Community groups pitch for council funds

Community

19 Feb

by Chris Marshall

**It’s decision time for the Taupō District Council as it decides who will benefit from limited community funding. Photo / Pauline Chester**

The Taupō District Council will be petitioned with 25 three-minute elevator pitches on Tuesday (February 25) as a raft of community groups vie for up to $460,000 per annum in two different long-term grants.

The council has promoted the $300,000 strategic partnership fund as being for groups who will support it in five areas with programmes and projects, while the accelerator fund is a multi-year contestable fund that can be accessed by up to eight eligible community organisations, with a maximum of $20,000 available annually for up to three years.

As the SPF money is likely to go to only one applicant for each of the five areas, and as 17 applications were received, a dozen or so community groups may miss out.

The short time frame to prepare a detailed case for consideration – from November 4 to December 10 last year (with no late applications accepted) has been lamented by several organisations to the Taupō and Tūrangi News.

However, individuals did not want to comment publicly before the presentations to elected members.

The five areas the SPF’s $300,000 per annum is to be distributed across are: sport, recreation, and reserves planning (three applications); arts, culture, and ngā toi (three applications); climate risk (three applications); community wellbeing (seven applications); and sustainable transport choices (one application).

The smaller value accelerator fund is described by the council as having been “designed for groups who need an extra boost and support to achieve aspirations that contribute to community wellbeing.”

This would be financial and in-kind support from the council’s community development team over three years. Recipients are not eligible to receive the fund more than once.

A total of 24 applications were received for this fund though some groups are spreading their chances by applying for both funds with a best-case scenario (the SPF) supported by a fallback position (accelerator fund).

Applicants for the accelerator fund must demonstrate how their project or initiative meets one or more of several community outcomes. These are: tangata whenua are acknowledged and respected; the creation of vibrant places and connected communities; resilient communities working in partnership; an innovative thriving economy; a flourishing environment.

Organisations applying for the SPF or accelerator grants include Greening Taupō, Taupō Creative Communities, Taupō Lakes and Waterways Trust, Lake Taupō District Sports Advisory Council, the Taupō School of Music, Towncentre Taupō and regional arts organisation Creative Waikato.

The council will announce its decisions to the successful applicants following the presentations, said Bryre Forlong, the council’s Kaitohutohu Matua Pūtea me te Rangapūtanga/Senior Funding and Partnerships Advisor.

The full list of applicants and funding awarded will also be made available on the council’s website.

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