WBoP Grant Announcement

Western Bay of Plenty community organisations have received funding support totaling more than $137,000 in BayTrust’s latest grants round.

Of the 16 groups supported, Papamoa’s Beachaven Community House received $8,000 towards its operating costs, while Epilepsy NZ’s WBoP Branch operations received a $5,000 boost.

Beachaven Community House Manager Gale Gordon says the grant will cover most of the group’s rent costs for the next 12 months. “It’s just wonderful, because it keeps a roof over our heads, which is the most important thing.”

Based in a “little house, right down the end of Papamoa Road”, Beachaven offers a range of services for the community, including playgroups for mothers and young children, a seniors group, youth group and walk group. “We also act as family advocates,” Ms Gordon says. “Often that means helping young mums with parenting and caring. We give them a place to go where they can talk about their issues and find new friends. It’s a little thing, but it makes a big difference in people’s lives.”

Epilepsy NZ WBoP Assistant Manager Bunny Cox says support from funding agencies like BayTrust is a huge help. “It makes our job so much easier, because we don’t have to skimp on what we do.”

The Branch offers support for epilepsy sufferers and their families and carries out public awareness activities with local schools, health professionals and service agencies. “We provide information about how to identify epilepsy and what to do if you find yourself or someone in your family in that position,” she says. “Our field officers then work with sufferers, helping them to understand their condition and identify the triggers that cause seizures. It’s so important when you’re first dealing with the condition to have someone knowledgeable to talk to about your problems.”

Other organisations to receive grants this week included: Age Concern ($15,000 towards operational expenses); Child Matters ($5,000 towards its Baywide, five-day child protection programme); Headway Brain Injury Association BoP Inc. ($5,000 towards liaison services); Merivale Community Inc. $15,000 towards operating costs); NZ Response Team Trust ($9,713 towards the cost of repainting its USAR rescue vehicle); Omokoroa Community Policing Group Charitable Trust ($1,500 towards operating costs); Otanewainuku Kiwi Trust ($7,500 towards habitat protection costs); Parent to Parent ($10,000 towards Baywide operating costs); St Peters Care & Counselling Charitable Trust ($15,000 towards operating costs); Tauranga Citizens Advice Bureau ($8,576 towards operating costs); Tauranga Jazz Society Inc. ( a $10,000 guarantee against loss for the 50th Jazz Festival); Urban Dance Youth Trust ($5,000 towards operating costs); Volunteer WBoP ($9,000 towards operating costs); and Youth Search & Rescue Tauranga Trust ($8,000 towards youth development programme costs).