Media release from SKYCITY Queenstown Casino Community Trust

14 March 2011

SKYCITY Queenstown Casino Community Trust funding

updates Playcentre’s 15-year old computer

Staff at Queenstown Playcentre can enjoy an easier time with technology thanks to a community-funded replacement of the Queenstown Playcentre’s 15-year old computer.

The centre was awarded $1,248.00 by SKYCITY Queenstown Casino Community Trust during its 2010 funding round to upgrade its age-old model to a brand new Hewlett Packard (HP).

Queenstown Playcentre President Tua Tolich said the computer was heavily relied upon to communicate with families, update the Playcentre website and for internet connection.

“We’re incredibly grateful for this grant from SKYCITY Queenstown Casino Community Trust. We need a computer for administration purposes and our old model was extremely painful to work with - simple processes took forever, it couldn’t connect to the printer and we often reverted to hand-writing,” she said.

Queenstown Playcentre is part of the New Zealand Playcentre Federation and provides morning care (9.30am-12pm) each weekday for approximately 40 children aged between newborn and 3 ½ year olds - some of whom have been recently welcomed from Christchurch following the earthquake.

“At times like now when we have a sudden influx of children we really need a reliable computer system to keep in touch with the Association and update our databases,” said Miss Tolich.
SKYCITY Queenstown Casino Executive Manager Michelle Baillie said the company aimed to support and encourage local children through various pre- school, after-school and education bodies in the region through its Community Trust and various sponsorships.

“Queenstown Playcentre is a longstanding pre-school centre in the region and the Trust thought it was necessary for them to keep their technology up to speed,” she said.

SKYCITY Queenstown Casino Community Trust distributed a total of $95,378 to 44 community groups in the Queenstown Lakes in its 2010 recipient round.

SKYCITY Queenstown Casino has been a proud member of the Queenstown community for ten years and over the past eight years has distributed more than $900,000 to 249 community groups in the region.

Applications for funding from the SKYCITY Queenstown Casino Community Trust are sought every June. For more information visit the community website section on www.skycityqueenstown.co.nz

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