Just over $74,000 in community grants were approved in the Trust Tairāwhiti July funding round to enhance education, sports and accessibility initiatives in our region.
Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Tapere-Nui-A-Whatonga were the biggest recipients, receiving $37,500 for a much-needed school van. This resource will greatly enhance the learning experience for tamariki.
Located in Rangitukia, 160km from Gisborne, transportation costs challenge the small rural kura. With the school van, tamariki can enjoy improved access to their broader community networks, including marae, kohanga reo, other kura and the local church. This will help extend their learning opportunities beyond the four walls of a classroom, fostering an engaging curriculum for tamariki development.
Poverty Bay Rugby Football Union (PBRFU) will receive a $13,278 grant to support the growth of women’s and Māori rugby in Tairāwhiti. There are two components to this funding, one being the Tūranga Wāhine seven-week competition featuring four local club teams. The competition will elevate the profile of women’s rugby with live-streamed games, qualified referees and a trophy to compete for. Players will have the opportunity to be recognised for higher honours.
The second component of the grant is a testament to PBRFU's commitment to Māori rugby in the region. With 2944 people in Tairāwhiti playing rugby, 70 per cent being Māori, this funding will be instrumental in supporting the Tūranga Tāne team. The team will host two home games against Wairoa and Hawkes Bay in the lead-up to participating in Te Upoko o te Ika, a Māori rugby invitational tournament in Wellington.
Other recipients include:
- Parafed Gisborne Tairāwhiti - $10,000 to support the delivery of tailored sports and recreational activities in Tairāwhiti for people living with disabilities and their extended whānau.
- Raparapaririki Charitable Trust - $8,000 to deliver three community-wide te reo Māori workshops to strengthen the reo that tamariki are exposed to in their homes and the Puna reo environment. These workshops will foster the confidence of parents, kaiako, kaiāwhina and tamariki to embrace and use te reo Māori more effectively.
- Wainui Playcentre - $5,437.60 towards installing shade sails so tamariki can use the outdoor space for extended periods during summer.
All successful funding applicants demonstrated outcomes that align with the Trust’s wellbeing framework, He Rangitapu He Tohu Ora.
A new funding round is open now