Grant boosts fire safety for elderly

Elderly residents of Twizel, Tekapo and Glenavy will be safer in their homes thanks to an initiative to install 10-year smoke alarms in the houses of everyone over 65 in those communities.

Funding of $8000 has been granted by the Meridian Waitaki Community Fund to enable the South Canterbury area fire service to install two of the alarms in each home.

South Canterbury Area Commander Paul Henderson says smoke alarms have proven to be invaluable in saving lives, but their effectiveness is often limited by people failing to regularly replace batteries.

“Changing batteries can be a difficult task for elderly people, but these alarms can remain in place for ten years without having to be touched, which will give the over-65’s a greater level of safety.”

Mr Henderson says fire safety officers will also carry out a fire safety check at every home where the alarms are installed.

Other projects supported in the latest funding round include:

• $15,300 to enable the development of the sundial component of the Lake Tekapo Solar System Challenge
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• $15,000 for playground redevelopment at the Twizel Free Kindergarten
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• $11,350 for the Duntroon Hall heating upgrade
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• $10,991 to assist with track development for the Lake Tekapo Recreational Park project
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• $8428 to help the Bridging Waitaki Group Trust with development of a community park
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• $4,500 to help with the restoration of Nicol’s Blacksmith in Duntroon
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• $5000 to assist with renovations of the Kurow Golf Club’slounge
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• $4000 to purchase an archive computer for the Kurow Museum
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• $3500 to assist MacKenzie High Country Plunket’s outdoor environment enhancement project
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• $3006 to help the Riverside Soccer Club replace uniforms
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• $3000 to assist with replacing the curtains at the Kurow Memorial Hall
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• $3000 to provide chairs for the Glenavy Youth Group located at the Glenavy Community Church
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• $2655 to assist with Stage Two of the Cattle Creek Hall improvements
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• $2354 to help with the purchase of uniforms for the Twizel Netball Club
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• $1941 to the Mt Cook Playgroup for safety matting at a community playground
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• $1600 for a notice board at the Kurow Information Centre to help keep the community informed
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• $1500 for an oven as part of the Twizel Early Learning Centre’s kitchen upgrade
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• $1108 to replace a boundary fence at the Lower Waitaki Play Centre
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• $425 for purchase of accounting software for the Twizel Community Care Trust
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The chair of the fund, Meridian Markets and Production General Manager Neal Barclay, says it is pleasing to be able to support such a wide range of projects which are of lasting value to the communities concerned.

“Meridian recognizes its responsibilities as a large presence in this region to be a valued, contributing member of our communities, and the community fund is a great way to meet those obligations.”

The Meridian Waitaki Community Fund has a total of $1 million to allocate over the three years from November 2009 to community projects which meet the funding criteria.

ENDS

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