Waikato community groups benefit from record $800k+ funding boost

Community organisations across Waikato have benefited from a record $816,000 in SKYCITY Hamilton Community Trust grants, with 66 groups across the region receiving funding through the Trust this year.

The Trust has provided funding for Hamilton community groups for 13 years, distributing more than $6.4 million to 1500 community organisations in that time.

This year the Trust’s largest grant was $40,000 to the Waikato Environment Centre Trust’s Kaivolution scheme, a food distribution programme that collects edible but not saleable food from local food producers for collection by more than 40 charities. The funding will assist with the organisation’s driver and co-ordinator wages. SKYCITY Hamilton has a long and positive relationship with Kaivolution, having donated more than two tonnes of food across the past two years.

A large grant of $34,100 was also given to KidsCan Charitable Trust for items for their Health for Kids programme, which provides items such as headlice treatment, hand sanitiser, plasters, bandages and dental hygiene kits to decile 1-4 schools involved in the programme.

Barnardos, who provide social work for vulnerable families throughout the region, received a grant of $30,000 for operating expenses for their Supervised Contact initiative, allowing children to have safe, regular contact with a noncustodial parent. These children have experienced family dysfunction including parental separation, or substance abuse or mental illness and the focus is on keeping the child safe while supporting the parent in their interactions with their child. Barnados provides this support to 600 children across the Waikato region.
SKYCITY Hamilton Community Trust Chairman Roger FitzGerald says the Trust is proud to have supported Hamilton community groups for 13 years.

“It is both a difficult and rewarding position to select the organisations and projects we fund each year. We have some exceptional community groups doing fantastic work in our region and it’s extremely pleasing to have been able to distribute the largest allocation in the Trust’s history, putting this money back into our local communities,” he says.

SKYCITY Hamilton General Manager Michelle Baillie says SKYCITY is again delighted to give back to the Waikato Bay of Plenty region through the Trust. “The SKYCITY Hamilton Community Trust plays an important role in our community, enabling the wonderful work our local groups do in the Waikato Bay of Plenty region to continue and prosper when funding is often hard to come by.

“In conjunction with our key sponsorships of sports teams and events in the Waikato, as well as the work we do with charities and other community organisations, SKYCITY Hamilton prides itself on supporting our community,” she says.

Click here to view the SKYCITY Hamilton Community Trust 2016 Recipients List

Click here for more information on SKYCITY Hamilton Community Trust