Trust grant supports Hampden sustainable community vision

Media Release

The vision for a comfortable, attractive, versatile, and sustainable community building and garden in the small Waitaki community of Hampden received a substantial funding boost from the latest round of grants from Otago Community Trust.

Hampden Community Energy Society Inc was approved a $100,000 grant to support the new community workshop and garden complex. The new complex will provide a facility for school pupils and community members to work in a central place sharing skills, knowledge, and resources.  

Hampden Community Energy Society chair Dugald MacTavish said the project is being coordinated jointly between the Hampden school and local community and it is “just fantastic” to have Otago Community Trust’s support and vote of confidence for this critical first stage.

“It’s a three-stage project.  This first and most important stage, is the engineering, and craft workshop which will allow the group to get the project underway quickly and then be used to house the equipment and provide the space to help construct the other buildings.”

Every day we hear more stories of social and economic stress. Our group thinks a good response to that is to build local capacity with facilities for creativity, skill sharing and simply enjoying each other’s company within our village.   Our hope is that this workshop will help do that, said MacTavish.

Otago Community Trust chair Diccon Sim said that Otago Community Trust is pleased to be supporting this exciting community development in Hampden. 

It is a true community collaboration, that aligns well with all four of the Trust’s new strategic pillars but especially ‘Empowered Communities’. It is a project that will encourage collaboration, support local volunteering, and encourage community connection and social responsibility, said Sim.  

Whalan Lodge Trust in Kurow also received funding support for a large capital project that will support the expansion and redevelopment of the Awakino Wing of the Lodge, specifically the portico and courtyard dining and deck area.

Whalan Lodge Trust spokesperson Peter McIlraith said the Trust committee was delighted to hear that a grant of $180,000 had been approved.

“Whalan Lodge exists due to the commitment of the citizens of the area who give hundreds of hours of voluntary service for the establishment to survive. This community grant means so much to our small community.”

We all know that the failure to keep up with the demand for aged accommodation and care has the potential to force many older rural people to live away from their immediate families, said McIlraith.

“Given the precarious state elderly care is in at present, our community has been determined not to lose this asset. Knowing that we are a step closer to advancing the redevelopment and increasing our capacity is rewarding to say the least.”

Otago Community Trust chief executive Barbara Bridger said the Trust recently updated its funding policy in relation to rural health care facilities including aged care and rest home facilities to minimise the inequities rural Otago communities are facing in gaining access to health and aged residential care services.

“This is the first grant trustees have approved with the new policy in place. This rural district has only one rest home, there are no other like facilities in a radius of 60km.” 

The Trust acknowledges that it is very important that our rural residents can remain within their own communities, retaining their dignity and remaining part of the community that they have supported throughout their lives, and we are pleased to support Whalan Lodge Trust continue to do just this, said Bridger.

Other organisations benefiting from grants in October included Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Ōtepoti who received a $30,738 grant to support funding the Whare Hangarau programme focused on creating opportunities for rangatahi to start pathways into digital careers.

The Kaitangata & District Promotions Inc were awarded a $15,000 grant to assist with the cost of developing a memorial garden on the old Kaitangata Memorial Hall site and the Upside Downs Education Trust received $5,000 to support families receive speech and language therapy services for children with Down Syndrome.

In total Otago Community Trust approved just over $940,000 to 67 organisations in October 2022, this included Arts Capability funding of $60,000 to seven Dunedin based arts and culture organisations for capability-based initiatives in areas of governance and management. 

The contestable Arts Capability Fund is jointly run with the Dunedin City Council and is only available to Arts and Culture organisations based in the Dunedin City boundary which are committed to supporting and contributing to Ara Toi Ōtepoti: Our Creative Future - Dunedin’s Arts and Culture Strategy.

 

Otago Community Trust Grants, October 2022
Alexandra	Central Otago A & P Association	$4,062
Balclutha	Kaitangata & District Promotions Inc	$15,000
	South Otago Agricultural & Pastoral Soc	$2,000
	Kaitangata Golf Club Inc	$3,000
Cromwell	Tarras School	$15,000
Dunedin	Otago Polytechnic - Pacific Island Scholarships	$10,000
	Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Ōtepoti	$30,738
	Otago Youth Wellness Trust	$90,000
	Santa Parade Trust	$15,000
	CCS Disability Action Otago Inc	$17,500
	Creative Arts Trust - Artsenta	$13,700
	Anglican Family Care	$5,000
	Dunedin Edinburgh Sister City Society Inc	$6,000
	Dunedin Philippine Club Inc	$2,000
	Waikouaiti District Museum Soc Inc	$1,000
	Karitāne Bowling Club Inc	$2,000
	SuperGrans Dunedin Charitable Trust	$10,000
	Dunedin Musicians Club Inc	$4,905
	University of Otago - Division of Sciences	$4,452
Milton	Tokomairiro High School	$23,000
	Taieri Mouth Multisport Event	$863
Ōamaru	Whalan Lodge Trust	$180,000
	Hampden Community Energy Society Inc	$100,000
	Filipino Waitaki Incorporated	$5,600
	Ōamaru Combined Churches Christmas Parcels Trust	$2,000
	Waitaki Summer Music Camp	$2,500
	North Otago Cricket Assn Inc	$2,000
	Ōamaru Victorian Heritage Celebrations Committee	$8,000
	Waitaki District Council - Community Events	$10,000
Otago	Skeggs Foundation	$33,180
	Royal NZ Foundation of the Blind Inc	$10,000
	Surf Life Saving New Zealand Inc	$25,000
	Otago Softball Assn Inc	$6,000
	Perinatal Mental Health New Zealand	$1,716
	The UpsideDowns Education Trust	$5,000
	People First New Zealand Inc	$2,000
	Enabling Love New Zealand	$2,000
	Maungatua Presbyterian Church	$3,000
Wānaka	Challenge Wānaka Sports Trust	$15,000
	Kahu Youth Trust	$55,450
	Mint Charitable Trust	$15,000
	Hawea-Wānaka Pony Club Branch Inc	$5,000
	Southern Lakes Model Fliers Club Inc	$2,000
	Wānaka Preschool Early Childhood Centre	$5,672
	Upper Clutha Historical Records Society	$2,500
	Wānaka Associated Football Club Inc	$5,000

 

Otago Community Trust Arts Capability Grants, October 2022
Dunedin	Dunedin Midwinter Celebrations Trust	$5,440
	Dunedin Fringe Arts Trust	$9,980
	Dunedin Wildlife Trust	$10,000
	iD Dunedin Fashion Inc Soc	$8,060
	Dunedin Symphony Orchestra	$9,920
	International Festival Environment Science Technology Dun NZ Inc	$9,000
	Otago Festival of the Arts Trust	$7,600

 

Otago Community Trust Tamariki and Rangatahi Capability Grants, October 2022
Alexandra	Sticks n Stones Inc	$10,000
	Journeys Charitable Trust	$2,255
	Alexandra and Districts Youth Trust	$1,083
Dunedin	Creative Arts Trust - Artsenta	$10,000
	Presbyterian Support Otago	$8,364
	Te Hou Ora Ōtepoti Inc	$10,000
	Adventure Development Limited (ADL)	$9,000
	Dunedin Community Care Trust	$10,000
	Inspired Faith Church - Dunedin	$8,000
	Aroha Ki Te Tamariki	$10,000
	Otago Youth Wellness Trust	$6,740
Otago	Royal New Zealand Plunket Trust	$3,800
	Te Whānau Tupu Ngātahi o Aotearoa - Playcentre Aotearoa	$7,850
Wānaka	Kahu Youth Trust	$7,406