Free Postage For More Than 4500 Community Groups

13 October 2005

Free Postage For More Than 4500 Community Groups Across New Zealand

Over 4500 community groups from Kaitaia to Bluff are benefiting this year from New Zealand Post's flagship sponsorship programme, Community Post.

National Sponsorship Manager Victoria Wicks-Brown says that the number of envelopes donated to non-profit organisations had increased by 250,000 in 2005, bringing the total number of envelopes donated nationwide to one million.

"Community Post is a great way for us to help as many and as wide a cross-section of New Zealanders as possible.

"These organisations are all making vital contributions to the well-being of New Zealanders, and we are delighted to play a part in helping them deliver key programmes in their local communities."

The New Zealand Plunket Society, which has a large network of Volunteers throughout New Zealand, has received significant assistance from Community Post for the valuable work it carries out in all corners of New Zealand. Plunket supports families with young children by providing appropriate clinical and support programmes, and educational activities.

In 2005 more than 120 local branches of Plunket received Community Post envelopes, meaning that funds which would otherwise be spent on administration costs can instead be directed towards these crucial services.

Tarsha Jones of the Lower Hutt Plunket Toy Library said that they were absolutely thrilled to receive the Community Post envelopes again this year, and that the envelopes will provide significant assistance with communications to toy library members and committee members.

"The money we save in postage will be spent on new toys for the library, and so this is directly helping our kids."

For the past five years Community Post has donated postage-included envelopes to non-profit organisations in the areas of education, health and welfare, sport and recreation, arts and culture, and the environment.

The postage-included envelopes are allocated according to 15 regions based on population. Community groups apply to their region's Community Post Board outlining how they plan to use the envelopes. Application forms for 2006 Community Post envelopes will become available in August next year.

ENDS

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