This year, seven local community organisations received gifts totalling $45,000 from the Geyser Community Foundation.
Geyser is the Local Donations Manager appointed by The Tindall Foundation in its Families / Whanau programme area.
Chair of Geyser’s Distribution Advisory Committee, Ann Nicholas said projects that worked alongside a wide range of people in the Rotorua District community received support this year.
“We were delighted to receive a number of applications from organisations who had not previously applied for funding in this programme area.”
All funding applications are assessed by Geyser’s Distribution Advisory Committee, a group of six volunteers representing the Rotorua and Taupo communities, who give their own time and expertise in considering the applications.
As a Local Donations Manager, The Tindall Foundation provides Geyser with funds to distribute to charitable organisations in the Rotorua and Taupo Districts.
The seven local community organisations and charities to receive gifts from the Geyser Community Foundation this year were:
- Big Brothers Big Sisters of Rotorua received a gift of $6.000 to support itschildren’s mentoring programme which provides long term, meaningful relationships with a positive adult role model / tuakana. Big Brothers Big Sisters kaupapa is all about using these relationships to build, strengthen and promote positive relationships in their lives.
- Empowering Families for Effective Communities (EFFECT) received a gift of $7,000 to help with facilitator wages and venue hire to run Space, an education programme to support parents through the first 1,000 days of their child’s life. EFFECT received $10,000 last year.
- Graeme Dingle Foundation Rotorua received a gift of $7,000 to assist with the administration and operational expenses to run the Career Navigator work-ready programme for local secondary school students. Many New Zealand youth leave school too soon without being ready for employment which puts them at risk for adding to the already high youth unemployment statistics. In addition, employers often do not have the time and resources to devote to workplace learning for young people, and the loss of ‘stepping-stone’ jobs like milk runs and newspaper delivery means young people have fewer opportunities for work experiences prior to exiting school. Graeme Dingle Foundation Rotorua received $4,000 last year.
- New Zealand for Gifted Education received $7,000 so that more gifted children from disadvantaged backgrounds can access the MindPlus project and specialist education programmes. Twenty-four local students will benefit in 2022, including 10 additional students on wait lists and those who have been identified as needing support from local schools. Scholarships and subsidies are provided to children whose families are in financial need, with preference for children attending low decile schools, girls and Māori and Pasifika students.
- Older Persons Community Trust received a gift of $10,000 to help with operating costs. The Trust is responsible for Parksyde, a unique Community Centre catering for the social, recreational, health and educational needs of older people in Rotorua and the surrounding district.
- Sewing for Success received $3,000 to purchase fabric. In its second year of operation, the charity provides a positive and safe environment for anyone who wants to learn to sew. Fabric is needed so that students can further their skills and learn to make items for their whanau.
- The Miss Rotorua Foundation received $5,000 to provide free programmes for beneficiaries and those living in emergency housing, particularly young people. Working in partnership with a variety of local organisations, including a team of professional facilitators, employability and confidence courses will be provided to help whanau thrive.
Mrs Nicholas said Geyser Trustees had approved gifts totalling more than $450,000 to a wide range of community organisations in the Rotorua and Taupo District communities since first being appointed Funding Manager by The Tindall Foundation in 2013.
Requests for funding totalling more than $120,000 were received from community organisations in the Rotorua District this year.
Applications open again on 1 March 2023.
(July 2022)
