Tauranga clubs & schools win NZCT grants

The Tauranga Motorcycle Club is one of 24 local clubs and schools to be awarded New Zealand Community trust grants in February and March. Photo: Jody Beattie.

More than $206,000 in grants have been awarded to three Tauranga schools and 21 sports clubs across the city by the New Zealand Community Trust.

Awarded in February/March, the grants range from $5000 to $20,000 and will help clubs and schools cover the costs for new equipment, facility upgrades, first aid services at events, and more.

The big winners were Tauranga Motorcycle Club, Argos Gymnastics Club, Arataki Sports Club and Tauranga City United AFC, who each received grants of $20,000.

Tauranga Motorcycle Club, which is based at the TECT All terrain Park and has a membership of about 250 riders, have used their grant to purchase a new John Deere tractors with a front loader to help maintain and groom their tracks.

President Kelvin Meredith says the tractor has a purchases the club's targeted for a while, and they were able to buy it thanks to the NZCT grant plus a $20,000 grant they also received from the Tauranga Energy Consumer Trust.

'Up until last week we'd relied on borrowing family and friends' tractors, or paying to get grooming done which can get expensive when you're transporting excavators. So the tractor is going to be really helpful for the club.

'We're stoked, really happy. A big thank to NZCT and TECT, it's great to see the money going back into the community.”

While Argos Gymnastics will be using their grant towards the purchase of new equipment for the Judea-based club which covers a wide variety of gym sports and has about 650 members.

Manager Greer Meyer says it feels 'pretty great” to be able to purchase new T-Bars and safety mats for the club.

'Our gear is quite outdated, well over 10 years old, so we've definitely been needing to update them and gymnastic isn't a very cheap sport.

'It's going to be really great for our members, and for the competitions that he host here. We have some very senior gymnasts travel from around New Zealand to compete here, and this will mean they have the quality equipment that they need.”

Greer says it's going to take up to 12 weeks for their new equipment to arrive and they had been trying to keep it as 'a bit of surprise”, until SunLive came along and ruined everything.

'The grant is just a really great thing for the club to receive, it's really exciting.”

Established in 1998, NZCT is the country's largest gaming trust and the largest funder of amateur sports participation in New Zealand.

About 80 per cent of grants are awarded for sporting purposes, with the remaining 20 per cent going towards other important causes including rescue and lifesaving services, community groups, education and culture.

In the 12 months to September 30, 2016, NZCT distributed $40.9 million to sporting, local government and community groups nationwide, with many of these groups relying heavily on volunteers and have limited budgets.

To learn more about the New Zealand Community Trust and how to apply for a grant, visit www.nzct.org.nz

TAURANGA NZCT GRANT RECIPIENTS FOR FEBRUARY/MARCH:

Organisation

Amount

Purpose

Tauranga Yacht and Power Boat Club

$10,000

Towards coaching for 2017

Tauranga City Baseball

$10,000

Towards playing equipment and a trailer

Triathlon Tauranga

$5,795

Towards hosting costs for Marra Sprint Triathlon in Mt Maunganui

Blue Rovers Junior Football Club

$10,000

Towards upgrade of Meredith Hall

Tauranga Sports Club

$13,000

Towards line-marking on rugby fields and kitchen upgrade

Tauranga Motorcycle Club

$20,000

Purchase of a tractor with a front end loader

Otumoetai Tennis Club

$5,000

Towards junior tennis coaching

Te Puna Rugby Football Club

$5,000

Towards training equipment and bus travel for 2017 season

Arataki Sports Club

$20,000

Towards venue hire, bus travel, playing uniforms and equipment

Tauranga Synchronised Swimming Club

$5,000

Towards lane hire costs for 2017

Otumoetai College

$10,000

Towards travel and accommodation to compete in NZSS Volleyball Nationals in Palmerston North

MotorSport Bay of Plenty

$3,000

Towards first aid at events

Tauranga Boxing Club

$4,000

Towards coaching in schools

Tauranga Evergreen Softball Club

$2,000

Towards travel and accommodation to attend national tournament in Christchurch

Tauranga City United AFC

$20,000

Towards salary of Director of Football and Club Development Manager for delivery of Football in Schools programme

Greerton Amateur Swimming Club

$2,300

Towards accommodation costs to attend a national swim meet in Rotorua

Katikati Croquet Club

$3,000

Towards a contract fee for greens maintenance

Omanu Bowling Club

$5,000

Towards salary of Greenkeeper

Aquinas College

$3,800

Towards accommodation costs to attend NZSS Volleyball Championships in Palmerston North

Argos Gymnastics Club

$20,000

Towards safety equipment

Otumoetai Intermediate School

$15,000

Towards sports uniforms for various sporting codes

Bay of Plenty Area Pony Club

$2,000

Towards coaching and entry fees for eventing championships

Tauranga Bay of Plenty Petanque Association

$5,000

To complete Stage 2 of the new petanque terrain at the club

Kayaking Tauranga

$7,390

Towards accommodation costs to attend NZSS Canoe Slalom Championships in Kawerau

You may also like....

0 comments

Leave a Comment


You must be logged in to make a comment.