Otago Community Trust, August 2015 Donations

Media Release

Youthline Otago has just received a $15,000 boost from the Otago Community Trust to help it run its Helpline Programme.

Youthline Otago is one of nine New Zealand hubs to run a dedicated youth helpline, the service available via phone, text, email and now webchat.

Youthline Otago Manager Brian Lowe said it is serving a growing need – last year the helpline dealt with 14,000 individuals in Otago alone, with 900 phone calls, and 13,000 text messages sent, up on the previous year. Enquires they dealt with ranged from simple referrals, through to helping young people with serious issues such as bullying, anxiety, depression, and suicide.

“We’re grateful for the support of the Otago Community Trust; the grant is invaluable in helping us meet on-going costs and to provide essential volunteer training and development.”

Otago Community Trust Chief Executive Barbara Bridger said one of the Trust’s priority funding areas is Youth Health and Wellbeing. “This donation recognises the need for a helpline in Otago, and the importance of Youthline’s work with the region’s young people.”

The Otago Community Trust donations for August totalled $270,800, to 29 Otago organisations.

Ms Bridger said the grants are meeting a large range of community needs, from helping the Tuvalu community travel to Oamaru for Independence Day celebrations, to assisting with Warrington Primary School’s pool upgrade, and helping Musical Theatre Oamaru produce the Broadway musical “The Addams Family" at the Oamaru Opera House over September.

Support also included a major grant to the Dunedin Prison Charitable Trust to assist with stage one of its restoration project. The 110-year-old prison, which is a listed historic building, needs considerable repairs to preserve it and achieve compliance, improving the structure, stonework and slate roof. It is also hoped some of the building’s unique features may be restored.

The Trust runs tours through the prison in the summer months.

Prison Trust funding Manager Owen Graham said the Otago Community Trust funding was timely, the support qualifying them to apply for national environment and heritage grants. “Thanks to the Otago Community Trust, we are so much further down the track of raising the $350,000 needed for this stage of the restoration project.”

The Otago Community Trust is also backing the "WoolOn Creative Fashion Event" on October 9 and 10, part of this year’s Alexandra Blossom Festival. WoolOn, a showcase of creative design and fashion highlighting wool, has several new sections in this year’s event, including an international prize, and young emerging designers and novice designer’s awards.

Alexandra	Alexandra Blossom Festival Inc	$3,000
	Central Otago District Arts Trust	$5,000
Dunedin	Momona Hockey Club	$150
	Tuvalu Community	$150
	Dunedin Pride Organising Committee 2013	$500
	Otago Malaysian Students' Association (OMSA)	$1,000
	Girl Guiding NZ - Western Hills District Jamboree Fundraising	$1,800
	Otago Fish & Game Council	$2,000
	Tainui School	$2,000
	Dunedin Ice Hockey Association	$2,500
	Operation New Direction Trust	$3,000
	Dunedin Curtain Bank Trust	$5,000
	West Dunedin Youth and Community Trust	$8,000
	Port Chalmers Rowing Club	$10,000
	The Otago Early Childhood & Schools Maori & Pacific Island Festival Trust	$10,000
	Youthline Otago Inc	$15,000
	Dunedin Public Art Gallery Society Inc	$25,000
	Dunedin Prison Charitable Trust	$90,000
Mosgiel	East Taieri School	$3,000
Oamaru	Oamaru Athletic Marist Rugby Football Club	$5,000
	Oamaru Repertory Society Inc	$8,700
	Musical Theatre Oamaru	$15,000
	Literacy North Otago Inc	$30,000
Otago	Public Health Association - Otago/Southland Branch	$4,000
	Hockey New Zealand	$7,500
Other	Institute for Child Protection Studies	$5,000
Waik/Palm	Warrington Primary School	$5,000
Wanaka	Mount Aspiring Outdoor Education Centre Trust	$1,000
	Wanaka Community Trust	$2,500