Ruapehu community groups looking for funding to help with smaller scale revitalisation projects of public, long term benefit to the community are being urged to apply to the latest round of the Pride of Place Fund.

The Pride of Place Fund provides up to $50,000 per year to help smaller scale community projects that often just need a relatively small amount of funding support to enable them to make the most of community (volunteer) input.

Group Manager Customer Services Pauline Welch said that since its inception the Pride of Place Fund has successfully supported a wide range of community groups with their projects.

“This has included everything from township beautification, new or improvement of existing community assets, entranceways, cycle and walkways, river and streamside clean-up and landscaping, picnic tables and seats, signs and artworks and other types of projects.

The Pride of Place Fund has been able to help these community projects with materials, equipment and other project expenditure,” she said.

“The Fund provides a simple and effective way in which Council can support the people with the ideas, energy and passion who wanted to undertake beautification and enhancement projects for their town.

The average level of financial support is typically around $5,000 per project however groups can apply for more or less than this with the maximum allocation to any one group being $20,000 per year for no more than two consecutive years.

Applicants need to be a legally constituted and registered community group or organisation such as a not for profit, Charitable Trust or Incorporated Society with community development and capability building as a core function of the organisation.

If anyone is involved with a group that has a township beautification or enhancement project in mind needing a little bit of financial support we would encourage them to put in an application.

More information is available on ruapehudc.govt.nz under Our District/Grants or give either Candice or Paige a call via your local Council office.

Applications for this round of Pride of Place funding close on 31 March.”

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