Queenstown community groups benefit from grants worth $121,000

Last night, more than 50 Queenstown community organisations received grants totaling $121,897 at a special event for SKYCITY Queenstown Casino Community Trust recipients. 

Clark Pirie, trust chairman since 2009, says the funding supports the important work of many charitable groups in Queenstown.

“The SKYCITY Queenstown Casino Community Trust continues to be a strong supporter of events that add vibrancy to our community, a wide range of sports to encourage health and social contact, and extensive support of rescue and emergency organisations.

“We’re proud to have been able to support organisations like Wakatipu Search and Rescue, Happiness House Trust and Presybterian Support Otago for many years now, to ensure their important work in the community continues,” says Mr Pirie.

SKYCITY Queenstown General Manager Jonathan Browne says the trust is just one of the ways that SKYCITY is involved in the Queenstown community.

“We’re really proud to be a part of Queenstown, supporting local community groups, backing the SKYCITY Stampede, Winter Festival, Gay Ski Week, Colour Burst, and many other ways to make Queesntown an even better place to live, work and play.  

“A huge thank you to the trustees Clarke Pirie, Kim Wilkinson, Kerry Harper, Michelle King and Vickie Hill who continue to volunteer their time in making these grant decisions each year,” says Browne.

The SKYCITY Queenstown Casino Community Trust is independent, and a group of volunteer trustees from the Queenstown community consider all applications and oversee the distribution of funds. In just 15 years, the Trust has distributed almost $1.7 million in funding to over 565 community organisations. 

View full list of recipients of grants from SKYCITY Queenstown Casino Community Trust in 2017.

Funds distributed by SKYCITY Queenstown Casino Community Trust in 2017 will assist with projects including:

• Purchasing costumes for Drama Queenstown’s ‘Gnomes and Gardens’ production and a portable stage for Remarkable Theatre, and assisting with production costs of LUMA Southern Light Project
• Purchasing 12 Thinsulate jackets for the Lakes District Air Rescue Trust and new transceivers for the Alpine Cliff Rescue Team (Wakatipu Search and Rescue)
• Purchasing training equipment and gear for Queenstown Hockey Club, Queenstown Ice Hockey, Queenstown Swimming Club, and Wanaka Rowing Club
• Purchasing firewood to keep the Happiness House warm during winter
• Supporting the Presbyterian Support Otago and Southland’s Buddy Programmes and providing individualised speech language therapy to children with The UpsideDowns Education Trust
• Funding the Health Shuttle Service for St John – Wakatipu, and a vehicle for Wakatipu Abuse Prevention Network to help service the Wanaka region
• Purchasing an 80-metre flying fox for Jardine Park with Kelvin Peninsula Community Association
• Buying a cover for the sandpit at Wakatipu Playcentre so it stays safe and clean, buying new educational toys for the Wakatipu Toy Library, and two new laptops for the Wakatipu Youth Trust
• Buying new chairs for caregivers to use while feeding at the Queenstown Plunket Rooms