Grants allocated to nearly 40 community organisations

More than $200,000 was distributed to 37 community services, projects and organisations in the recent 2019/20 Hastings District Council contestable grants funding round.

Each year, a wide variety of applications are received for the fund, but this year the contestable grants committee was “staggered” by the amount of applications, says committee member and Hastings district councillor Malcolm Dixon.

“We spent one entire day listening to the submissions from these groups who carry out such fabulous work in our community, and that was after reading through four volumes of applications.

“Then on another day we agonised over how best to allocate the funds for the groups who met the criteria.”

The criteria includes consideration of whether the organisation meets a need within the community, how dependent the event or organisation is on the council funding, where else funding could be sourced, whether it’s a local or national initiative, and whether the applicant had received funding in previous years, and if so how it was used.

“I was delighted with the way the councillors involved discussed each application and came to our final decisions which we unanimously agreed upon,” Mr Dixon said.

The recipients who shared $245,500 in total ranged from youth support organisations to financial literacy workshops, women’s refuge, Christmas cheer and Christmas Day lunch initiatives, community health initiatives, sporting tournaments and financial literacy programmes.

All successful applicants need to supply the council with financial accounts showing how the money was spent and provide a report on the project and its success.

Hastings mayor Sandra Hazlehurst said it was great to be able to provide this funding support for such worthy causes.

“All these organisations play such a vital role in supporting our community and we would love to be able to help more carry out this valued work.”

ENDS

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