Community groups to benefit from Outgames financial surplus

MEDIA RELEASE
9 June 2011

Community groups to benefit from Outgames financial surplus

Organisers of the 2nd AsiaPacific Outgames are poised to announced a large financial surplus from the event, and LGBTI community groups will be able to apply for a share of this money.

“While we still have a little way to go before we can release final figures for the event, we can say that the surplus is likely to be greater than NZ$75,000,” says Outgames Co-chair David Hindley.

Some of this money will be set aside as seeding finance for the 3rd AsiaPacific Outgames, wherever the event may be held. A grants scheme is currently being developed to allow community groups to apply for money from the balance of the funds.

“The financial strength of the event is largely due to the generosity of sponsors,” says Co-chair Virginia Hopkins-Burns. “The Kingdom of the Netherlands provided very significant financial support to the human rights conference, and some other funding bodies also provided cash grants in excess of NZ$10,000 each. Local organisations, including Rainbow Wellington and Gayline Wellington, were also very generous with their cash support.”

Analysis of a survey of over 330 Outgames participants also indicates that the event brought a financial benefit of between $1.2 and $1.8 million to Wellington, the city that hosted the event in March this year.

A report with final financial details, and details on how community groups can apply for funding, will be published in a few months’ time.

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