Porirua City has several grants available to young people aged 25 and under, as well as support for local organisations that work with young people.

Porirua Mayor Anita Baker says with Covid-19 still prominent, this is a chance to make a positive impact.

"Covid-19 and the lockdown were tough on young people and these grants are designed to support projects that will do something good for our children and young people," she says.

Mayor Baker says that the Council’s youth grants team will have a stall at the Love Local Expo at Te Rauparaha Arena this Saturday, and would love to hear from anyone interested in the funding.

"Our grants team will be there at the expo to support our young people and organisations working with young people, with practical advice, community connections and resources to help them make a success of their proposed projects," Mayor Baker says.

"If you are a young person with a bright idea that can help young people in Porirua get through and get ahead, please come to the expo and have a chat to one of our advisors - they will give you advice on how to get funding and support for your project."

There are a range of grants available, ranging from support for individual youth-driven projects, to support for young people to participate in activities and initiatives that are important to them.

The ‘Making it Happen’ grants are open to individuals or a group of young people - and it’s not just about getting money for a project. In the past, these grants have funded initiatives such as tree planting at schools, teaching kids baking skills, organising community nature clean-ups, designing and creating art for public parks, upgrading a school bike rack, waka ama tournaments and helping young people with sports, arts and music projects.

The ‘Making it Happen’ youth grants are open for anyone aged 25 and under to fund an idea that will support the young people in the city. Individuals can get up to $500 in funding and organisations that have innovative new ideas, and are working with young people, can also access up to $3000 in funding.

The ‘Getting you there’ grants are also open. They are aimed at helping young people, and groups of young people, with funding of up to $500. Over the past year these grants have supported numerous initiatives and helped young to participate in activities across arts, sports and culture.

"We want to help our tamariki and rangatahi to learn new skills, grow in confidence and resilience so that they can successfully take on challenges in future, which are important traits in our current Covid-19 climate," Mayor Baker says.

Putting children and young people at the heart of our city is one of the strategic priorities of the Council, she says.

"We want to support new ideas, activities and innovative projects that will benefit and grow of our youth, so come around and share your ideas with us at the Love Local Expo to find out how we can help you get your project off the ground."

To find out more go to poriruacity.govt.nz/services/community-support/children-young-people-funding/making-it-happen/

© Scoop Media