Otago school projects receive funding support

Media Release

A number of schools across Otago have received a helping hand towards significant school projects in the latest round of funding approved from the Otago Community Trust early last week.

Balmacewen Intermediate School who are set to replace their existing artificial turf and extend the size of the turf area by 400sqm received a $57,500 grant to support the turf replacement.

Principal Andrew Hunter said he was appreciative of the support received from Otago Community Trust.

“One of the areas we focus on at Balmacewen Intermediate is the importance of health and physical education. We offer a wide range of sports with skilled and dedicated coaches and we see real benefits in encouraging our students to be fit and healthy”.

“We have been fund raising towards this project for a number of years and are very pleased to be almost all set to press go”.

The new turf area will not only be used by the school but also by other schools, the community and local sporting clubs for practices, skill development and recreational use.

A $48,000 grant was also awarded to Clutha Valley Primary School who are similarly set to embark on significant capital works, with their local school and community pool complex due to undergo a major overhaul.

Otago Community Trust chairperson Ross McRobie said maintaining local swimming pools is vitality important for our small rural communities.

“It is well known that hundreds of school pools have closed, and an increasing number are at risk of closing because of health and safety, or maintenance costs”.

We are very pleased to be supporting Clutha Valley Primary School with this project and applaud the hard work that has been dedicated to maintaining this school and community facility.

“Learning to swim is one of the most important life skills to learn”.

Other grants around the region included the free Cycle Skills Training programme facilitated by the Dunedin City Council. Otago Community Trust approved a $31,205 grant to support the extension of the programme into a further nine local schools in Dunedin.

The Cycle Skills Training introduces children to cycling and helps them progressively gain the skills and experience they need to ride on the road.

The Tarras Community Church Charitable Trust were awarded a $50,000 grant to support the purchase of the Tarras Community Church as a community asset and Youth Glide New Zealand Incorporated were awarded a $10,000 grant to assist with their Ōmārama Winch Project. This project will see the purchase of a Skylaunch gliding winch to operate at Ōmārama.

 

Otago Community Trust Community Grants, August 2019
Alexandra	Alexandra Musical Society Inc	$2,250
	Alexandra Blossom Festival Inc	$5,000
Balclutha	Clutha Valley Primary School	$48,000
Dunedin	Balmacewen Intermediate School	$57,500
	St Pauls Cathedral	$30,000
	Kaikorai Primary School	$30,000
	Southern Rugby Football Club Inc	$15,537
	St Clair Golf Club Inc	$10,000
	Otago Polytechnic - Pacific Island Scholarships	$10,000
	Vogel St Party Charitable Trust	$8,000
	Dunedin City Council - South Dunedin Cycling Project	$31,205
	Vision Port Chalmers	$12,000
	Otago Fish & Game Council	$3,035
	Dunedin Senior Chinese Assn	$1,500
	Saturday Morning Music Classes (Dunedin) Soc Inc	$2,500
	Taieri Mouth Amenities Soc	$7,000
	Athletics Otago Inc	$3,061
	WellSouth Primary Health Network	$2,500
Mosgiel	Mosgiel Central Kindergarten	$10,000
	Wingatui Community Hall Society	$5,000
Ōamaru	Red Leap Theatre Trust	$3,500
Ōmārama	Youth Glide New Zealand Incorporated	$10,000
Otago	Tangata Whenua, Community and Voluntary Sector Research Centre	$5,000
	Nightsong	$6,000
	Synchro Swim NZ Inc	$5,800
	Show Me Shorts Film Festival Trust	$4,068
Wanaka	Snow Sports NZ Inc	$12,600
	The Tarras Community Church Charitable Trust	$50,000
	Wanaka Golf Club Inc	$5,000
	Wanaka Community Toy Library Inc	$1,500