago Museum and Waitaki District Archive.
Otago Community Trust signs on as naming rights sponsor for the Dunedin New Zealand Masters Games 2018. Otago Community Trust, one of the largest philanthropic organisations in Otago / Southland, today announces its naming rights sponsorship for the upcoming Otago Community Trust New Zealand Masters Games 2018, further cementing its longstanding commitment to the Games.
The Dunedin City Council and the Otago Community Trust are pleased to announce a new contestable fund has been established to offer support to not for profit arts and culture organisations. The fund will assist organisations to improve their capability, with the aim to empower them to grow a sustainable future.
The Otago Community Trust approved over $1.2M in donations in its recent June donation round. The June donation round saw the Trust approve its regular annual funding to Otago regional sporting bodies, whereby a total of $967,200 was approved across 36 regional sporting bodies. Among the biggest beneficiaries were Sport Otago ($172,250), Netball South ($110,000) and Football South ($80,000).
Football South has been given a further $600,000 boost for its sport turf development at Logan Park after securing funding from the Otago Community Trust. The donation was approved at the Trust’s recent board meeting, where trustees granted a number of sizable donations across the region.
The Otago Festival of the Arts Trust was the largest beneficiary from the recent Otago Community Trust donation round, securing a $185,000 donation to the assist with the cost of the biennual Arts Festival Dunedin. Nicholas McBryde Director of the Otago Festival of the Arts Trust said Arts Festival Dunedin is grateful to the Otago Community Trust for their investment, and their belief in what the Festival is.
The Otago Community Trust was pleased to provide a $30,000 donation to the Naseby Summer Luge Trust in its March donation round. The summer luge track will be an exciting addition to Naseby which has blossomed into a popular year round holiday destination for families. Geoff Balme spokesperson from the Naseby Summer Luge Trust explains that the project has been simmering away for a number of years.
Otago schools within the Otago Community Trust funding area are set to benefit from a new Learning Impact Fund over the next three years. The Otago Community Trust has launched the new Learning Impact Fund which will be available to schools from 1 April 2017 to 31st March 2020. The Trust has identified education of Otago’s young people as a priority area for funding and the Learning Impact Fund supports schools to address the specific needs of their students.
In its first board meeting for 2017 the Otago Community Trust has approved over $588,000 in community donations to 50 community groups across Otago. The largest donation approved in February was $95,000 to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Dunedin to assist with the roofing restoration of Dunedin’s Dominican Priory. Otago Community Trust, chief executive Barbara Bridger said the Trust was pleased to provide support to the restoration of this category one Heritage New Zealand building.
Community groups across Otago have received a boost of more than $1.7 million thanks to Otago Community Trust. Moana House, a residential therapeutic community house that supports men with alcohol and drug problems, was the major beneficiary of the trust’s November funding round. The trust approved a $400,000 donation to help extend Moana House’s facilities.
Oamaru’s North Otago Recreational Turf Trust was the major beneficiary of the Otago Community Trust’s October funding round. The Otago Community Trust approved a $95,000 donation to the Trust which will assist with the cost of replacing the recreational hockey turf at Centennial Park. North Otago Recreational Turf Trust chairman Ray Simpson explains that the current water based turf was originally laid in 1999 and while it has been maintained to a high standard, it is now impractical and uneconomic to continue repairing it. “The expected life span of a turf is typically 10 years and we have had 17 years out of it” Mr Simpson said.
The Otago Community Trust is pleased to announce that it has committed over $700,000 towards insulating more low income homes across the Otago region for the year to 30th July 2017 through the EECA’s Warm Up New Zealand: Healthy Homes Rental programme. Working with providers Smart Energy Solutions and Technobond, this funding will allow almost 1000 more low income homes to become warmer, healthier and more efficient.