Grants to the tune of $1.5 million have been dished out at Central Lakes Trust’s latest board meeting, including the long-awaited Luggate Hall, a series of operational grants to community groups, and a handful of emergency COVID-19 grants.
The Board approved a grant of $750,000 towards the new hall build, a total of 18% of the project cost.
The current Luggate Community Hall was decommissioned in 2017 due to seismic concerns, leaving Luggate without any form of community facility. Over the past three years an extensive process of community consultation has been conducted to determine the demand and scope of facilities required for the communities immediate and future needs, and a passive design chosen.
QLDC’s Sport & Recreation Manager Simon Battrick says, “The Luggate Memorial Centre will be the first passive house certified community centre in New Zealand. This innovative method was chosen as it will not only future proof the centre but addresses the key issues of sustainability, and cost effectiveness, while providing a place that all the community can use.”
He continues, “the Passive House concept is novel and unchartered territory for New Zealand community facilities, and should address the community desires for the hall. If it is successful, it is likely to be the blueprint for other community facilities in our district.”
Trust chief executive, Susan Finlay says, “While it may have been a lengthy process, it’s rewarding to see a well thought out concept. The hall will end up requiring very little energy to operate, reducing running costs, and ultimately offer a healthy and comfortable centre for the Luggate community to once again gather together.”
While the trust traditionally supports many local social service organisations with operational funding, and there are many in this funding round, some are experiencing or foresee increased demand. One example is the Salvation Army, whose services have increased 600% since COVID-19.
Lt Andrew Wilson, Corps Officer and Director of Community Ministries, from the Queenstown Salvation Army says, “COVID-19 has significantly changed the outlook for the region, which is now facing a sudden economic crisis with profound social pain. While demand for our service es is expected to gradually decrease over the coming months, the depth and complexity of need is expected to increase. We plan to expand our counselling and family support services to help people survive, connect and eventually thrive,” he says.
The group put forward an in-depth plan as part of their application process. They receive support from the trust to the tune of $390,000 over a three-year period, commencing this year with $120,000.
Both the CODC and the QLDC mayors offered support of the grant. CODC mayor, Tim Cadogan commending the group saying, “In my time working in the Courts and as Mayor, I have seen the work the Salvation Army do at times when no one else is there to do it. The Army provides vital help to those most in need”.
The Central Otago Pilot Programme for the Youth Employment Project continues to receive support. The programme’s aim is to develop a coordinated learning pathway to ensure continued engagement of secondary school students in education and/or training and employment.
The success of the programme over the past two years will this year see its expansion into Wakatipu High School and Mt Aspiring College. Finlay says, “This was a CLT initiative driven primarily with funding from the trust originally, but with its success more funders have come on board, including Otago Polytechnic Trades Academy. We are really proud of how well the programme has done and even more proud of the students that have made it a success,” she says.
In addition a series of COVID-19 emergency grants have been provided to groups the trust work with to meet the demand that our community is experiencing at the current time. Queenstown’s Citizens Advice Bureau, a key local agency in the QLDC emergency response receive $7,800, to assist with extra demand over the May/June period.
Since the trust commenced 20 years ago, it has returned over $100 million back into the community. A total of $5.66m of the $9.40 million grants budget for the 2020/21 financial year has been allocated to date.