BOP Community Groups Receive Almost $200,000 funding in six months from The Southern Trust

Tuesday 25 July 2017

Bay of Plenty community groups have received $199,011 in funding from The Southern Trust over the first six months of this year.

Figures from The Southern Trust – one of the country’s leading gaming trusts – show 34 Bay of Plenty groups have received grants ranging from $30,000 to $1,000 for a range of community initiatives.

The Southern Trust, is licensed by the Department of Internal Affairs under the Gambling Act 2003 to return gaming machine proceeds to the community. The Trust provides funding for amateur sport, education, community purposes, welfare organisations and arts and culture. In the Bay of Plenty the Trust works with four venues; Kope Turf Bar (Whakatane), Imbibe (Mount Maunganui), the Masonic Hotel (Opotiki) and Matata Hotel (Matata).

The Southern Trust CEO and Trustee Karen Shea said “We are pleased that our partnerships with Bay of Plenty venues means that we have funds to assist community organisations.”

Highlights within the grants to Bay of Plenty community groups between 1 January and 30 June 2017 are:
$30,000 for the Photoplayer Restoration Trust to rebuild and carve two side cases that hold the percussion instruments and organ pipes
$20,000 for the Opotiki Baptist Church to purchase and install storm water tanks, build fences and decking for its new facility
$15,000 for the Matata Volunteer Fire Brigade to upgrade its kitchen, purchase gymnasium equipment and a thermal imaging camera
$13,680 for Waiotahe Valley School to purchase of materials for construction of a cricket training facility

Community organisations throughout the Bay of Plenty can apply for funding. The Southern Trust continually reviews applications with most processed within 20 working days. Requests larger than $30,000 are reviewed at the monthly Board of Trustees meetings.

Ms Shea says for Bay of Plenty community organisations considering applying the first step is to call The Southern Trust funding team on 0800 4 CHARITY (0800 42 42 74). “Our team can easily advise on application criteria, which can save organisations a lot of time.”

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