Last week for applications to Contact Epic Community Fund

31 May 2016

Last week for applications to Contact Epic Community Fund

Community organisations and residents are being encouraged to apply for support from the Contact Epic Community Fund before applications close on Wednesday June 8.

Now in its second year, the fund was established by Contact and LMS Events as part of their joint commitment to support the Epic event through to 2017. For every entry, LMS Events donates $5 matched by Contact Energy dollar-for-dollar up to 1000 entries, or $5,000 each per year.

“Last year we were thrilled to be able to help five local community projects in achieving their goals, which have delivered immediate benefits for the Hawea community,” says Boyd Brinsdon, Contact’s Head of Hydro Generation.

“We are standing by again with a pool of $6,300 raised from this year’s event and ready to work alongside the Hawea Community Association to select recipients from another batch of applications.”

Contact Community Relations Manager, Rosanne Jollands, says the fund is open to community groups across the Hawea district as well as to individual residents.

“There are no pre-defined limits as to the number of potential funding recipients. We assess each application on its merits, ranking them according to their fit with the fund’s objectives. Funding will be distributed to groups and individuals on that basis until the funding runs out.”

Contact Epic Event Director Danielle Nicholson of LMS Events says it is a thrill to be able to leverage the success of the event to give back to the Hawea community.

“The level of the fund depends on entry numbers so that’s yet another good reason to promote it far and wide. The contribution to this fund from LMS Events is on top of the $6,000 that the event also delivers to community groups that help out on race day itself.”

Grant recipients from last year include the Lake Hawea Bike Park, which is nearing completion following the $3,500 funding for excavation works.

Meanwhile, the Hawea Flat Primary School - and wider community - are loving their new artificial cricket pitch, purchased with the help of $1000 from the fund. The Hawea Playgroup is appreciating its cosy changing area thanks to $730 for treble glazing.

Hawea Kindergarten play is a lot safer thanks to the new crash mat under the swing bar, purchased with the aid of $700 from the fund.

The whole community is benefiting from the pre-hospital care training for two Lake Hawea Volunteer Fire Brigade members last year, supported by $900 from the fund.

For the purposes of the Fund, the Hawea District encompasses the communities of Lake Hawea, Hawea Flat, John Creek, the Maungawera Valley, and in the remote headwaters of Lake Hawea, the two small farming communities of the Dingleburn and Hunter Valley high country farming stations.

Applications close on Wednesday, 8 June, 2016. A panel with representatives from Contact Energy, LMS Events and the Hawea Community Association, will review short listed applications, and successful applicants will be notifiedJune 16th and publicly announced on June 20.

Applications at http://haweacommunity.co.nz/contact-epic-community-fund/

ENDS

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